Page 111 of Fallen Stars

“Eli helped me find a cryptic message in his dream,” she said to the two, Enzo frowning as Isra watched the octopus warily. “At first, it didn’t make any sense to me, but there was a storybook and within it a message.‘Between life and death is only dusk.’ But after seeing this, I remember his story.”

“What story?” Enzo asked.

“He told me the story of our creation. And he mentioned that you broughtlifeto the world as the Sun.”

Isra’s eyes widened. “Do you think you could do it again?”

“I don’t know. It happened when…well, when I came.”

“Gods, Enzo.” Isra grimaced, taking a step away. “Yes, please don’t do that in here.”

Elara chuckled. “I’m sure you could do it again. You likely did it then because you lost control.”

Isra paced her room, looking for something as Elara settled onto her bed. She breathed in the comforting incense scent of the seer. Isra was her harbour, always cool and collected. She would help them figure out this latest conundrum.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Merissa walked in, her honey curls perfect considering she had been sleeping.

“Oh please, come in. This is the room of no sleep,” Isra muttered, rattling through drawers.

“I heard voices,” Merissa whispered, climbing into bed on Elara’s side.

They heard the doorknob twist again. “Only me!” Leo said brightly, strolling in.

“Gods above,” Isra sighed. “Of course, make yourself at home in my bed Leo, the other three have. Who cares about poor old Isra getting any sleep?”

“You need it too, look at those bags,” Leo crooned.

Isra pointed a finger at him. “I will curse you. And I know you’re scared of Svetan magick.”

“Am not.”

Isra lunged closer and Leo flinched as the rest of the bed began laughing.

“What’s going on?” Leo asked. “I heard you all talking.”

“Well,” Enzo began, “it seems I may have developed a new power since awakening, and we’re trying to figure out what exactly it does.”

Leo raised a brow. “Interesting.”

“How did it happen?” Merissa pressed.

Elara rolled her eyes at Isra’s sniggering from the corner and said, “Let’s just say Enzo was feeling really,reallygood, and it burst out of him.”

Merissa and Leo groaned.

“Here,” Isra finally said, shutting a drawer. “I knew there’d be something amongst this godsforsaken overkill of maritime decoration.” She produced a small carving of a crab, a little trinket made of driftwood. “Try it again with this.”

Enzo took it, looking warily at Elara who nodded her encouragement. She threaded her hands through his as Merissa settled her head on Elara’s shoulder.

“Now just…let go,” Elara said. “Like breathing. You don’tthinkto breathe; you just do.”

Enzo nodded, kissing her swiftly before holding it. And sure enough, with almost no exertion that she could see from Enzo, the carving was flooded with sunlight, before being animated to life.

Leo sprung out of bed. “Get that thing away from me!”

Merissa peered at it as it ran along Enzo’s hand and onto the covers. “I’ve never heard of a power like it.”

“So it’s true,” Isra whispered, picking up the crab.