Page 132 of The Starlight Savior

How had her father not been absorbed by such a task? He found Emery, Saige’s mother. He chose to live out his days in Brevil, to have a family and fulfill his duties. Despite his life being tragically cut short.

She wondered what was stopping her from doing the same.

To Saige, it was easiest to navigate this on her own. Under different circumstances, she’d keep moving forward. Put little worry to how her actions or discipline impacted others. But everything had changed. The four kingdoms of Opela relied on her, whether they were aware of it or not. And her companion’s words rattled something, pushing into the spaces she often didn’t explore. There was truth in Saige being unable to bear the pressure on her own. She was living the result. Bedridden and drained of all magic. Cuts and marks on her body. Scars and blood bonds with vicious kings.

An ache to be close to her father grew so heavy she felt like her mind may burst. She sat up in bed, tugging the blankets off. Her thin undergarments stuck to her skin. A set of clothes was folded neatly on the end of her bed, boots waiting on the ground below. Her body barked in protest, head spinning as she slid out of bed and began to dress. She may need rest, but she could lie down no longer. The urge to move was growing stronger and stronger. The need to do more would not subside.

Tugging her door open, she expected someone to stop her. No guards or handmaids lingered in the hallway. It was eerily silent in the eastern wing, her boots echoing on the stone floor. Her heart thundered as she approached her father’s door, hand resting heavy on the silver knob.

It was locked.

She pulled on the door, but the knob wouldn’t turn.

Part of her knew she should turn away. Eva claimed she never locked it, but this room was quite sacred to her, the final part of Oscar Nerestel undisturbed. But wanting to tug on that connection between father and daughter, Saige felt a question nagging in the back of her mind. How had he navigated such danger awaiting them?

Opening her palm, she mustered as much magic as she could. At first, no light filled her body. But as her mind relentlessly tugged on the starlight engulfing the castle, something gave. An orb of power morphed in her hand, plummeting straight towards the door handle. The metal shot off, flinging across the hallway and along the stone floor.

The door opened with a creak.

Her father’s room remained exactly the same. Unmade bed, dusty clothes on the floor, letters and books piled on the desk, the cool metal of his unused weapons. She hadn’t been in her father’s room since the discovery of her kinship to Eva. Saige allowed her fingertips to trail over everything. Feeling selfish, she wanted her mark to linger with her father’s. Just as Eva’s did.

Knowledge of only five letters nestled in her mind. Each time Saige brought up reading more, Eva solemnly requested for her to be patient. In the moment, it was easy to accept it. There were other matters to focus on. Now she felt like there was no time left. The mist would crest over the mountains, seep through the cracks, and creep right towards them.

Sitting lightly on the edge of the bed, she gazed around the room. There were layers to the warlock who was her father. In every corner, books, swords, unfinished paintings, drawings, letters, and clothes were strewn about. She reached towards the pile of books beside the bed. Sifting through them, she smiled. History, romance, poetry, even children’s lore. He read all sorts. Was there anything her father didn’t do?

The sight before her warmed her heart, softening the sharp edge of grief. Comfort wasn’t what she was looking for though. What Saige really wanted was guidance of how her father coped with the impending ruin of Opela. Her gaze landed on the letters, neatly folded and piled on the desk. Ink marks were smudged from sweaty hands and tears spilled. Her legs moved without thinking, striding over to the large stack and picking them up.

She shifted through them as twinges of guilt penetrated her curiosity. Maybe she should have asked Eva to come here with her. Her father had sent them to her, without any reason to believe Saige would read them one day. But all the secrets interwoven into her blood sat in her hands.

You have every right to read your father’s words. You were the one to watch him die. Not Eva. You were the one who was left in the dark.

Saige pulled forward a handful of letters from the middle and end of the stack. She’d deal with the consequences of intruding later, whether she’d confess her misdeed or be caught in the act.

The first correspondence was quite similar to the ones Eva read aloud. Throughout her father’s time in Brevil, Eva sent him books through fire. In this particular letter, her father had discovered the laws of reversing magic. He had been engaging in experiments in the forgery, utilizing different forms of magic on weapons and items and seeing what responded. Any time her father used a specific enchantment, he needed to disengage it with the same method. Spirit against spirit. Blood against blood.

This wasn’t something new for Saige. She wondered if Tobin learned all this from her father. Even from a kingdom away, had he been educating the future waves of magic-wielders? Supporting them from afar?

She decided to move on to the last letter her father wrote. Her hand shook as she unfolded it, her breath catching. The handwriting was messy and smudged, more difficult to read. The edges weren’t singed with fire like the others. Instead, the paper was curved up, as if rolled tightly. Her heart thundered as she read. There wasn’t even a greeting.

Things have taken an unexpected turn with S. Her hands will glow without warning, her body shaking with magic that we cannot contain. Every day I command her to forget, but it’s getting harder. I worry she will become stronger. My pride and joy is stiffened by the danger and fear that comes with it. E begs me to train her, but I can’t. Not while the mortal king watches me like a hawk. I’ve made as many enchanted weapons as I can, but it’s not enough. The blood bond he forced upon me burns bright with each weapon I give. I never imagined I’d be marked thrice. One dedicated to my home, one to my wife, and another to a man who sees our people as a danger to society. My blood is pulled into too many directions.

I’m afraid S has developed magic like Lyla, but I cannot be sure without her going through the excruciating pain of being tested. Her blood and flesh being taken to be studied. It would kill me to see her go through that, especially when I take her memories and what bits of understanding she has. You must promise me one thing. If anything happens to myself or E, you must not let her be taken to Etrane. They will bleed her dry and take every bit of power she shares. She may be a rare gem, but she is ours. As her blood, you must understand that. Despite what you may believe, Lyla was used as a weapon. Her life was placed aside, burned out, and abused over and over, all for our king to grow more powerful. I will never rest if my daughter falls into those footsteps.

It has become more dangerous to communicate, so I must send this by raven. The king has trained his dogs to be able to sniff out any scent of power. It is too much of a risk to wield anything outside of my blood bond with the king. Please send your response by raven.

With love,

O.N.

Saige read the letter over again as the words blurred before her.

You must not let her be taken to Etrane. I will never rest if my daughter falls into those footsteps.

She didn’t know who Lyla was, nor did she care. Her father had directly told Eva not to bring her to Etrane, and yet here she was. Her aunt admitted to giving her name to Tobin, explaining her significance. But…it had gone directly against her father’s final wishes.

Her knees buckled to the ground. All this time, Saige had been moving forward to follow in her father’s footsteps. To work towards defeating the mist and weaving herself into the Nerestel heir.

He hadn’t wanted that of her though.