Page 148 of Heavenly Bodies

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

Elara ran around the palace until she found steps that led up to one of the building’s rooftops. She launched up them, hearing the sound of running footsteps behind her. When she whirled, Isra grinned at her, keeping pace with her easily.

Isra had been the first person Elara had dreamwalked to hours before, as she’d mapped out her plan.

‘Outcome?’ she breathed by way of greeting.

Isra’s eyes flickered white quickly, as they turned a corner.

‘More than one.’

‘Deaths?’

‘In many of them.’

Elara blew out a breath. ‘What’s our best chance?’

Isra’s eyes flickered once more, and she didn’t answer for a while. ‘You must summon your silver light,’ she said at last.

Elara slowed. ‘I don’t know how to,’ she replied, as they reached the rooftop.

‘You will,’ Isra said quietly. ‘It’s the only way.’

Elara nodded, allowing herself to feel the uneasiness then letting it go. ‘Stay on there,’ she said, pointing to a parallelrooftop across a small gap. ‘Guide me to whichever choices are going to lead to Ariete’s death.’

Isra nodded, squeezing Elara’s hands before deftly hopping across the parapets and leaping across the small gap to the opposite palace rooftop.

Elara turned, wrapping illusions of invisibility around herself. She looked over at the woman who was pacing nervously near the edge of the rooftop, and scaled the distance so she had a clear view of both the woman, who was smoothing her black gown, and the top of the steps.

When Ariete’s livid face came into sight above the steps, the woman smiled.

‘Took you long enough,’ she called across the rooftop as Ariete seethed.

‘You know I’ve had just about enough of our games, little mouse,’ he spat, marching at her.

‘Really? But we’ve been having so much fun.’ She slunk forwards, closing the gap between them, as Elara crept towards both of them.

‘You know,’ the woman continued, ‘you still haven’t revealed why you can’t kill me. What about me is so powerful that I survived a Star’s death blow? Who am I, Ariete?’

It distracted Ariete enough for his starlight to sputter. Elara was so close now.

Close enough to see how the black and red hairs slicked down the back of the god’s neck.

Ariete lowered a hand to the figure’s face, tilting her chin. This was Elara’s moment. Her hand shook as she raised the duskglass blade with one hand.

Ariete crouched, bringing his lips down to the figure before whispering to them, ‘Well, you certainly aren’t Elara.’

Crimson light slammed into the woman, and her raven hair lightened, pale skin deepening.

Merissa’s head lolled as she fell lifelessly to the ground.

‘Merissa!’ Elara screamed as her illusion was torn from her. With a growl, Ariete spun, his hand whipping out. It latched on to Elara’s wrist. She summoned a shadow, a viper flying through the air at him.

He dodged it, as Elara summoned the next shadow, this one a crow that dived for his eyes.

‘Isra?!’ she called, seeing a blur of movement from the opposite rooftop out of the corner of her eye.

‘Another illusion!’ Isra shouted.