Page 209 of Fallen Stars
“How the fuck is that possible?” Lias growled out.
Enzo was up in an instant Sagitton’s charm finally easing up as the god was backed into a corner, muttering riddles to himself. In two strides, Enzo was at Ophelia’s back.
The witch sighed happily. “The Moon at my front, the Sun at my back. I’ve had dreams of being sandwiched between you two,” Ophelia remarked.
“I don’t share,” Enzo crooned as light began to wrap around Ophelia’s throat.
“I could kill you in the same amount of time it would take me to blink,” Elara murmured onto her cheek. “So tell me your business now. Why are you here?”
“Take your hand off my throat and call your darling Sun off me. Then we’ll talk,” Ophelia said lightly.
Elara looked at Enzo, who dimmed his light, taking a step back warily. She released her grip on the witch carefully.
Ophelia brushed herself down, looking around to the stricken others.
She took a seat at the head of the table as Sagitton relaxed, coming to sit next to her. Elara followed warily, Enzo behind her. She took a seat again, Enzo remaining standing at her back.
“Surely you didn’t miss the shooting Star a month ago?” Ophelia said.
Enzo swore. “My dream,” he said. “I saw a shooting star fall from the skies.”
Ophelia winked. ‘Wild card.’
“So that was you?” Elara demanded. “How is that possible? We only have twelve Stars here now, and the last fell centuries ago.”
“Well, andalloffence meant, I suppose they weren’t as powerful as me.”
“You’re a world-walker, aren’t you?” Eli asked quietly.
Ophelia finally pinned him with her gaze, her brown eyes twinkling. “Big words for an antiquated Star.”
Eli scoffed.
“How did you find this world?” Elara ground out.
Ophelia sighed. “When you and the Sun awoke, it caused havoc—not just through Celestia, but throughworlds.I am no astronomer, but you are not just a king and queen of this world. You are a king and queen of the cosmos. And I, like the other Stars, am not from this world. But I brought myself here willingly, from one world to another, because something else awakened with you.”
“Piscea,” Leo whispered, chewing on a grape that Merissa had given him.
Ophelia nodded gravely, eyes flicking to the door. “Yes, pretty boy. Even now she waits. And the witching hour is almost upon us. Time is running out.”
Enzo paled. “I don’t understand,” he said. “You fell to this world willingly, without her help? I thought you had to give your heart to Piscea for that kind of power.”
Ophelia tutted, eyes flicking to Eli. “That’s certainly not the only way to become a Star.” Eli’s eyes narrowed. She looked back at Enzo. “You wouldn’t understand. This world is ancient. But in mine, magick thrives, and we use it to our advantage. We aren’t just born with certain powers. We take them by the teeth.”
She raised her hands. Starlight poured from them but rather than just one colour, it was a rainbow, shifting with every colour conceivable.
Eli stood abruptly, lunging forward to get a closer look. Elara watched him in alarm.
“This is impossible,” he snarled.
Elara threw a thought into his mind. ‘Explain.’It was a tight demand.
But Eli didn’t need to. Ophelia drifted a finger idly, red light spilling from it. It twisted, wrapping around Elara until all she could feel was white-hot anger. She wanted to make the witch bleed, to cut each Star open and fill their cavernous heart spaces with moonlight.
“Who the fuck do you think you—”
Enzo nudged her, his eyes wide.