Lanterns In The Sky
Page 23
Jason growled at him.
"Then again, your blood is already tarnished,” Kale said mockingly, and that blow was unforgivable. I thought of Valarie's raging guilt over her father, what those words would do to her.
It snapped her—she hurtled one last fireball onto his charred flesh, and he screamed. She didn't stop, not until the screams had stopped echoing around the hall. When she was done, she was breathing heavily, clearly exhausted. But instead of collapsing, she forced herself to turn around, and meet Chrissy’s gaze. Valarie was unleashed.
I struck another guard in the ribs and turned my own gaze to Chrissy. Her face was a mix of horror and anger.
"What have you done?” she whispered. Then, an ear-piercing shriek echoed through the hall. "You killed my brother!"
Skye marched forward from the sidelines.
"You killed my brother!” she retorted. "The day you forced him into that deal, you took his soul!” She glanced at Devian, who didn't offer any emotion for her words. "I'd say it's an even trade,” Skye said, glancing back and folding her arms.
Chrissy sneered at us, descending the staircase.
"You think you're so clever? With your tricks and magic?” she hissed. "Devian was Kale's Chard. And now, with Kale dead? Devian will transition into a Shadeow—you will never get him back from that state.”
Her bitter frown became a smug smile, and my stomach twisted as the reality of her words sank in.
"You think I'm going to let you get away with this?” she drawled, hands on her hips. "You crossed a line in murdering my brother. I'm going to make sure you all lose everything. You want to save the people on this planet? There won't be anyone left to save once I'm through. Starting with everyone in this room."
She turned to the guards by the staircase, keeping the people trapped.
"Kill them all."
I gasped.
"No!” I cried. But the guards turned, and before I could stop them, they were driving their weapons into the people. I screamed and raced towards them, but even then I couldn't get to them in time.
I didn't even notice the way the ground was starting to shake, the thundering echo filling the air. All I could focus on was those people, dying before my eyes. I slammed my hands onto the Urenphian guards, trying to push through, but they shoved me back. The people closest to me were bleeding all over the steps, and those at the back were screaming in terror as the Urenphian guards drove their sharp weapons through their hearts. I spotted my English teacher among them… and that woman who worked at the bakery…
Tears stung my eyes. I turned on Chrissy, anger surging through me.
"You monster!” I snarled.
"How does it feel?” she sniped back coldly, arms folded. "To have people you care about ripped away from you? Kale was all I had. He was even my voice of reason. But now I only have myself to listen to, and my mind is a much darker place than his."
I went to shove her, but someone grabbed me—Jason. He pulled me away.
"The Starlight Barrier,” he said in my ear. "It's breaking. We have to go, now."
That rumbling sound… the shaking ground… it was indeed breaking. My anger was hot and fuming, bubbling through my veins. I didn't want to leave. I wasn't done here. But I knew I had to go.
My eyes didn't leave Chrissy's as I stared her down before turning and racing toward the front doors with the others. We sprinted outside, down the front steps, and across the square. There was a faint pink in the sky—it was daybreak. The golden stars trembled, and the purple cracks multiplied in the sky every second. Pop, pop, pop!
"Come on!” Jason urged, leading us past the fountain towards the houses.
"Where will we go?” I asked, sprinting across the square. Tiny golden orbs fell around us, shattering when they hit the ground.
"For now, we just have to leave town,” Andrew shouted. "We'll figure out the rest later!"
We zig-zagged through the breaking barrier, the glowing orbs like shooting stars spiralling past us. One grazed my arm, its white-hot heat leaving a strange tingle upon my skin. When another one scraped Valarie's back, she let out a cry of pain.
Hissing, she reached back to feel where the starlight had touched her. I noticed a strange black mark forming in her skin, and I frowned.
Why was the starlight magic affecting her and not me?
We'd almost reached the houses opposite the square when something spiralled into existence in front of us, blocking our path. A deep, swirling purple portal of some kind. Then it hit me—it was a void. A small void.
We came to a sudden halt, and Devian emerged from within.
"You left with something we require,” he said firmly. Anger flared through me—we didn't have time for this!
"Get out of our way!” I snapped.
"I will—but I'll be taking her,” he said smoothly, with a smirk. Then his hand latched onto Valarie's, earning a shriek of protest from her. My stomach dropped, but before I could stop them, he tugged hard and dragged her into the void. It swallowed them both up, vanishing into nothing, and a shuddered gasp was all I could manage.
"No!” Jason growled. Our heads whipped back to the Community Centre.
"Are they trying to lure us back?” Skye asked, her eyebrows raised.
"We can't leave her!” I snapped. Jason's fists were clenched, but he grabbed my arm as I made to turn back.
"We can't,” he said quietly. "We can't.” His voice was stone cold, and he glared daggers in the direction of the Community Centre.
"But they're right there!” I insisted.
"No,” Andrew pressed, stepping forward. "They wouldn't be that stupid—she's in their hands now, and I'm willing to bet she's not there. If they can summon their own voids, it means the Starlight Barrier has almost disappeared. We can't stay here. We have to let her go."
"No!” I insisted. Even Jason looked torn, but the fact that he was agreeing with him…
"We'll get her back,” Jason promised me. "You know I won't stop until we do."
It took everything inside of me to let it go, to force myself onwards with the rest of them. We broke into a sprint, heading through the town as the Starlight Barrier continued to shatter and fall around us.
We didn't stop until I'd left behind the last piece of normality I'd managed to cling onto this whole time: my home.
Epilogue
When she came to her senses, everything felt… heavier. The air was thicker around her, and it was strangely cold. Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was a golden chandelier against a gleaming black and gold painted ceiling.
Eyes wide, she slowly pushed herself upright, noting the black satin bedsheets beneath her and a lit candle sitting on a corner table.
Where am I?
Her feet found the floor, and she noticed her clothing had changed into what was possibly the most extravagant dress she'd ever worn in her life. It was black and gold, sweeping at her ankles, with deep purple flowers embroidered along the side. It looked like glittering starlight.
Her cheeks heated as she wondered who had put her in it.
A knock sounded at the door, and she spun around. It opened slightly, and Devian stepped inside. He was also dressed in fine clothing, similar to hers. And beside him, another girl—causing the first girl's jaw to drop. They looked strikingly similar, but her jawbone was sharper, her eyes narrower, and her stance a thousand times more confident. She even wore a crown in her curled brown hair.
"Ah, you're awake,” she sang lightly. She glided over to the bed and offered the first girl a playful smile. "Welcome home."
"W-who are you?” she stammered quickly, taking a step back. The second girl burst out laughing.
"Oh my, look at her!” she sighed, amused. "She hasn't got a clue!"
Devian slowly approached the first girl, offering her a hand in what looked like peace.
"It's okay, Valarie—I'll explain everything,” he promised. "You've had your awakening, and your memories will return soon. But before then, there's
something you should know."
Valarie glanced at the girl again.
"Who is she?” she demanded. "Why does she look like me?"
Devian slowed to a stop.
"This is Reina, ruler of the Court of Deception here in Urenphia."
Her eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Urenphia?” she whispered. "I don't understand…"
"You will,” Devian promised. "You see, Reina here was switched at birth with you, back in the Starlight Kingdom. Everything you've known up until now has been a lie, a cover-up to mask Shade's ultimate plan."
Valarie's mind was racing.
"What?” she stammered.
"You're not a starlight princess,” Devian said slowly. "You're not Princess Annaliese's sister. Reina is. You were switched with her so that you might infiltrate the Starlight Kingdom, create the uprising, and lead Urenphians into the heart of the Starlight Court. Which you did."
"Wait a second,” Valarie said faintly, hardly daring to breathe. "Go back… if I'm not a starlight princess… then what am I?"
Devian smiled, his eyes glittering. "You're a Shadeow.”
About the Author
P.S.Malcolm (Pagan) grew up in Proserpine, Queensland— a small, Australian country town on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. She was a storyteller from a young age and spent years perfecting her craft.
For two years, she juggled waitressing in tourist filled coffee shops while undertaking two degrees in Creative Writing online— one specializing in children's fiction and publishing. She has always had an interest in writing, but never saw herself working in the industry until she made the choice to self-publish her debut novel, STUCK ON VACATION WITH RYAN RUPERT. Realizing that she loved the process of publishing her book, she pursued an internship at a publishing house and snagged a spot as Pen Name Publishing's Marketing Assistant Intern.
In between interning and writing, Pagan opened her first business working as a freelance Marketing Strategist for Paperback Kingdom— which helps indie authors with all aspects of their author careers.
Pagan is a cat enthusiast, tea lover, and floral fanatic. She keeps a well-stocked tea collection, and one of her favourite past times is rocking up to a cozy teashop in a worn pair of jeans and writing a few pages of prose. If the 'florals' weren't a dead giveaway, she's a proud Hufflepuff and is crazy about the colour yellow.
Pagan also enjoys reading— particularly fantasy and paranormal— and is a passionate blogger. She reviews books that she has read on her personal website, and indie books on her business blog. Some of her favourite and most influential authors include Amanda Gernentz Hanson, A.G. Howard, Marissa Meyer and Michele Jaffe.
https://psmalcolm.com
Acknowledgments
I don't have a flipping clue where to start considering the journey this book has been through. But the beginning seems as good of a place as ever:
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High School
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For those who read multiple first drafts, who screamed with me during my first contract and crashed with me when it fell through, I remember each and every one of you and I still have so much love for you. In particular, I want to thank Laura R, Emily J, Zac C, Bree C, Noel O, Ellena G, Izzy S, Connor B, and author Katherine Howell.
A bigger shout out to the best freaking English teacher on the planet, Mrs. Melissa Ellis, who dedicated many unpaid evenings of her time to proofreading and editing my manuscript. I still have your notes saved.
Ashley M—I owe you more than a thank you. You inspired me to keep writing when I had already given up. You read it, you gave feedback, and you loved it with all your heart. You are the original, #1 fan and you showed me what it feels like to be a real author writing for an audience.
Thank you to Lycaon Press—though you'll probably never see this, for giving me my first taste of the publishing world and showing my younger self that the industry isn't anywhere near as daunting as I imagined. Thank you to Justyn, Deandra, and Jennifer for being the first to believe in my book. I hope you are all well.
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Post-School
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Fast forward a couple of years, and here we go again. Only a handful of people stayed with me this long, but I've gained so many new supporters along the way. So, in no particular order, thank you to Laura R, Izzy S, Ashley M, Jordan M, and Chris M.
A special thank you to Dane, love of my life, who puts up with my endless, crazy plot ramblings and complaints.
Thank you to my parents—especially my dad who supports me in everything I do.
Thank you to Rae-Anne for your incredible beta-reading skills.
Thank you to my wonderful writing friends—including everyone in my Happily Ever Author community, but also Spencer, Jinx, Candace, Erica, Sarah, Alexa, Stasia, Chloe, Casey, Julie, Marybeth, A. M. Bradley, Amber, and Rebecca.
And finally, a huge thank you to the The Parliament House team—especially Mithlia, Aimee, Chantal and Shayne. You have bought my dream to life and given my book the most wonderful forever home. I am so thankful to be part of your publishing house and truly believe that you are the definition of "teamwork makes the dream work".
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