Page 80 of Heavenly Bodies
‘No,’ he implored. ‘I didn’t want to hurt you, I—’
His mouth worked again, and he made a sound of frustration. Inky shadows began to pulse from him, and Elara knew he was lost to them.
The ball lifted gently up from where it lay, carried upon Sofia’s magick towards Lukas.
‘You, what? Love me? Didn’t mean to have my parentskilled? Didn’t mean tousurp my throne?’
Lukas pressed a hand to her cheek, and she balked at its familiar coolness. ‘Help me, Lara,’ he whispered, and she blinked. For a moment, the shadows had cleared in his eyes, leaving them the dove grey she used to know. She staggered back from him. ‘Please help me,’ he said feverishly. ‘My shadows—’
The crystal ball cracked over his head, and Lukas slumped to the floor.
Cool, night-jasmine air greeted Elara as she clung to the vines outside her bedroom window. Sofia had pushed open the window and now clutched Elara, her shadows wrapped around the two to support them as they scaled down the palace walls.
When the vines grew thinner, making way for only solid stone, Sofia’s shadows formed into ropes that reached up and hooked around the windowsill, allowing both her and Elara to ease their way down the wall.
Elara’s hands shook as she gripped on to the shadow ropes, cold sweat dripping down her back. ‘I don’t know how much longer I can fight this,’ she breathed.
‘You’re doing so well, Lara,’ Sofia said. ‘We’re nearly there. One step at a time. We’ll be safe soon.’
Sofia’s words gave her the strength she so desperately needed, and she held on to them.
They continued to descend carefully as Sofia’s shadows wrapped tightly around Elara, supporting her further.
‘My illusions aren’t going to work,’ Elara wheezed.
‘Then we will stick to the shadows,’ Sofia replied calmly. Some of her own drifted towards the ground as they approached it, and out into the night. ‘Only a little further,’ she said.
Elara took a deep breath, descending the last few metres, until she landed in the spongey lavender bank below. The lake yawned out beyond it.
‘Quick now,’ she murmured, and Elara looked back up to the palace wall, to her home, unsure when she might see it again.
‘I know,’ Sofia said beside her, understanding. ‘But home is not a place, Lara.’
Elara nodded, turning even as tears filled her eyes.
‘We’re going to have to swim,’ she continued firmly. ‘Once we’re across the lake, we’ll head through the Shadow Woods. If we can get to those, and through, we’ll be free. The wolves will protect us. Ariete won’t be able to find us.’
‘Helios,’ Elara croaked. ‘We push through the woods to the Goldfir Forest. We’ll have asylum as soon as we cross the border.’
Elara stumbled and Sofia cursed. ‘I’ve got you. Come on, I’ve got you.’
Black started to fill the edges of Elara’s vision as they ran to the shore. She’d swum the moat before. She could do it again. She thought of Enzo as the darkness crept in, as she stumbled into the icy cold water.
The silver fish swirled frantically in pairs as Elara got up to her waist, teeth chattering.
‘Come on, Lara,’ Sofia urged. ‘Don’t think of the cold, or the water. Come on.’
‘I-I can’t,’ Elara gritted out as the pain became unbearable. She tried to take another step, but her limbs wouldn’t move.
‘Okay, you need a distraction,’ Sofia muttered, wrapping an arm around Elara’s waist as she pulled her further in until water reached Elara’s chest. ‘Um…what about this prince?’ she asked. ‘Is he as dashing and charming as the ones we used to read about?’
But before Elara could respond, red light flooded behind her, making the moat look like blood.
‘Oh no,’ Sofia whispered, and Elara turned, as the King of Stars strode towards them, Gem close behind.
‘Swim!’ Sofia screamed.
But Elara’s body was done. Though her mind pleaded and begged, the pain and the venom finally won the battle for control. She tried to swim, but instead fell under the water.