“My star, you are capable of so much more than you realize. Take my hands, and allow me to show you.” Her voice flowed into my ears, a calming whisper that soothed my soul. “You believe that youonlyhave power over the mind of mortal souls…” she hummed, her voice dragging my gaze to her irises that twinkled like the cosmos.
As if I had no control over my own being—and maybe I didn't—I placed my hands in hers, allowing the cool touch of her crystallized flesh to wash over me.
The goddess beamed. “My dear, you will soon be able to manipulatethe stars.”
“The stars?” The sentence was simple, but I scrambled for the words all the same. I briefly recalled something I’d read about the possibility of Blythe having more power than we realized.
“Why do you think I chose to give you the constellastones? The jewel was the closest thing I could give to the cosmos.” Her lips quirked up. “Until now.”
Light exploded out of the woman before me.
Her eyes closed and her face emitted deep focus as she pointed her head towards the heavens. I fought to maintain my balance as the ground quaked beneath us, but she held onto my hands, keeping me upright and durable.
My eyes were forced to squint as the glow from her skin intensified, illuminating so brightly that I was sure the creatures in the ocean would be blinded by her power. Starlight dripped off of her. The luminosity crept its way from her fingertips and slithered up mine. I stood a silent observer to the glimmering, white substance that felt slick as it masked my skin, and as her physical excretion of magic covered my flesh, pieces of hers vanished.
“You need to stop this war,” she whispered, her voice beginning to sound frail as she evaporated before me.
“How?” My throat shivered as her magic consumed me, filling my veins with the power of the constellations.
“I am granting you the power of the cosmos. Use it. Save who you can, then leave through the tunnel under the castle. If things play out correctly, you will find safety at the end of it.”
“And if they don’t?”
“There is more than one outcome,” she answered.
My body tingled at the continuous absorption of power. Sparkling beads of constellastone sank their way into me, making my skin crawl. Like water, I soaked the magic in, allowing it to consume me.
The goddess’ legs had dissipated and her torso was now only half visible. She floated before me, her hair blowing in the cosmic wind of magic spilling out of her.
I scanned my eyes over my own body. My clothing and armor had been melted away by the heat of the starlight, allowing me to see the trail of crystals that embedded themselves into me. They covered my skin, gleaming and twinkling for a few seconds before absorbing and leaving my flesh with a glowy hue.
My hands went slack as hers vanished, only her neck and face left for me to see. She smiled faintly, but did not say another word before the rest of her faded away into nothingness.
I fell victim to another excruciatingly bright beam of light that flashed as soon as she had dissipated. The force knocked my bare body to the ground, where I sank into the cobblestone, the aftershock of whatever the fuck that was leaving me completely jarred.
My hands quivered in front of my face. White swirls of stars circulated around my fingers, coating my palms and trailing up the backs of my hands. The delicate design faded halfway up my forearms, leaving a permanent reminder of the goddess marked into my skin.
The beating of my heart as it tried to escape my ribcage let me know that I was very much alive.
I pulled my knees to my chest, hugging my arms around myself and erupting into tears. Relieved to be alive but also in complete shock, my emotions needed an outlet. I sat for an incomprehensible amount of time, rocking back and forth like a child, only flinching when I felt a rough hand on my spine as someone knelt behind me.
Chapter
Forty-Seven
Arms pulled me backwards, and despite not knowing who they belonged to, I let my body sink into their owners.
My breathing was harsh, every inhale tearing me further apart. I was physically fine. Mentally, I wasn't sure.
“Sebastian?”
The figure who held me shuffled, releasing one arm to pull off their helmet. It hit the patio with a harsh chime.
“No.”
Sawyer.
He tightened his grip on me, careful to avoid any parts of my body that he shouldn't be touching. “Are you okay? What happened?”
