Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

“Do you know what I really want?” Mark asked, pushing my hood back only to grab my braid and pull it over my shoulder, inspecting the chocolate and dark red strands.

“What’s that?”

“I just want you to be proud of me.”

Tears slid down my cheeks.“Yeah, I’d like that too.”

“I want to be brave like you. I want to save people likeyou do, even though most of the time, you just save them in your stories, it still means you’ve got the heart to save them. I want to be strong like you.” His eyes lifted to mine. “I want to act fearless even though I’m really scared. If that means going to the castle, I guess I can do that, but I’d rather grow up and learn from you then from some people in metal suits.”

I wiped my cheeks, grabbing his knees. “You are so good, and I amsoproud of you.”

He sneered. “Why?”

I smiled. “Because you are kind. Because you care about people even though you’ve never met them. Because you want to protect the Tree Giants even though they’re the size of castles and can protect themselves.”

He frowned. “They’re made of wood, Kyra. They can’t protect themselves from forest fires, can they? It’s a serious situation.”

I giggled. “I know.”

His expression relaxed, his fingers still playing with my hair. “Maybe if I do go, I can get the crown and change some things.” He smiled. “I can tear down Condemnation, get rid of those stupid laws about magic. We could create a safe haven like Penny did. Couldn’t we?”

I swallowed, nodding. “That is a really great idea, but listen, Mark, the reason I worry about our secrets is because…because the witches live in that castle too, so I don’t know what’s really going to happen when you guys move in.”

He froze.

“Evanora is there.”

He glanced to the door and back, asif terrified someone would overhear us. “You were right?” he whispered. “The witches were behind both wars, weren’t they? And they’re still here? Why has no one stopped them? Why is Raphael killing people of magic if they’re letting the witches stay here?” He gasped. “The General. The witches will find him. Kyra, you have to protect him. You have to keep him safe.”

Yeah,Ihad to keephimsafe. It was laughable. “He’s okay, and those are questions I can’t answer, but that’s why I can’t tell you this really important secret. Do you understand?”

He looked to the door again before his eyes returned to mine, searching, his fear growing. “I don’t want to live with the witches, Kyra. I want to stay here. I want to stay with you. Please,” he begged, jumping into my arms, flinging his own around my shoulders. “Please let me stay. I don’t want to go. I’m big enough, I can start going out with you, I promise. I can help, but please don’t make me go there.”

I hugged him tightly, tears slipping down my cheeks as I found that window just at the end of his bed, the sun gone for darkness. “Shh,” I hummed, that shadow tendril appearing in my line of sight, watching me carefully, and I could have sworn I heard it whisper to me exactly what I needed to do. “It’s going to be okay, little fox. I’ve got you.”

~~~

I went out at night very rarely. The curfew scared me, but even more than that I was terrified of the possibilityof vampires lurking through these woods because despite the fact that most were terrified of these woods, I couldn’t say the same for vampires. Could they eat demons? I couldn’t be sure. It’s a question I’d like to find the answer to one day.

Tonight was different though. I needed some fresh air. I needed answers. I needed to know what Trick was planning. If he was planning on killing me, well then Mark would have to go to the castle. He wasn’t ready to keep the cottage stocked on his own.

But if Trick was just using me to throw me away later, then Mark could come with me. I’d deal with Trick, keep Mark out of it, and we’d go from there.

But I needed answers. I needed the truth.

Once I reached the tree line, I took off my veil and pushed back my hood. I took in the streams of moonlight kissing the snow that covered the forest floor. Even now, after all these years, I found myself shocked at how many tracks appeared at night.

The demons were more active when the sun went down despite how dark the woods were during the day.

Mark would love it out here. He’d be scared at first, nervous, but he would love it. He had talked about meeting the demons before. Talked about how cool and terrifying it would be.

He would love how fresh the air was out here too. He would love the stars and how many he could see when the trees broke up enough to catch a glimpse of the sky. He would love all the new trails to explore. Ones I had been down time and time again.

I looked up to the sky, this part of the forest thinnerthan that around my cottage. The sky was clear of the clouds from earlier, but I had a feeling it would snow again before morning.

People still talked about the gods. Prayed to them, worshipped them in their homes, in temples. I didn’t understand it because they had never done anything to earn that type of love. They never stepped in during the wars, as far as anyone knew about, never helped the species’ get along. Never tried to ease tensions. The Original Orders failed their own people, and when they died and the New Orders were named, they failed too.

I supposed I couldn’t truly blame them. They inherited a world that was already screwed, but after 600 years, they at least could have created some sort of friendship between the Courts.