Page 123 of Fallen Stars
Elara’s mind whirred. “Tell me one, Adrian.”
He shot her a brief look, sighing as he took off his tricorn to push his hair back. “I’m not exactly in Scorpius’s favour.”
“What could you have done to piss him off?”
Adrian winced. “Well, according to him, I committed hubris.”
“Do you have a death wish?”
Adrian smirked. “No…but Scorpius is a jealous, poisonous god. He saw…something in me. And was envious that it was not his.”
Elara’s eyes narrowed. “Your power?”
His face was smooth, betraying not a flicker as he replied, “Yes, my power. The Stars granted me the Three. I’m the only person in my kingdom blessed with them, and they wanted to take them from me. It makes no sense and is the reason I loathe them so.”
Something flickered awake inside Elara, and she observed him closely—his lifted brow, aquiline nose, the way he carried himself. Her heart began to pound as puzzle pieces fell into place, an impossible, wonderful conclusion forming in her mind.
She tamped it down; she’d have to speak to Isra or Enzo about this.
“So what are your Three?” she strangled out.
“Water wielding, for one.” He smirked. “Any kind of water. Including the water that resides in your body.”
“Ah, like Santi used on Enzo?”
“Yes, Santi is a little overprotective.”
Elara snorted. “So is Enzo.”
“No, really? He seems like such a mild-mannered man,” Adrian drawled. Elara chuckled, whatever tension and animosity between them, broken.
“And your other powers?”
“I can conjure water from thin air and can part the tides too, move the ocean if I need to. Scorpius doesn’t like that last part one bit. It’s a rare power in Neptuna, to control the ocean. Most in Neptuna are only gifted with the first two powers I possess. And the third, gives me control over his domain. I doubt he’d like you either, since your whole Moon business kind of infringes on those tides too.”
“Let’s just assume the majority of the Stars don’t like me,” Elara said.
“So, the Moon, hm? You look so…mortal.”
“Thanks,” Elara replied drily.
“What exactly are you?” Adrian asked.
“I suppose I’m a titan, or that’s what an angel once told me. Part of a race of gods more ancient and powerful than the Stars. But I don’t remember my old life. Neither does Enzo.”
“And what’s your power?” he asked, nudging her with his elbow.
She smiled before turning. “I’m still trying to figure it out. When I was mortal, I possessed the Three too—shadowmancing, dreamwalking, and illusioning. My shadows have since gone, but this…” She paused, splaying her hands carefully so moonlight fell from them, not touching Adrian. “This replaced it.”
Adrian looked at it in wonder. “So it’s really true.”
Elara shrugged, dimming her light. “I wouldn’t be so envious.”
“Ah, I take it there’s more to the story.”
“The Stars, Adrian… They didn’t even gift you your powers,” she said quietly. Adrian’s eyes widened. “They aren’t beings that anyone should worship. And it seems Enzo and I are to be in an eternal battle with them. So no, don’t envy me. The responsibility falling on my shoulders isn’t something I’d wish on my worst enemy.”
He was silent for a moment, as though his whole belief system was crashing down around him. Finally, he spoke.