Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

She tossed a hand at Cole. “They are evil.”

“And your mother was a serial killer.”

Wind erupted around her hands, swirling down from her elbows, meeting in the palm of her hands, rage in her eyes.

A shield slammed down in front of me, a sheen of red washing over it just as a deeper sort of red magic wrapped tightly around Carissa’s hands, preventing her from using her magic.

Cole had stepped up, standing half in front of me, his hands glowing as the crowd parted to reveal a familiar ruby-red-eyed warlock.

“Now,” Talaroe hummed, several people mumbling around us, “do you really want me to report this to Penny? I haven’t visited her in a bit, and I suddenly miss her dearly.”

Panic touched Carissa’s eyes. “You heard what she said. She has no right—”

“I heard hard truths people refuse to hear. Astraea is right. If you’re blaming them for their wrongdoings, you can’t be angry when they point out yours. Are you finished with your tantrum?”

“I know I am.”

I turned, hands shaking in anger, finding Madam Levine standing outside of her shop, clearly having been there for some time.

Shit.

“Unless you people want to spend some money, get off my doorstep with your nonsense. We don’t need any more trouble on this street. Carissa, you are wrong. Talaroe, let her go. Astraea and you,” she gestured to Cole, “the hot one in the cloak, come in. You clearly want to talk.”

I turned back to the dispersing crowd, Talaroe watching us, Carissa gone.

His red eyes flicked from mine to Cole’s, and I followed them, finding an unreadable look in the High General’s eyes. Of course, Cole would know him. If Talaroe really did work in the High Court, the two would have met in the past.

Cole dropped his shield and turned to me, his expression softening. “Are you okay?”

I flexed my hand around my bow. “Feel like I want to hit something,” I answered before gesturing to Talaroe. “How long was he standing there?”

“The whole time,” he replied evenly.

I turned back to him at the tone in his voice, his sudden change in demeanor. “You’re angry, aren’t you?”

“I’m not,” he assured me, but my worry didn’t ease. I could see his irritation, feel it. “Do you know him?”

I glanced towards Talaroe and back, the warlock holding a hardened look as well. “I do.”

Cole assessed my expression. “Is he the warlock who told you about the village?”

They were enemies, weren’t they? And now I was going to have to pick a side. I had always admired Satarmore Irsch, always swallowed up every pieceof information I could find on the warlocks without thought, but Cole was my friend, wasn’t he? “Yes,” I whispered, wondering if this would be the end of the one friendship I had had since Ket.

“Are you angry?”

“You’re pathetic for even asking that.”

Cole searched my eyes before glancing back to Talaroe. Finally, he gestured towards the shop. “Come on, I have a feeling this will be an interesting talk.”

Shit.

That familiar bell seemed ominous this time as Cole and I entered the small shop.

I felt partly as if I were about to get lectured, punished, for what I had just done, for crossing a line. Being human on this street was already dangerous, and now I put an even larger target on my back being so…reckless.

“Why did you bring your bow today?” Madam Levine asked as the bell chimed again. “Were you planning an attack? Lock it please.”

I heard the lock flip as Cole gazed at the magical items on the shelves. Madam Levine was busying herself with something I couldn’t quite see as I made my way to the counter. “I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “I grabbed it without thinking.”