Page 203 of Fallen Stars
Adrian heard his name beingshouted through the curtain of water and snapped out of his reverie. A hollow feeling had settled over him watching Cancia leave, and he hadn’t yet moved from the fountain.
“Adrian?!” the voice shouted again.
Adrian cursed, pushing himself through the wall of water and back onto the streets of Kaos.
It was even worse than earlier, the hour late. Shit, how late? In his complete immersion of Cancia, he had forgotten about the task at hand—to find the witch. He squinted around in the dark cast streets before seeing a figure pounding towards him, a woman in his arms.
“Leo?!” Adrian called out.
Leo’s eyes were wild with panic as he adjusted the body in his arms.
“It’s Isra,” Leo said, and Adrian noticed with a start that it was the seer slumped on him. “The others disappeared, and then Isra began to see.She’s done it before countless times but never for this long. She isn’t in this realm anymore.”
Adrian stepped forward, seeing that Isra’s eyes were bone white. She let out a string of words, and Leo cursed as Adrian staggered back.
“The Dark’s a familiar foe. She’ll swallow you whole, and I, I will be gone with her,” Isra rasped.
“It’s Piscea, isn’t it?” Adrian asked. “Isra can feel her?”
Leo shook his head. “I don’t know. But we need to find the others and find this bloody witch.”
Adrian let out a frustrated sigh, pushing his wet hair back. Leo squinted at him. “Why are you wet?”
Adrian sighed again. “Long story. I’ll tell you later.”
Charm pressed upon Adrian from all sides as the kingdom tried to convince him to lose control. Perhaps he already had when he’d decided to fuck a Star in public with only a wall of water around them.
But still it whispered and laughed in his ear as he tried to shake it off.
“Do you feel it?” he asked Leo, who was shouldering people out of the way with his massive frame.
“Yep,” he hissed, his jaw clenched. “I don’t know whether it’s Sagitton or Piscea, but someone is trying to fuck with us.”
Adrian looked around warily, paranoia sinking in as he checked every shadow. Adrian had discredited it when Eli had first spoken of his belief that the ancient goddess of darkness was pounding on the walls of this world to be let in. He still wasn’t sure that he believed it, but then again, he wouldn’t have believed he was a titan if Elara hadn’t shoved a dagger through his heart, so there was that.
“Don’t let her in. Don’t let her in,” Isra murmured, and Adrian shivered.
“It’s okay,” Leo murmured, kissing Isra’s forehead. “We’ll find the others soon.”
“She’ll let her in. A head is all it will take. A head for all of ours.”
Adrian gulped at Isra’s nonsensical riddles as they made their way through the main square. “Where exactly are we even going?”
“I don’t know,” Leo hissed. “I’m just trying to get a higher vantage point.”
Adrian turned and slammed right into the back of an angel.
“Sorry,” he muttered, making to move on before the figure turned.
Oh shit, this wasn’t a costume.
“Hello, pirate,” Lias grinned, fluttering his feathered wings. “It seems you’re all in desperate need of my help.”
Leo and Adrian stepped back, Isra still convulsing.
“The Morning Star will drown in night. You’ll fly too close to the sun,” she rasped. “A great fall for one so high.”
Lias’s eyes widened as he looked at Isra. “What’s wrong with her?”