Page 86 of Heavenly Bodies

‘Elara,’ Enzo said again, his voice now far more gentle, as she heard him kneel behind her again. ‘What happened to your neck?’

His thumb touched her, right next to the bite Ariete had inflicted on her.

‘Your Highness,’ Merissa warned. Enzo shot a hand out behind him with a hum of warning, a ball of fire between his fingers. She stepped back.

‘El?’ he asked again, so softly.

‘He bit me.’ Elara’s voice had no inflection. She did not care about what had been done to her. Did not care about Enzo’s reaction. ‘Nearly every day since I was captured. His venom smothered my magick.’ She looked into Enzo’s eyes, hers dead.

He rose to his feet. His face still hadn’t moved. ‘Merissa, glamour me.’

‘Enzo,’ Merissa started, ‘please—’

‘Glamour me!’ he snarled. ‘That’s a fucking order.’

Merissa pressed her lips into a thin line as she wove her magick, making Enzo up into an Asterian pedestrian—a pale, plain-looking man with dark hair and grey eyes. He knelt before Elara, who couldn’t bring herself to look at him.

‘El,’ he said softly. ‘I’ll be back as quickly as possible.’

She nodded vaguely.

‘Enzo, whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t,’ said Isra. ‘The plan was to get her and get out. Ariete is agod.You are no match for him. Whatever vengeance you’re intent on seeking, itwon’t help.’

Enzo rounded on Isra, his face centimetres from hers as he spoke: ‘I couldn’t give a fuck if Ariete was Death embodied. Notonlydid he take Elara from me. He hurt her. Violated her.Bit her.’

Enzo’s voice broke noticeably as he paced away. ‘You think I care that he’s a Star?Fuck immortality.Even gods can burn.’

Isra made a disgusted sound, a look of disapproval on her face.

‘Get to the boat,’ he continued. ‘Get ready to leave. It’s already past eleven o’clock. If I’m not back by the time the clock tower chimes twelve, go.’

Leo gave him a tight nod, guiding Elara forwards, her arms wrapped around herself, not wanting to look at Enzo’s glamoured features. He hesitated for a moment, and then strode to her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. ‘I’ll be back soon.’ She couldn’t make herself respond.

He spun on his heel, flexing his fingers before striding sharply into the night.

A thin coat of sweat glazed Elara as she tried to fight against the enormous strain of maintaining the illusion of her death. But the poison in her blood was awakening, and she let out a cry of pain.

Merissa looked at Leo with worry. They had reached the end of the bridge, the lake before them glistening in the darklight. A large rowboat bobbed upon it, tied to a small lakeside dock. Elara looked beyond, to Lake Astra, and understood Enzo’s plan of escape. But Lake Astra also reminded Elara of Sofia. She swayed.

Isra ran forwards. ‘Elara?’

She pushed Isra away gently. ‘I’m sorry I—’

She couldn’t breathe. She felt feverish. ‘She’s in shock,’ Leo said, wrapping an arm around her to steady her.

Two bells rang out in the distance, echoing over the city. Half past eleven, Elara realized. How long had it been since he left?

‘Come on, Enzo,’ Leo said, his voice strained as he checked his pocket watch. He released Elara, who sank back into a haze of distant shock and constant effort. She didn’t register time passing, not until there was a loud bang somewhere distant, and Leo cursed in a low voice as he stared at something behind her.

‘For Stars’ sake, Enzo,’ Isra murmured. Merissa gasped, all their eyes drawn in the same direction. Elara turned to find out what it was, and saw streams of molten orange light soaring into the air. No, not light. Flames. And then there was a blood-curdling roar of pain, inhumanly loud. Away in the distance, the Opera House was on fire.

Sometime later—Elara couldn’t keep track any more—Leo announced it was a quarter to twelve. Had it been fifteen minutes? Still Enzo hadn’t appeared. Leo tried to lead Elara to the boat, but she shrugged him off, gazing unseeingly out across the still water and the sand at the lake’s edge. More time passed. More effort, more pain in her body as the venom grew in strength.

‘Five minutes,’ she heard Leo warn. The whole sky was alight, the blaze from Enzo’s flames licking the clouds.

‘Two minutes.’

Finally, they heard pounding footsteps. Leo raised his sword, his light channelled through it, glowing lethally. But he relaxed his stance as he saw Enzo hurtling down the street, the burning sky rising behind him. His glamour was gone. He was carrying a large shape over his shoulder—and Elara now realized it was a body, moaning and grunting.