Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

I had spent the entire last week with Mark, my nerves constantly on edge, always searching for guards, flinching at every sound. He questioned me. Questioned what was wrong, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him.

Not yet.

Not when I could have just another few seconds of his laughter, his smile, before I told him that he would be either hunted for the rest of his life or he would be raised to be the new High King.

Trick had been leaving me Mersine Berry juice, Asilos Root, and Allure Antler in the corner of my room every evening, and I wasn’t sure what I hated most. Him knowing what was happening to me in my own house, or him thinking he needed to take care of me.

A High King.

I think I hated him more for that than I did for anything else.

This morning wasn’t as bad as it had been in the daysprior. A black eye, a swollen lip, and a few bruises on my arms, nothing serious.

I hadn’t been back to the cottage in a week. If I had caught a whiff of Cole around Therian, I avoided him. I didn’t have the mental capacity to speak with him. I only needed to focus on Mark.

My shadow, a female I determined because I didn’t want to keep calling her ‘it’, swirled around my neck once before rejoining my own dim shadow, cast across the pavement by the pale sun peeking through the gray clouds.

She had tried to comfort me every night this last week, but wasn’t it just Trick? It was his essence, his pity. I didn’t need that.

I really didn’t.

Even so, I suppose her presence did help a little.

I pushed into Madam Levine’s shop ten minutes later, the chime of the bell causing me to flinch against my better judgment.

“Thank you,” I heard a woman say.

“You’re very welcome. Have a good day, Lottie,” Madam Levine replied. “Don’t be going through that too quickly now.”

I slowly walked down one aisle, listening to the woman walk through the shop, hearing her steps slow when she spotted me through the shelves.

She scoffed in disgust. “Filthy human.”

I looked her up and down as I passed her. “Warlock?” I smiled something wicked, although I felt dead inside. “I know Talaroe Irsch personally. If I were you, I’d watch my tongue.” I didn’t care who I hurt now. I just wantedto get what I needed and get back to Mark.

Only a flash of fear sparked in her eyes before the hatred doubled and she headed out the door.

I headed for the counter, Madam Levine giving me the eye. “You and Talaroe aren’t friends.”

I shrugged, setting my bow on the counter. “We could be.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Reckless girl. What do you need today?”

“Havi,” I answered, sliding off my quiver. “I’m trading in these.”

She looked at the bow and quiver filled with arrows. “No.”

I frowned. “What? Why? They’re in perfect condition, sharpened, treated. They should get me a good amount of Havi. I don’t see why you won’t take them.”

“Because a reckless girl needs a weapon to be reckless with or the chances of her dying due to that recklessness goes up. The answer is no. Especially because you are throwing a tantrum, and I don’t accept that from someone of your caliber.”

I glared at her and snatched the weapon off the counter, slinging the quiver back over my shoulder. “Digory will take them,” I countered bitterly.

“Astraea,” she called as I turned on my heel, only to stop when I found a pair of ruby-red eyes staring back at me.

Speaking of the warlock. “Good day,” I nodded before passing him.

A flash of red hit the door just as I reached it, causing me to stop. Okay, so maybe that womanhad known Talaroe too. He hadn’t seemed like a cruel man but using him to threaten someone else may have crossed a line.