Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

I nodded, following after him as he sprinted across the house. “What did you think I was doing with all of them?” I asked. “I had to put them somewhere. Look over here,” I gestured to my wall of dragons. “This one is my favorite. Can you guess why?”

Mark skidded to a stop in front of it, grabbing his chin, eyes squinting. “Hmm.” He was quiet for several seconds. “There’s a lot of dragons here. Those are your favorite.”

I nodded again, trying to put more weight on my left side. “Hmm-mm but look a little closer.”

Mark was quiet as he studied the wall, my trained eyes finding each and every one of his pictures threaded within my research. I had them everywhere, but this wall held the best ones.

Trick walked over and held out a glass to me while Mark studied the pictures.

I glanced over, his eyes locked on mine.

“You need this.”

He assumed I wouldn’t have taken it, but I knew I needed it too. I took the Mersine Berry juice from him with a small nod.“Thank you.”

He gave me a small nod in return and turned away from me. I watched after him only for a second when Mark called me to attention again.

“Wait a minute,” he said, and I turned back to the wall. Mark walked over and lifted up a piece of paper gently, his lips parting as he stared at a drawing hehad made for me years ago. “This one is mine,” he realized, looking back.

I shrugged, sipping at the sweet drink. “I had to make it ours. Your pictures are everywhere too but look. This wall is special.” I joined him, finding my favorite dragon, an Astrogee, drawn in charcoal. I lifted one corner of it, revealing the entire picture that sat just behind it. “This picture was the very first picture you ever drew for me. The very first thing I put on these walls.”

He stared at the picture for a long time, his expression unreadable. “Wow,” he finally breathed. “I sucked.”

The laughter bubbled out of me uncontrollably.

Mark frowned. “It’s not funny. You’re like a real artist and look. That’s a butt picture.”

I pulled him to my side gently. “We all sucked at drawing when we were that little. Come on, I’ve got a lot I want to show you.”

13

My Bible, Chapter 4, Verse 76,

Every piece of you, every ounce of blood, every particle of bone, belongs to your new god. Relish in the fact that you will never be alone again. Relish in the fact that I own you.

Trick

She yawned again, but her smile didn’t falter as Mark pulled her across the clearing to the steaming pool.

It was the most I had seen her smile since first spotting her. This small child had stolen her heart years ago. I almost felt jealous because that piece of her heart would never belong to me.

Almost.

Mark deserved it. He deserved every piece of that beautiful heart of hers. I could handle having the scraps if that’s all she had left togive.

“It’s more than just some sick obsession, isn’t it?”

Kyra stopped as soon as Mark let her hand go. From here, I could see her favoring one side, rubbing her wrist, her ribs, wincing because they were still healing. She should have been resting. Laying down, sleeping. Her bones weren’t completely healed, not all the way through, and if she pushed too much, she’d cause them to heal off-center, but…I couldn’t go out there and tell her to stop.

She was finally free. She had gotten out. She had gotten Mark here, and they were both alive.

She was free.

And I had almost lost her because of my magic. I would never forgive it for that. My shadows had tried. Tried to force me out, but that…monsterunder my skin wouldn’t let me go.

“You like the power.”

I didn’twantmore power. I didn’twantany power. Not if it led to this. To her with that fucking pan being shoved into her—