The longing on his face was as sickening as ever, I thought.
“If it’s the Sinisters you want, my dear,” Orpheus crooned, “then I’ll give them to you.” He reached out, caught a wayward lock of her hair, and caressed it through his fingers.
I shook in fury. My own fingers tingled as I recalled the softness of her silken tresses. “Don’t touch her!” I cried out before I could stop myself. The thought spurred power through me, and I was determined to break free.
Orpheus chuckled at me. “She’s mine, you fool,” he hissed. He moved his hands to cup her chin. “She belongs to me now.”
“The Prince told you no before,” Starry Knight reminded him, trying to step back.
“What does the Prince have to do with this? You are free of him, and so I am. He means nothing to me. My new master says I can have your power, but I want your heart as well.” He pulled her close to him, even as she pushed him away.
“I’ve waded through both sides of Time for a taste of you,” Orpheus purred. “And I’m so close . . . ”
Agony lanced through me as I once more fought off Starry Knight’s arrows. “Stop!” I cried.
A dragon’s roar rang throughout the night. I looked up just in time to see Elysian slice through the night sky, severing Starry Knight from Orpheus’ hold.
“I’ve never been so happy to see Elysian,” I muttered to myself. I heard Orpheus rage as he scrambled around, trying to fight off Elysian.
Aleia jumped off, landing in front of me. “Are you hurt?” she asked. She pulled out a dagger and sliced through an arrow, breaking and its power over me.
Before I could answer her, Celaena and Elektra appeared, no longer fighting with each other, but united in battle against Aleia.
“Watch out!” I exclaimed, using my free arm to push her out of the way.
Celaena and Elektra, deprived of their target, found another one in Starry Knight.
They jostled together in air, fighting with each other. Lightning and power collided, lacing through the night sky in patterns of destruction.
Aleia slashed through another arrow. “Thank goodness we found you in time,” she said.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I murmured. “Thank you.” She cut through the last arrow, and I slumped downward.
Aleia ducked down beside me. “Are you hurt?” she asked.
“I’m not bleeding anymore, and Starry Knight healed me,” I confessed. “But I might need a moment here.”
“Okay.” Aleia nodded. “I understand. I’m going to go help them fight, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll be there shortly.”
“Don’t forget your sword,” Aleia reminded me before she sped off to help Starry Knight.
I placed my hand over my heart, where Orpheus had used his power to grab onto my own. After making sure I felt more or less like myself, I stood up.
My sword was not far away, and grabbing it would be smart, so I decided to do that.
No sooner had I picked it up than Elektra barreled into me from behind.
“It’s about time I had my revenge,” she declared. “And while I’m at it, I can grab your power, too.”
“Orpheus wants to destroy me,” I told her. “You’re supposed to be under his charge.”
“As long as the curse on me remains,” Elektra said, “Orpheus is not my rightful master.”
“What curse?” I asked her. I picked myself up, with my sword ready.
She ran her fingers along her neck, and for a moment I thought she was trying to trick me. But a glimmer of reflected light caught my attention. “We are restrained by a curse,” she explained, pointing to the shard. “And we will be, as long as your power pushes back on us.”
I frowned. “I didn’t place you under a curse,” I said, hating myself for getting more distracted. Upon closer examination, I saw that the shard looked a lot like a fragment of Aleia’s memory bubbles. I’d have to worry about it later, I decided, as Elektra, tired of focusing on her flaws, reverted to demonstrating her power.
Her nails shrieked across my vision, the power grazing my forehead. My sword countered, hacking a good inch into her skin.
As she screamed in fury and her silvery-colored blood leaked down her side, I glanced around; Starry Knight was tangled up with Celaena, who, despite her size, was pretty quick with her cat-fighting skills; Aleia was preoccupied with Asteropy and Maia, who managed to come out of her stupor long enough to play; and Elysian was still after Orpheus.
“Orpheus!” Elektra cried. “I need more power!” She scuttled over before I could stop her.
She ended up blocking Orpheus’ escape, as Elysian roared and breathed down a shot of celestial fire. Orpheus managed to push Elektra into his way, allowing her to be burned by the dragon flames.
Orpheus ducked to the side and ran into me. Had Elektra’s fire bath not been so surprising, I might have caught him before he caught me.
His wispy hands, so small and tight, grappled around my throat. “It’s time to finish you,” Orpheus said. “Your power might be bright, but it’s time to extinguish it.”
“You wouldn’t be able—Augh!” I choked on my scream as his one hand around my neck tightened, while the other once more pressed into my heart, looking for the power it hid.
Just as before, I felt his own power slip into my mind, muddled up against mine.
My heart lurched forward as my Soulfire burned against Orpheus’ power, as it had with Elektra’s. I wriggled around, trying to escape. My feet lashed out, weak without oxygen. My hands curled up around his in a brittle grasp.
And then I found everything going dark and empty, as my body limped over and my Soulfire was free.
The Blood Flame burned my vision back, and I saw my spirit was once more outside of my physical body. Orpheus eagerly dropped my body onto the ground, and, at the flopping crunch, I decided I would take him out myself as soon as I could.
I hadn’t noticed it as much last time, I thought, how there were such beautiful overtones and sinister undertones, complementing the realities of the natural world with the surrounding supernatural realities.
I could see emotions written all over everyone’s faces, all at once. There was the tired sadness on Elysian’s, the worried distraction on Aleia’s; I could see the differences in the focused determination and hatred on Orpheus’, and the horror and distress on Starry Knight’s.
Something else caught my attention as I looked at her—the red feather in her hair.
Recognition finally hit me. The Blood Flame’s heartbeat and the feather’s inner, spiritual fire were the same.
It’s mine.
My body twitched in accordance with my thoughts: I must get the feather.
The Sinisters turned away from the brightness of my power. I felt Orpheus’ hands clasp around the heart of my power, crying as it burned him. But as he watched Starry Knight race over, he laughed.
“Let him go!” Starry Knight yelled, grabbing his arms and trying to force him back.
Orpheus threw her off, easily slamming her onto the ground next to my body.
“This is the end of your love, Lady Justice,” he cried.
“No!” She jumped up, pushing through his defense. My Soulfire leaked back beside me, resting on my chest as she fought to destroy him.
“Stop this at once, you miserable witch!” Orpheus hollered, slamming her down beside me.
She placed her hand over my heart, and her hair spilled out over my tunic.
The feather in her hair burned all the more brightly as it beckoned to me.
Concentrating hard, I felt my Soulfire squelch in welcome pain as it moved through me mildly, allowing my fingers to twitch.
“Augh!” Starry Knight turned, just as I was about to grab it. She unleashed a strong blast of her power at Orpheus, sending him flying backward.
She slumped over me when she was done, breathing deeply. I felt her drained power reserves as she peeled off her glove and placed her hand on my chest.
 
; “Please,” she whispered softly, shaking badly. “Come back to me.”
She was doing it again, as she’d done before. She was calling my soul back to into my body, asking my heart to find a way back to hers.
My Soulfire was settling nicely inside of my heart when I noticed the fear in her eyes. She was worried for me. Blistering, wounded pride and heartache rushed in as I recalled our battle earlier.
As if she could sense my confliction, she embraced me, pushing my heart closer to hers. Her hair drifted over enough for me to grab onto the feather.
Starry Knight jolted when she saw me move, and she watched as I gripped the warm softness between in my fist. “I suppose it is yours,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper.
Before I could open my eyes and confront her about her treachery to me, Orpheus was suddenly back.
“You fool,” he muttered, bringing her face close to his as he berated her. He grabbed her hair and neck, choking her against him. “We could have had everything—everything—if you had only loved me!”
I groggily opened my eyes to find myself back inside my body, feeling as though the natural world was intent on increasing gravity’s power over me.
My hands reached up and wiped away the tiredness on my face. The feather brushed against me and its flame lit up in a burst of power.
I almost screamed before realizing it wasn’t burning me. The warmth settled around me as I held it.
Starry Knight finally managed to free herself from Orpheus’ grip. She fell right on top of me.
“Umph,” I muttered, as her elbow dug into my side.
“Come back here!” Orpheus cried.
She scrambled back, trying to dodge Orpheus as he reached for her again. I twisted away from her, crawling up onto my knees. “Stay away from us!” I yelled, latching onto Orpheus’ hands with my own.
In less than a second, fire pulsated through me and around me, unleashing its energy as a weapon.
I felt my wings widen and burn, transforming from their blackened roots to their blood-colored tips into wings of pure fire.
Orpheus shrieked in anguish, gnashing his teeth together in pain and weeping for relief. I don’t know how long I held onto him, screaming in shock and pain and retaliation, before I realized I didn’t know how to stop.
Power radiated from the fire in my heart and soul. Orpheus’ cries were no longer heard, as all the emptiness of his skin and robe were burned off. His disappeared into my power, forced out from the shelter of my fiery wings, while I was left to be consumed inside of it.
Help me, I whimpered to myself. I didn’t know how to stop.
I felt Starry Knight move from below me. She reached up and tugged at my arm. I felt the cooling rush of her healing powers, I saw her own power wrap around her as she leaned into me, and I heard the whisper of her voice against my ear.
“Come back to me.”
The fire burned down from my hands and I felt myself let go of the rest of the world as I clung only to her.
“Come back to me . . . ” There was more urgency now, even as there was more tenderness.
“Please, Almeisan.”
My eyes flew open wide, and my heart opened up, drawing in all my fire as my power fully awakened inside of me. I didn’t know whole worlds could be wrapped up in a single name, but as I heard my own name, the one from the other side of Time, I heard the strange music of feeling and life and power sing through me—body, heart, mind, soul, and spirit.
“I love you, Almeisan. I’m in love with you.”
No greater proclamation, incantation, or manifestation had ever come to me before in all my life than in that moment. Suddenly, there was no fear, no pain, and no hesitation. I felt the joyful realities of truth love for the first time as Starry Knight lean in to kiss me, willingly, passionately, and persistently.
My heart throbbed with pleasure so much it was almost painful, as I kissed her again and again, until the fire outside and around me only burned within me.
The heat became a warmth, and as the warmth gently met the misty night, I pulled back from her.
I felt her own name in my heart and on my tongue, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. I frowned, swearing inside of myself that I’d just had it, that I’d known it, that I needed to say it.
But it wasn’t coming. It was as if instead of a name, I’d found a hole in my memory that was etched in the size and shape of her name. I could trace around them and write them, but never read them or decipher its meaning.
“Are you alright?”
Starry Knight’s violet eyes ripped through the flames of my surreality. I felt myself inhale air and nearly choke in response. My fire had lit quite a bit of the woods on fire.
I could hear sirens in the distance, getting closer.
Finally, I gazed down at Starry Knight’s face once more, and I felt the lingering wholeness of my identity grind against the fallen nature of conflict inside of me. She loved me. Her hands were resting on my tunic, still clenched in terror, as though they were trying to hold onto the moment as much as the magic.
My own arms had wrapped around her and, as my confusion, even in clarity, grew, I dropped them and stepped back.
“No.” I breathed.
She stilled. Before she could reply, I shook my head. “What is love without trust?” I asked. “I can’t trust you.” I can’t trust myself, either, apparently, I added silently to myself, as my own heart began to ache.
“If you can’t forgive me for tonight—”
“Forgive you?” I nearly shouted. “For just tonight?” I suddenly wanted to shake her. “You sent me to Earth, after I’d been forgiven. You’ve kept secrets from me, and endangered my life. How could I ever forgive you for all of that? For all of this?” I waved my hand around, gesturing to the broken tree branches and the burning grass, the remnants of my own star power.
Starry Knight stepped back, taking all the warmth in the world with her. She nodded. “I understand.”
“Well, I’m glad someone does, because I sure don’t,” I bit back. I only wanted to be angry at her, and be angry at her for possibly forever.
“If it helps, I release you from your promise,” Starry Knight spoke up.
“What?”
“I said, I release you from your promise,” she snapped, more embarrassed than angry.
“What promise?” I asked.
“Your promise to be a defender. You needn’t worry about having me hold you accountable.”
She was trying to get rid of me altogether, I thought. Well, it wasn’t going to happen. “I didn’t make a promise to be Starlight Warrior just to you,” I snapped back. “I also made one to the Prince, and I’ll keep my word on it, thanks.”
She bit her lip, saying nothing, even though I knew she wanted to.
An ache rushed to my head, as the pressure behind my eyes exponentially increased. I felt the same compulsion to leave as I had earlier, when I was talking with Gwen. The moon seemed to be in solidarity with me, as it ducked behind the clouds and hid.
I intended to do just that, too, until I heard the familiar voice coming from the ground.
“I told you she would never love me so long as you were around.”
I swiveled around to give Orpheus, or what was left of him, a piece of my mind. Until I saw him.
Gone was the creepy-looking man in the black robe. His hair remained a shade of ebony slightly darker than the shadows in his remaining eye. But his skin burned pure and white, almost shimmering against the darkness of the absent moonlight.
I saw Aleia come over. “What happened to Orpheus?” Her voice had a strangled quality to it as she looked on Orpheus’ transformation.
His robe had burned away, leaving a princely, ornate outfit, shining white with delicate, golden stitching. There was not a speck of evil clinging to him.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“You purified him.” The sheer awe in Elysian’s deep, big dragon voice almost made me jump.
r /> Starry Knight’s voice, strangely scraggled, spoke up. She pointed to my side. “You had blood on your side from earlier. It got caught up in the blaze of your full power and purified him when he grabbed you.”
“When I grabbed him,” I corrected.
She rolled her eyes, but nodded. I decided I could almost stay mad at her, despite that.
Orpheus just looked down at himself. “I’m . . . myself again,” he said. “Well, almost,” he added, touching the brim of his empty eye socket. “I’ve been freed of Alküzor’s power.”
Aleia came up beside him and touched his arm. “Yes, you have been. It’s a miracle.” She smiled brightly. “This is an absolute miracle!”
“Where are the other Sinisters?” I asked.
“They left when they saw Orpheus burning,” Elysian said. “They no doubt felt his power disappear, and that is what caused them to retreat for now.”
“So, you have nothing to show for betraying me to them,” I informed Starry Knight.
“I wasn’t going to let them hurt you,” she muttered.
“Yes, thank you so much for that,” I replied. “Imagine, hurting me so they didn’t have to. What a great idea.”
“I understand you’re angry,” Starry Knight began again, “but—”
“But what?” I hissed. “But it’s all okay, because you say you love me?” My voice dropped so it could only be heard between the two of us. “I wanted so badly to have your approval,” I admitted. “But I see it was not needed. You’re not worthy of me.”
She said nothing, staring at me with a clear gaze.
“I want to do what is right,” I continued, feeling uncomfortable. “But I don’t want to have anything to do with you anymore.” My own voice was beginning to crack, as my headache pounded inside of my head.
I rubbed my temples and looked at her. She was as still as ever.
“I’m leaving,” I said. “Tell Elysian to give me the full report later. It’s been a long day.”
“Fine.”
There was no emotion in her words, but as I turned and began to walk away, and the book was painted black and the stars went to sleep, I had to fight with myself to forget the sound of her teardrops—just two—as they slipped down her face and fell onto the sidewalk.