Page 26 of Heavenly Bodies
In one fell swoop, Elara had been lifted in the air, and thrown over Enzo’s back. She screamed, wrestling against him, but the man was made out of fucking marble. He didn’t so much as flinch when she tried to bite him.
‘For a princess, you sure do behave like a wild animal.’
She clawed at his back in response, and he only hitched her up. She shrieked as she lurched, her hair swinging as the ground bobbed closer to her. She finally went limp, seeing that her efforts were utterly in vain, and instead contented herself with plotting all the ways she would hurt him when he put her down.
The sky was buttered yellow as the Light began its climb to its midday peak. The deeper they entered the city on the dusty streets, the more gold and white adorned every building in sight. They seemed to glow from within the same waythat Enzo did, the smooth cool stone rendered with elaborate mosaics. The grander buildings that they passed—museums, fountains and other monuments—were all carved with detailed figures. Some were the Patron Star of the land, Leyon, his tall, burnished figure wearing the pelt of a winged lion. Others were beautiful women, saints and martyrs, mythical creatures. Even in Asteria, a land known for its dark beauty, they didn’t possess this kind of art.
Though, in all fairness, Elara was viewing it all upside down.
She cursed again, drumming her fists on Enzo’s back, but he only laughed.
‘Sweet, really, your attempt to hurt me.’
‘What’s wrong with her?’ a passer-by asked, nodding as she walked past.
‘Escaped one of the Kaosian madhouses,’ Enzo said, shaking his head. ‘I’m taking her back now.’
Elara cursed him, and Enzo only chuckled as he continued to weave her through the streets.
They reached the end of the bazaar, the streets widening again, the scent of spices and herbs in the air shifting to blooming summer flowers and hot stone. She breathed in the dry air, trying to banish her unease.
Enzo finally halted them before a cobalt blue door with an eye carved in its centre, in azure, white and black. It stared back at Elara, and she fought off a shiver. A small boy with tight curls was throwing a ball against the wall beside it, and she saw Enzo nod.
‘Hello, Rico,’ he said to the boy. ‘She in?’
The boy gave a gappy smile and nodded. ‘Hello, prince,’ he said, and frowned at Elara. ‘Who’s she?’
Enzo plonked Elara unceremoniously on the ground. She bit back a foul word as she dusted herself down.
‘Oh, this one? She’s trouble, is what she is.’
Rico giggled, as Elara rolled her eyes.
‘Password the same as last time?’ he asked the boy.
Rico nodded again, and Enzo walked towards the eye at the door. ‘Three of Swords,’ he said.
The eye blinked, much to Elara’s horror, before the blue door swung open.
An empty, dark corridor greeted her, leading deeper into the building. Enzo pulled her through.
The moment her eyes adjusted to the dim space, she was hit with the cloying smell of incense. It wafted heavily around her, sultry and smelling of magick. They followed the thin corridor into a faintly lit room, the candlelight filtering purple into the shadowy space. A figure sat cross-legged in a chair, face turned down as she studied a splay of cards in front of her. Elara peered over Enzo’s shoulder at the cards. She recognized them as the infamous Stella deck—a group of cards with depictions of the Stars, their weapons, their kingdoms. It could be used for playing games like Bard, or even to try and scry. But what it was most known for, was for summoning a Star, if blood was spilled upon the relevant card.
Elara’s stomach lurched sharply, and she willed her attention to anything else. She could hear the sound of a pot bubbling, and it was only when it began to whistle that the mysterious woman looked up.
‘Hi, Iz.’ Enzo kissed the woman’s cheek. An easy smile came to his face, and Elara’s lip curled in disdain. He turned his charm on so easily with others.
‘Hello, darling,’ Isra replied.
The woman’s accent was more clipped and guttural than Enzo’s lyrical voice. Her hair was knotted in war braids, a Svetan style of intricate patterns swirling around her scalp, the black braids falling well past her waist, crystals of topazand tourmaline threaded through them. The seer still hadn’t bothered to look at Elara yet, and she felt her royal indignation begin to rise. Just as she was about to step in front of Enzo and introduce herself, Isra’s gaze flicked to her, holding her still. Her eyes were a captivating hazel, lighter than most Helions’, against her rich brown skin. She was stunning.
‘I’ve been expecting you,’ she said to Elara. Elara moved forwards warily.
‘Isra, this is Elara. The girl I want you to help.’ A charged look passed between them. Elara caught it, raising an eyebrow.
‘Girl? You mean queen.’
Warmth suffused her hazel eyes, now a swirl of greens and browns like a summer field. ‘Enzo never had many manners. I had to drill them into him.’