Page 179 of Fallen Stars
“Not the slur it’s used as for Asterians now. An actual witch.”
“And what exactly is that?” Enzo sighed.
“I really don’t know how to say this, so, I’m just going to…” Eli replied. “She’s not from this world.”
Elara pitched forward. “In the way that you’re not?”
There were sounds of surprise from the others.
“Exactly,” Eli said quietly. “Which brings me to my next point. A secret us Stars have been hiding from you all since the Dark was bound and buried.”
Part of the poem was nagging at Elara as she recited Eli’s words over and over. Lady Fate, Lady Fate, Lady—
Her neck snapped up as the pieces fell into place, Eli already looking at her with a sad acceptance on his face.
“You see, she goes by another name. It’s Piscea,” he said. “The Dark is Piscea. Known to you as the last Star.”
Chapter Sixty-Three
A stunned silence filled theroom. Elara allowed the information to sink in, swallowed it down, and let rage fill her.
“Are you telling me,” she finally said quietly, “that this entire time, you knew this Dark, this entity that was faceless, nameless, is actuallyPiscea? A goddess still worshipped in my kingdom to this day?”
She was off her feet now, halfway over to Eli, who was sucking desperately on his cigarette, not making eye contact with her. “I couldn’t tell you. Not until I was utterly sure and we were absolutely safe from her watching eyes. Even to say her name in the same sentence as the Dark is bad luck.”
He shuddered.
“Oh good. Well, at least you have your superstitions,” Isra chimed in.
“The Slumbering Goddess,” Adrian said. “That’s what they call her, isn’t it?”
“One who hasn’t been sighted in centuries,” Elara finished.
“So is that why she slumbers?” Leo demanded. “Because you bound and buried her?”
“I didn’t bind her,” Eli retorted. “That was all Ariete.”
“The same why he bound El, Enzo, and I?” Adrian asked. “And the other titans?” His face was ashen.
The room spun, and Elara had to find her seat again, Enzo anchoring her. A thin sheen of sweat began to coat her as the card reading came back once more.
I need you to bind me. And the others too.She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Right,” Enzo said, his knee bouncing under Elara. “So where the fuck is Piscea’s body then? If she is actually a being, and not simply a shadow on the wall or a space between Stars or whatever the fuck else you previously wanted to call the Dark?”
“We buried her in The Graveyard. A realm that borders on the dreamlands—one where only lost souls that reach neither the heavens nor hell go.”
Merissa gasped. “That explains her symbol—the coffin.”
Eli nodded. “Her coffin lies there, in a temple dedicated to her. Ariete tied her to a mortal body, but whereas you all managed to escape him thanks to the Moon’s illusions—though you were cursed to forget each other the moment you became mortal—she didn’t. I helped Ariete drag her mortal body to The Graveyard, and he sealed her coffin himself.”
“Then how could it be possible that she’s awake?” Adrian asked.
“I believe she is only beginning to awaken. She may be trapped in that coffin, yes. But her magick is finding a way to escape, her essence clearly growing stronger if it is chasing us through dreams.”
Isra had picked the piece of paper back up. “So if we look at this message, the witch specifies we have to find her on All Hallow’s Eve—”
“The night the veil is at its thinnest, the veil between life and death,” Elara finished. “It’s the most celebrated night of the year in Asteria.”