A clash of stars, p.33
A Clash of Stars, page 33
He took another swig of his water. “You do realize. I can’t be here when Griffin comes; he will kill me. No questions asked.”
I stood to walk towards him.
“Why would he want to kill you?”
He sighed, “Griffin doesn’t know that I was instructed to do what I did to you in the Variance, and he isn’t going to find out.”
“But, where will you go? How will I know that you are, okay?”
He placed his glass on the kitchen counter, walked over to me, and took my hands in his.
“I will be alright. I am going to make my way back to Thea and try to reconcile what relationship I have left with my father. I want you to be safe. Remember that your power is strong. Even stronger than the King of Aster, Madok, or Evander. The evil one doesn’t want you to know that, but I do. You can destroy him and all the people standing in your way, Clara. You are the only person I know that would be responsible with that much power, and I can guess that you haven’t used any of the other powers, have you?”
He dropped my hands and walked to pick up a small bag by the door.
“Promise me that you will look for someone once you find out how to solidify and use your powers.”
My puzzled expression was obviously enough for him to elaborate.
“This land, the people, the control, there is more at work here than you realize. I’m sure that your parents told you at least that much.”
He took a few steps towards me and lowered his voice, “You need to find Luna. She is one of the last oracles. She will tell you what you must do to save our people.”
Luna. My power advisor from Sefida. She knew all along.
My response was immediate, “People keep telling me I need to protect our people, save our people, from what, Luke? What do I need to save them from other than this curse?”
His eyes darkened as he pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.
“Do you remember in our history classes at Sefida, there were chunks of time and history that seemed to be left out? You found the missing pieces in the book of Darthium.”
I tilted my head as he continued, “I’m the one that placed it in the library that day. Sophia knew that you needed to know the most important parts of our history to complete the curse, but mostly it’s just one piece in the big picture.”
Sophia? My lady’s maid. Did she write it? That brings up a plethora of other questions.
“Alright, I must go,” he said.
I watched Luke walk to the door leading outside to the forest, and I called out to him.
“Please be careful, Luke... and thank you.”
He smiled, and I felt the cinnamon creep into my skin for what felt like the last time.
“Always princess.” He winked at me then he was gone.
I heard hooves trotting around outside, and I quietly walked to the window to peer out to who it might be. I hoped it was Griffin, but I couldn’t always be sure due to my extenuating circumstances.
I saw the two royal horses tied up but no Griffin when I looked outside. Panic started to heat my body like an oven.
Where could he be? Then I heard the soft tap of the door, and I slowly walked to open it. I was stunned.
Evander was a complete mess. His dark hair was tousled and wet, his green eyes were ambient and grief-stricken, and he was wearing complete black, but I could see the markings of blood on his body, making my eyes go wide with concern for him.
He didn’t care.
With such a powerful force, he pushed his way into the shack, grabbed my hips, and wrapped my legs around his waist.
His right hand grabbed my chin, and I lowered my gaze to his.
I could feel his emotions shooting through me.
Great sadness, longing, and love. I felt all of it at once, and I began to cry. He gently leaned his head into mine, touching our foreheads together.
“I thought I lost you today, Clara. I watched– I saw your mother holding onto your father with every ounce of her being. It crushed me. I didn’t know where you were, if you were safe, who you were with.”
His voice was full of despair as a small tear fell down his cheek.
“I’m okay, Evander. I’m okay. Look at me.”
I grabbed his head in my hands and forced him to look into my eyes.
“Ev, I love you. That is the only thing that is holding me together. You. You are the only thing that is keeping me alive.”
I moved my hands to rest on his shoulders as he pulled his head back to look at me. He studied every inch of my face like he needed to remember everything about me. When he spoke, I thought my heart would melt right into him.
“I’ve loved you since your sixteenth birthday party. I have been waiting for the day that you loved me back.”
Then he kissed me as if he thirsted for them. Desired to touch me at all times. Our kiss became frantic, and he surprised me by pulling away and placing my feet back on the ground.
“We have to go. You are to go to Rhysette to get Lettie and Bethany, then you need to meet someone in Sefida, but there are Asterian guards all over the place, so we need to get through as quickly as possible.”
I stared into his emerald eyes, “I want to see my mother. My father just died in front of me today. I can’t just leave my home.”
He sighed and glanced out the window with a tight lip, withholding what he wanted to say.
“You can’t go back there, Clara. Something else happened after your father was returned to the castle, but we can’t discuss it here. You have to go.”
He grabbed my wrist, and I flung my hand away.
“No. We can talk about it now,” I demanded.
He grunted in frustration and closed the space between us.
“You are the absolute love of my life Clara, but you are the biggest pain in my ass. Do you ever listen when someone tells you to do something? Ever?”
I scoffed at him. “I’m not a child. We’ve already had this conversation before. I refuse to be a pawn in this game, Evander. Tell me now if I need to know something, or I won’t be going with Griffin.”
I saw the big-bodied Griff enter my peripheral vision through the window. Smirking, obviously knowing we were arguing.
He rolled his neck around to withhold his heated anger from filling up the space we were in.
“If I tell you, will you go, no questions asked?”
I nodded in agreement.
“I am serious, Clara, no questions.”
“Yeah, yeah. I agree with those terms. Now tell me.”
He sighed and walked towards the door, leaning against it with his hand on the doorknob, ready to turn it and leave.
“When we all returned with your father, your mother was completely distraught, and we were all so distracted by his death that we ignored our surroundings. Sefida Capital soldiers and Aster soldiers moved in and overthrew the castle. They captured your mother and Jeremiah. Lettie got Bethany out, and they’re currently returning to Rhysette. You’re going to meet them there.”
I went to say something, then remembered my agreement and turned to walk out the door to approach the horses.
Was my mother, okay?
Why would they capture her and Jeremiah?
If I had my facts straight, the King of Aster had his wife, Amari, locked up, my mother and Jeremiah. This led my thoughts to which Kings and queens were on our side and who was on the King of Aster’s side.
I felt a hand grip my wrist turning me around to face the man who infuriated me and gave me purpose.
“Another thing is your father knew. He knew someone would kill him because he gave me this letter during our meeting at Elistayre.”
Evander reached out a piece of paper to me, and I gently gripped the paper in my hands before lifting my eyes back to him.
He placed his hand on my lower back, leading me towards Griffin. Griff hopped up on his horse, extending his hand to me.
Before I could reach for his hand, Evander swooped in and kissed me so hard that I could feel his pain. I felt his nervousness and aching heart as he pulled back and left one soft lingering kiss on my lips before hoisting me up behind Griff on the horse.
“If you run into any trouble. Kill them”
I nodded, then we were off. I turned around to watch Evander mount his horse and rode off toward my home.
The castle I grew up in.
The place where I lost my father and would most likely lose my mother.
I blocked it out, reminding myself what Luke had told me. I would kill the King and anyone who stood in my way. I was furious and ready to end this once and for all.
Chapter 35
I ended up falling asleep with my cheek on Griffin’s back and when awoke, I wiped away the drool that stained the back of his shirt. I didn’t know where we were, so I leaned back, taking in our surroundings of the forest when a voice startled me.
“Clara, we have to stop for the horse to rest. Just a little way up the road is a guard tower. Once we finish our break, we will walk towards the tower, and you should fully expect to fight. You understand?”
I nodded, then realized he couldn’t see that. “Yes, I understand.”
We stopped our trot, and Griffin got off the horse first to help me land gracefully on the ground.
He led the horse to the small creek, and the horse guzzled the water, obviously parched. Griff plopped down near the horse and patted the ground for me to join him.
“How are you? And I don’t want the fake version of whatever you’re going to say. How are you really?”
I sighed and pulled my knees up to my chest as I searched for what would be the most honest answer.
“Um. I think I’m numb. There are times I’m pulled to one emotion and other times I’m pulled to another. I go back and forth between them.”
I blew out my breath. “I just want to know what I’m missing. It’s like I have many pieces to the puzzle, but there’s one I am missing.”
I turned to look at him. I noticed his features, the soft hazel eyes, the long hair pulled into a messy bun, and the chiseled jawline constantly clenched as if he always held back what he wanted to say.
“I know what you mean. Evander is the best guy I know. He won’t share some things with me, but I know I must trust him. He has always had these nightmares about himself. In the dreams, he is this creature, and he can’t seem to shake the idea that it’s true. All he’s ever talked about is destroying this curse and finding you.”
He turned and faced me. “I need you to know that I’m well aware I’m not Ev, but I will protect you, and I am not worried about you putting up a fight. You’re fierce and scary.”
I laughed, and he nudged his shoulder into mine.
“I’m serious. You were the top-tier student in every training we had and every class. It bothered Madok that you were smarter than him and a better fighter. Evander tried his best not to be attracted to you, but have you seen you?”
I gave Griffin a side-eye. He never was one to stray away from an inappropriate comment, but that was him. It’s how he allowed his personality to show through, but sometimes I think it’s a cover for what’s deep inside him. I also wouldn’t dare tell him we were related because he would never stop asking me questions.
“Yeah, I’ve looked into a mirror,” I laughed.
“So, what’s the plan here?” I asked him.
He took a deep breath and stood up, extending his hand to help me onto my two feet.
“The plan is, we don’t have one. We deal with it the best we can. We fight. We kill. We move on.”
I blew out a ragged breath and looked at him with nervousness.
“Don’t worry. We have each other’s backs. There should only be two guards at the watch tower in Rhysette but just in case….” He tossed me an extra sword. “Kill them."
He smirked and grabbed the horse’s reins walking him around to prepare us to ride, hoping to make it to the meeting point with Bethany and Lettie.
“You’ll hop on, and I will walk alongside you. They’ll see you first. They know they aren’t to kill you, just capture you.”
I laughed, “Yeah, well, we know how that worked out last time.”
Referring to the Variance, of course.
“Yeah, I’m well aware of that. I got you, though. No more assholes coming to ruin your day except the two guards that work for Alex.”
Ha. He called him Alex. Not even King Alex. Serves him right, he does not even deserve that respect.
We started walking and I realized just how much of a badass I looked. I had two swords strapped on my back, my hair was a wild wavy mess, I had blood stains from my father, and I was pissed. Powers and feelings suppressed me for so long that I thought the next person to cross me would get an entirely different response from me.
Griffin hoisted me on the horse and let me take control of the reins. He walked steadily beside me on the side hidden from the tower. After a few minutes, the guard tower became more pronounced. Closer.
I scanned the tower and the guards noticed me immediately.
They started a quick descent towards me, and I felt my power surging inside me, nipping at my heels to be unleashed. I knew that I had the ability of nature and to read others’ emotions, maybe even minds. I should also be able to use persuasion and I was about to find out.
A small voice in my head told me it was okay to use the powers when necessary, and right now, it was.
“Excuse me, ma’am. You can’t come through here. It’s off limits.” One of the guards called out.
I responded as cool as a cucumber, ensuring that Griffin was still hidden. “I’m just passing through. No harm done.”
The shorter guard started his walk toward me with more determination.
“He said it is off limits. No matter–”
That’s when he realized who I was and nervously glanced back at the taller guard. He descended from the tower as Griffin clung tightly to the horse’s hind.
“Ma’am, you need to come with us. Please dismount your horse.”
I tilted my head at the guard speaking to me and turned my gaze to the other one that had just approached.
“No. I won’t be doing that, gentlemen.”
Both guards withdrew their swords, and I raised my hand toward them. Power emerged from me, showing them a slight white glow from my palms.
“If you know what’s best for you, you will back away and let me pass.” They started a slow approach toward me.
“We have been given strict instructions that we are to take you to the King of Aster if we find you. It’s our heads if we don’t.”
“That’s a shame.”
Then I threw my power into the ground at the guard’s feet causing it to split between them, they both fell to the ground, and I hopped off the horse, still holding my power firmly. I started to stroll toward them, and I could sense their fear.
Good.
“I’ll give you one last chance….”
This time I projected my power through my eyes. I could feel my eyes glowing, and the power radiated through me, giving me a seductive feeling of pure power and control.
“Let me pass, don’t say anything about seeing me, and you’ll live.”
They both were stunned, and their eyes widened. Looking at each other, they placed their swords on the ground and kneeled before me.
The guard that approached me first spoke, “We won’t say anything about seeing you, but others in this land won’t be affected by you like we are.”
I found that humorous, and I continued my walk toward them. I stood directly in front of the guards dressed in black guard uniforms with metallic stripes along the arms, with both on their knees in front of me, looking up with complete despair.
I squatted down to get eye-to-eye with them.
“I need your help, you see. Both my parents were killed…” partial lie, but we’ll see where this goes. “Which means you’ll need to address me appropriately. It should be Queen Clara– and what you will do for me is very simple.”
I quickly stood, shoving my sword into the guard’s chest that saw me when I first approached. As I yanked the sword back out, and as he fell to the ground, I slashed my sword, cutting flesh and bone as I decapitated him.
The other guard stared straight ahead with blood splatter on his face, not wanting to make eye contact with me and for a good reason. I pushed my power into the still-alive guard as roots rumbled from the ground, wrapping around his legs and arms as I lifted him to look at me directly in my eyes.
“You will take this guard’s head to the King and tell him I’m coming.” I leaned in, whispering in the guard’s ear, barely touching his blood-spattered skin. “And tell him he’s next.”
I released the power, causing the roots to drop him to the ground. I slowly walked to mount my horse and ensured that Griffin stayed hidden as we trotted away from the guard stand until we were far enough away for Griffin to join me on the horse.
“Damn, Clara.”
I looked at him as he shoved his leg over the horse and mounted it behind me. Evander would kill him if he knew how we were riding this horse.
“What?” I questioned him, but I smiled, knowing exactly what he was thinking.
“That was super-hot. When you cut his head off, it turned me on.”
I laughed out loud, probably louder than I should have.
“Don’t be weird, Griffin.”
“I’m not being weird, and I am being honest… I’m jealous of that bastard.” I turned my head back to look at him with a confused expression. “You’re a goddess. Evander would be so proud.”
I smiled, then my smile turned into a frown. I missed him. We had just professed our love for one another, and now I was miles away from him, with his best friend by my side, specifically my backside.
I’d swoon over Griffin if I were any other girl unrelated to him. His scent was even attractive. He smelled like oak, solid and manly. His body matched his scent perfectly. His hazel eyes would easily distract anyone who talked to him. He was a smooth talker, but I had only seen one woman catch his attention, and I was curious to know more about her.
