Dark Starlight

by Hannah West

  Amethyst flares from the centre of the valley, drawing my gaze.

  Zephyr.

  He’s facing my father, an imposing enemy in black armour. Aric and Zephyr are the same height, though Aric is thicker with muscle. I move through the battle, essence orbs smacking into me, being absorbed by the dark smoke engulfing my frame. The attacks against me stop, fae ceasing their fighting as I pass. Silence accompanies the flowers I leave in my wake. They’re no longer turquoise, but the varying shades of essence orbs I’ve absorbed.

  CHAPTER 20

  ‘Fight me,’ Aric roars at Zephyr, throwing another orb his way.

  The orb grazes Zephyr’s shoulder, leaving a scorch in his indigo armour. ‘I came to make peace,’ Zephyr snarls.

  ‘With an army at your back?’

  ‘Because I knew you’d react this way,’ Zephyr argues.

  ‘You defiled my daughter,’ Aric snarls.

  ‘She’s my mate!’

  ‘She’s mine,’ Aric roars.

  Zephyr grunts when Aric’s next orb hits him, followed by another and another, hitting the same spot on his armoured chest. I’m so close I can see the individual scales forming the back of Aric’s armour. The atmosphere prickles with static, snapping against my skin. Aric’s bombardment has Zephyr on his knees, and there’s an enormous charge building between them. Black light crackles over Aric, the energy intensifying, and I sprint the last few steps to stop him from releasing the blow.

  ‘Father-’

  Aric spins to me so fast he blurs. I gasp, furious midnight glaring down at me from the slit in his helm, before realisation dawns. I look between us, to the blade buried deep in my middle, and my bottom lip quivers. The numbness melts away and I’m bombarded with the emotion of everyone in the valley. It’s as painful as the dagger in my flesh and a tear rolls down my face.

  Aric’s helm retracts, revealing his terrified expression. ‘Primrose,’ he whispers, releasing his grip on the blade.

  Zephyr roars and pushes Aric aside. My knees buckle but Zephyr catches and lowers me to the ground. His fingers flutter around the hilt of the blade but it doesn’t matter. Leave it in or pull it out, the end will be the same. The pain is unbearable, yet there’s a strange, new kind of numbness creeping through my limbs.

  ‘My Starlight,’ Zephyr whispers cupping my face. His fingers are painted with blood, leaving warm streaks against my skin. ‘Don’t leave me.’

  ‘You’re not dying,’ I mumble.

  ‘The blade is made from iron and infused with light,’ he answers, tone agonised. ‘It will severe our bond as it kills you.’

  So that’s how Aric planned to kill Zephyr and keep me alive. My lips curve with a smile because Zephyr will live. My darkness retreats; fading with the life leaving my body. The roaring stream of power veers away, dragging me wherever it’s going. It’s leaving this world and taking me with it.

  ‘I’m sorry it took so long to choose you back,’ I whisper.

  Something warm coats my lips, tasting like pennies. I know what it is, but can’t think of the word. Everything is dimming, becoming irrelevant. There’s only Zephyr, his skin lighting with neon purple. I watch in awe, as I see past his flesh to the light within. I witness the beautiful brightness and it steals my breath. The amethyst star in his centre is laced with midnight, and I watch my darkness unwinding from his light.

  ‘Beautiful,’ I whisper.

  ‘Don’t leave me,’ the starlight begs.

  ‘It only hurts for a little bit,’ a beloved voice tells me.

  I shift my gaze from the starlight to a face that mirrors my own. ‘Mum?’

  She nods, smile resplendent. ‘Hello, Primrose.’

  I stare at her in wonder. She’s translucent and lit with silver tones; eyes like sapphires in her smiling face. Blonde hair hangs in a brilliant cloud of gold around her shoulders, curling into perfect spirals at the ends. She looks younger than when she died, no sign of the illness that killed her. She’s vibrant and glowing, and I’d cry happy tears if I remembered how.

  Mum cups my face with an ethereal hand and I feel it more than I feel Zephyr. She’s more real to me than he is now, though there are still chords of midnight stretching between us.

  ‘I’m dying, Mum.’

  ‘I know, baby girl. I’ve come to take you home.’

  Something tugs at my chest and I look away from her, staring in fascination as the blade slides out. There’s no pain, just a sick sense of wonder. Shadow moves over me, eclipsing the amethyst starlight, and I look at Mum for help. But she’s staring at the shadow with longing. She lifts a hand and strums her fingers through the dark mass. It curls around her fingers and up her arm like a lover, and she smiles.

  ‘Aric,’ she whispers.

  I look back to the shadow in understanding, just as it pushes against where the blade was wedged. Dark starlight flares across my vision and pain lights my insides. I arch from the ground and scream. Emotion floods me: terror, determination, hope and love. I cling to the last one, using it to guide me through raging agony. The starlight reaches through me, snagging hold of the river at my centre, forcing it to change direction. Darkness pulses back into my centre, and blooms through my flesh.

  Regret mists the air, as the fire inside me fades. I slump on the grass and open my eyes, meeting Aric’s midnight gaze.

  ‘Dad,’ I croak.

  He smiles down at me. ‘I’m sorry, Primrose.’

  I realise Mum’s still here and she’s holding his hand. I stare at Aric, studying his translucent state and understanding washes through me. His ebony hair has a glittery sheen and his skin is the same pearlescent shade as Mum’s. I sit up and look around to see if anybody else is seeing what I’m seeing, but there’s a wall of black light around us. We’re in the middle, cut off from the rest of the valley. I look down, fingering the hole in my top, where the blade sliced through. Blood soaks the fabric, slicking my fingertips but the wound is gone.

  ‘What the hell is going on?’

  I look back to my parents – both of them together, and my heart stutters. I’ve never seen them together, or Mum looking so happy.

  ‘You’re dead,’ I whisper. ‘Both of you.’

  ‘It was the only way to save you,’ Aric answers.

  ‘You’re leaving me.’

  My parents move either side of me and wrap me in a hug. Unconditional love seeps into me from both sides and I start to cry. I don’t want to let this moment go, because they’ll be gone with it. The loneliness will creep back and I don’t know if I’ll cope this time.

  Something slams against the wall around us, and I look toward the sound. It comes again, harder this time, and I’m filled with the need to reach for it.

  ‘Perhaps you should let your mate in,’ Aric says.

  I meet his gaze then study the wall of black light. ‘I thought you made the wall,’ I say.

  ‘You don’t realise yet how powerful you are, but you will,’ Aric tells me. ‘It took me centuries to master skills you’ve presented.’

  ‘How can that be?’ I argue. ‘I’m only half fae and you’re whole.’

  His smile is sad. ‘You found what I couldn’t, Primrose.’

  ‘Which is?’ I snap when he doesn’t elaborate. ‘You can’t die!’ I shout. ‘Who the hell is going to teach me all this stuff?’

  ‘There’s a reason I never mated, Primrose.’

  ‘Because you loved Mum.’

  He shakes his head. ‘My heart belonged to Christine, but I was King of the Dark Fae. I was expected to take a mate and produce an heir. But I couldn’t because I never found what you have.’ He chuckles and shakes his head. ‘And I tried to take it from you.’

  Zephyr? ‘You’re talking about Zephyr?’

  Aric nods. ‘He’s your Balance, Primrose.’

  ‘My what?’

  ‘Lumen Fae, like you and I, need a Balance,’ he tells me.

  ‘You’re a Lumen? Why didn’t you tell me?’

  ‘I was born in a t
ime when Lumen Fae were culled at birth,’ he answers. ‘As heir, I wasn’t tested and my mother taught me to hide it before anyone found out. I even hid it from my father because he was the one to order the culling.’

  ‘Why?’ I whisper, horrified at what he’s telling me. ‘Will I be culled?’

  I haven’t exactly been hiding my Lumen side. Everyone that sees the flowers I leave knows what it means, so it’s no secret what I am.

  ‘The culling ended when Lumen talent was thought to have died out,’ Aric soothes. ‘That was ten millennia ago, and those times live only in the memories of the oldest fae, if they choose to remember.’

  ‘If they ‘choose’ to remember?’

  Aric shrugs. ‘Some memories are buried deep and take a lot of effort to find. There are archives, of course, but you’d need to know where to look and what to look for.’

  ‘So why the culling?’

  Aric glances at my mother before answering, ‘Lumen Fae need to find their Balance. Without it, our light finds other sources to feed from.’

  My gaze slides to Mum and understanding trickles through me. My light fed from Mum’s life force until it killed her. Then it fed off those around me, until the moment I found Zephyr.

  ‘Zephyr’s my Balance,’ I murmur. ‘That’s why my light is blind to all others when he’s around.’

  ‘Your light will crave no other,’ Aric tells me.

  ‘Won’t Zephyr die, like Mum?’ I argue.

  Aric shakes his head. ‘He’s your Balance. Zephyr’s light is equal to yours and will feed from your light in return. You balance each other out, feeding each other in an unending cycle.’

  ‘If Zephyr’s light is equal to mine, how come he isn’t draining everyone around him and leaving flowers all over the place?’ I demand.

  ‘He’s a twin,’ Aric answers. ‘He and his sister balanced each other out.’

  His reasoning makes sense, but if I’m Zephyr’s balance now, who the hell is going to be Caligo’s? I press the heel of my palms into my eyes, trying to ward off the headache forming. No wonder Zephyr struggled to find a mate. He needed someone with compatible light and Lumen Fae were almost culled from existence.

  ‘If you knew I needed a Balance why’d you try mating me to Darrack?’

  ‘I wanted to see you drain him,’ Aric answers.

  ‘What the hell?’ I bark, dropping my hands to glare at him.

  Aric rolls his eyes, like my outburst in uncalled for. ‘Don’t let his easy smiles and unending charm fool you, Primrose. The only thing Darrack cares about is gaining the crown. If you knew the things he’s done, the females he’s forced-’

  ‘Back up! What?’

  ‘Darrack has done more than murder and pillage to gain the power he seeks,’ Aric says. ‘I was considering his death when he approached me asking for your hand.’

  ‘So you whored out your daughter for the kicks of watching Darrack get what he deserves?’ I snap.

  ‘Do you think your light would’ve let it get that far, Primrose? You’re more powerful than I could be because you’ve found your Balance, and Darrack is no match for that.’

  I hate that Aric’s right. My darkness handled challenges without me realising I’d even been challenged. It would never let Darrack get close enough to force a mating. Zephyr was different, because my light craves him more than I need air. I huff at the wasted moaning about needing a choice, when I never really had one. I need Zephyr and he needs me, so we don’t drain the life of those we love. Which begs the question of how Aric feeds his light.

  ‘Lumen Fae weren’t culled because of the danger they present if they never find their Balance,’ Aric says, disrupting my train of thought. ‘We were culled because of how powerful we become when we do.’

  The banging on the wall stops and purple light weaves through it. Tingles shoot over my skin when Zephyr pushes through the darkness, expression furious. He stalks my way as I push to my feet then looks between my parents and me. Comprehension dawns on his face and he gapes at my mum. Then Aric. His gaze meets mine and I’d laugh at the shock on his face if I didn’t feel mentally bruised.

  ‘I love you, Primrose,’ Mum says, drawing my attention. She’s fading and my heart lodges in my throat. ‘I’ll be waiting for you in the next life.’

  She fades away, and I stare at the space where she was standing. That’s it? She tells me she loves me then expects me to just get on with the fact I’ve suffered losing her twice? I’m angry and ungrateful but can’t help it. Most people don’t get the chance I just had, but I’m really struggling to find the joy in this moment. All I feel is a yawning sense of loss.

  ‘Take care of my daughter, Zephyr,’ Aric orders. ‘Your union will unite our people.’ He turns to me. ‘I’ll watch over you from the next place, my flower,’ he whispers.

  Then he’s gone, taking the answers I need with him.

  A tear slides down my cheek, while strong arms wrap around me. Zephyr buries his face in my shoulder, body curling around mine, like he can’t get close enough. I bury my face in his chest and soak in his nearness. It feels like he’s the only thing holding me together.

  ‘My mate,’ he breathes.

  My light wastes no time weaving tightly with his, taking greedy pulls of his essence. His armour is gone, my fingers curling into the soft fabric of his shirt. He’s warm and solid, heart beating a steady rhythm in my ear. He’s here. I’m here. It’s going to be okay.

  ‘Don’t ever leave me again,’ he orders.

  ‘I’ll try not to get killed again,’ I promise then ask, ‘Where’s the knife?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘The knife,’ I repeat. ‘The one that-’

  ‘Aric destroyed it,’ Zephyr cuts in, understanding.

  ‘Good,’ I murmur, relieved a weapon powerful enough to kill Zephyr no longer exists.

  Zephyr’s arms tighten around me; his fierce need to protect me, and…love, infusing the bond between us. I look up at his face and he gazes down at me. Zephyr brushes his thumb over my lips then bends to press a kiss there. It’s tender and drenched in emotion, seeping between my fractured parts.

  ‘That was your mother?’

  My breath mingles with his, hot and fragrant. ‘She came to guide me home,’ I say then shrug. ‘But she got my father instead. Mum finally got her happy ending.’

  ‘I think they both did,’ Zephyr murmurs.

  I breathe deep at his words, releasing the resentment I feel that my parents left me. Aric sacrificed himself so I’d get a second chance with Zephyr, and I’m more than grateful. I shouldn’t begrudge my mum and dad the same opportunity.

  ‘We should go out there,’ I say, looking at the wall of midnight separating us from the rest of the valley.

  ‘You know what will happen when we do?’ Zephyr asks.

  ‘I just became Queen of the Dark Realm,’ I mutter, bitterness for Aric flaring because he knew this would happen.

  Zephyr grins. ‘You sound thrilled.’

  ‘What the hell do I know about ruling, Zephyr? Hell, what do I even know about Dark Fae? I barely know enough about myself, let alone a whole realm of Dark Fae.’

  ‘Dark Fae aren’t that different from Light Fae,’ he soothes. ‘And I’ve been raised my whole life to rule, Primrose.’

  His words are a balm to my impending panic attack. ‘You’re my mate.’

  ‘You remembered?’ he chuckles.

  ‘That makes you King of the Dark Realm,’ I answer.

  ‘You’ve connected the dots,’ he smirks.

  I smack his chest at his sarcasm but I’m too relieved to put any real effort into it. Zephyr’s here and I don’t have to do this alone. He captures my hand against his chest, expression serious.

  ‘You’re not alone in this, Primrose,’ he says, like he plucked the thought from head.

  ‘Can you read my mind?’

  ‘No, but I feel you in here,’ he says patting the hand over mine on his chest.

  I glance at my captured h
and, feeling the strong beat of his heart beneath my palm. ‘Okay,’ I whisper.

  I concentrate on the well of light in my middle. The wall melts around us, revealing a valley of fae surrounding us. Instead of fighting, they’ve formed a circle around where the wall used to be. Jewel-toned eyes watch Zephyr and me, the air pregnant with expectation.

  ‘We’re in the Dark Realm,’ Zephyr murmurs, like I don’t already know. He smirks at the death glare I give him. ‘They’re waiting for you to tell them Aric is dead and claim the throne.’

  The words feel like ash in my mouth, as I push them through tight lips. ‘My father has faded.’

  Denlyr pushes to the front of the gathered fae, iridescent orange scales glinting on his body. His helm is retracted, dark hair and mocha skin matted with blood. His irises glow deep umber and his fangs seem longer than the last time we met.

  ‘You claim your birth right, Heir?’ he demands.

  It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him no, but Zephyr gives me a meaningful stare and I sigh. ‘I claim the throne, as is my birth right.’

  Denlyr stalks up to me and drops to one knee, bowing his head with a fist to the grass. The fae behind him follow his lead, dropping onto one knee, heads bowed and fists to the ground.

  ‘What are they doing?’ I whisper to Zephyr.

  ‘Swearing fealty to their queen,’ he whispers back.

  ‘Great,’ I mutter feeling the enormity of what’s happening press down on me. ‘Any idea what I’m supposed to do next, Darling?’

  Zephyr coughs on repressed laugher and takes my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. ‘I am King of the Light Realm and mate of Queen Primrose,’ he tells the gathered fae. ‘Our mating joins our lives and our people. No more will there be Light and Dark Fae,’ he decrees. ‘From now on we’re one people, and will be known simply as Fae.’

  The heat of many eyes burn through me then, one by one, the fae in the valley stand. I watch in wonder, as each holds out their right arm. Orbs form in every upturned palm, drenching the valley in a rainbow of neon. As one, they lift their palms to the sky and the orbs float away. I crane my neck to watch the display then look at Zephyr when he strokes my arm. He’s holding his hand out, amethyst orb sitting in his palm.