Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

“Well, wolves aren’t technically immortal, they just have longer lifespans than humans—”

I tossed a smile over, causing him to stop. “They live on average about 50 to 100 years longer than us. It’s still sad. She has a good heart,” I went on, noticing the way people were starting to stare, “and a lot of neat stuff in her shop that I’ve always wanted to know more about.” I straightened, a thought popping into my head at the looming danger. “Do you have your magic back?”

Cole held out his hand, a spark of red swirling in his palm. “Yeah. Michael’s armor, that feels good.” He stretched as if he had been confined to a small closet most of his life. “Why? Nervous?”

My eyes lingered on his arms a beat too long as the memory of the woods started sliding into my mind. “Apprehensive,” I answered too quickly as I shut the memory out and reached for my bow. “Whenever I mention the Fallen, trying to find information about anything at all, it never turned out well, and then the warlock came asking questions about the Eye of Orion,” I went on, lowering my voice, nocking an arrow. “I don’t know how far that information has gotten either.” What was an archer to a street full of magic users? Nothing, but would I still try and defend a High General from these people? I’d give it my best shot.

“The Eye of Orion is a powerful weapon used to contain magic, so I would assume most everyone has heard about what happened by now.”

I slowed and looked over, brow furrowing at his words. “What? No. No, my research says that it’s used to stop death.”

He huffed a laugh. “Cryptic. It’s used to stop people from dying,” he clarified. “There have been instances in history when people were born with more magic than they could handle, which ended in a lot of fatalities for them and for the people that came in contact with them. Orion created a stone that could help control that magic.”

And all I had managed to find was a stupid cryptic sentence? “A conductor? Like the Staff of Elder?” How much other information had I gathered that had only given me that? I prayed not a lot.

Cole nodded, taking in his surroundings as any trained warrior might. “Sort of, but it isn’t used in the same way. The stone gives your body the space you need to store that extra magic, so it doesn’t give you any adverse side-effects.”

My confusion only grew. “I don’t understand. Why would Trick kill his own people to get that?”

His eyes darkened, hands tensing. “Nick wasn’t sure either, but it’s said that some of her magic resides within it, along with whoever’s magic was stored inside of it when it was last worn. Similar to the Staff.”

I released a breath, my fear spiking under my skin. “Why would he want more power?” Of course. Everyone always wantedmore. No one could ever just be satisfied with what they had.

Cole looked over, his eyes locking on mine. “He won’t tell us.”

I chewed on my lip, thinking this over. “Technically,you don’t have the right to know,” I said, knowing he might not like that.

He frowned at that, clearly unhappy with that specific truth.

But I didn’t have time to respond because a Fae girl had stepped in front of me, one I knew well. Carissa.

Bright blue hair, sharp features, long neon nails, and a nimble frame. I had always thought she looked more pixie than Fae, but Madam Levine swore on her mother that Carissa was, in fact, a Fae.

Carissa looked from Cole to me, her brows furrowed, betrayal in her eyes. As if we had ever been friends. “You brought a Fallen to the street?”

I instantly felt a sort of protectiveness over the High General, and my back straightened, chin lifting. “I help those who need help.” Maybe I still didn’t quite understand the Fallen, but I understood Cole. I understood him enough to know that he was good. Kind. He had flaws, but he was still honorable. A General through and through.

I understood him enough to know that he, at the very least, didn’t deserve what was about to happen.

Her betrayal only deepened. “Why would you ever help one ofthem?”

Well, I actually helped the demons, but I couldn’t say that now. “Because he’s good.”

“Good?” she breathed in utter disbelief. “Good?Theyrapeus. They kidnap us in the darkest parts of the night and torture us, and if they don’t do that, then they charm their way into our lives. Convince us that they love us and destroy everything about us until we relyon them to survive, and then they kill us. They just stole four more Fae from their bedslast night.”

My mother’s voice chuckled through me.“That’s what he’s doing. He’s convincing you that his heart burns for you. He’ll keep going until you believe him and then he’ll kill you. How could anyone like that love something like you?”

I didn’t react, didn’t think, didn’t breathe. I knew that. Rationally, I knew that.

“So why are you allowing him to slither through your mind? Why are you allowing him to slowly consume you?”

I wasn’t. No, I wasn’t.

Carissa released a breath, shaking her head when I didn’t respond. “I thought you were one of us. I thought you were different, but you’re just like the rest of them.”

“A freak. A savage. A sick, twisted little girl with sick and twisted fantasies.”

Rage fell down my spine, my hands tightening around my weapon, moving of their own accord.