“Quazar,” I screeched. I looked up at him. He was still smirking. But his eyes told the truth. He was in great pain.
The Stareaters began cracking through the glass. Through the narrow gap, they shot bolts of black fire our way. I dodged the first three, yanking Quazar out of the way. The fourth slammed right into my wings. And burned. I cried out.
“Safah!” Quazar yelled.
Tears instantly welled in my eyes. This was the same pain I felt when the Spirit Harvesters had come after me and were tearing me apart. If the Stareaters were the same in ferocity as the Spirit Harvesters, I wouldn’t be able to fend them off. Especially not seven of them.
“I’m okay,” I grit through my teeth.
I forced myself to focus on Quazar’s shackles before I started circling him, desperately trying to think of a way around these manacles.
A table had surfaced beside him. And on top of it was a dagger with a crimson blade and a gilded hilt. Inscribed on the side was the proverb of Temple Efysis:
Ascend, or enlarge the Hèls.
I went to pick it up?—
“Starling, don’t!” Quazar snapped, his eyes full of panic. “It’s poisonous. Crimson blades, like obsidian blades, are laced with dark majik. If your skin comes into contact with it you’re dead.”
“But why is it here?”
I looked up. That’s when I noticed the door that was open earlier was also gone.
“Wait…They want me to…toendyour life?”
Quazar smiled at me, but there was no joy in it.
“You didn’t expect anything different, did you?”
“This iswrong,” I seethed.
“You think your little bloodthirsty temple cares?” Quazar chuckled. “Besides, I’m aFallenspawn,remember? I’m their beloved Prince. Andyouare the sweetheart of the temple. Of course they’d use you to get rid of me.”
“Sweetheart of the temple is rich considering they let one of the Order nearly wrench me out of this life,” I scoffed.
Think. I needed to think.
An idea clicked in my mind.
“Stay behind my wings,” I ordered.
I floated in front of him, turning to face the Stareaters who’d broken enough of the glass to shove an arm through. I channeled the depths of my power. I threw an arm in the air and flooded the chamber with starfire, mixed with lavender and iridescent starlight. The power flowed out of my hand like a vortex as my wings flapped. My body thrummed with the energy, creating a strong shield.
As the shield sealed around us, the Stareaters cracked through the glass of the chamber. Burning like a lavender star with an iridescent glow, I turned to face Quazar. He looked up into my eyes, as if staring at a Celestial.
“Beautiful.” He blinked at me in awe. “So rotting beautiful.”
I smiled sweetly. Picking up the blindfold that had been around the Chronophim’s eyes, I gingerly picked up the poisoned dagger. I looked at Quazar’s shackles and decided to trust my gut. He said nothing as he watched me bend down, putting the dagger to his shackles. For a moment, it was just the shield of light, Quazar, and me.
Ifyusedback, letting my Seraphim skin return. I pressed close to Quazar, my leg perched over his thigh. He scooted forward. The world fell quiet as we drew close. I tipped my head down. He angled his own, mouth open, drawing me in like a serpent to sin.
I slipped my bent leg further, angling myself over his lap, straddling him. A growl filled the back of his throat. He was completely disarmed, his eyes burning with liquid desire.
I brought the dagger to his shackles and listened as the poison burned through the manacles. We remained like that, the two of us locked in a quiet battle. All I had to do was tip my head and I’d close the gap between our lips.
The lock on his shacklespopped.
In one swoop, I tossed the dagger as Quazar swung his arms forward and reached up to grip my waist. Like a reflex, Ifyusedagain, becoming entirely my starry self. Quazar leaned forward, ready to press our lips together.
