Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

“About facing any monster for me.”

I worked my jaw.

“What monster did I face, Mark?”

Anothertoo big yawn. “Mom.”

Her breath caught.

“You taught me that some monsters wear smiles. I never woulda guessed we would be living with one, and you faced her every single day for years. You kept your promise even though I didn’t know it.”

She kissed his head. “You’re not supposed to know about every fight. Sleep well, we’ll have a good day tomorrow, and every day after that.”

Kyra’s steps neared the door.

“Kyra?”

“Hmm?”

“This place is the best birthday present in the whole world, and I never said thank you, so thank you. Do you think you can ask Letak or Mr. Cole if they’d take me on a flight tomorrow? Tell him I’ll be turning 11, I know he’ll do it then.”

I fought the smile.

“Okay,” she smiled herself. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

I straightened, adjusting my shirt as Kyra stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her, the shadows still drifting around her, one tendril resting around her left wrist.

It had been a week since I had spoken to Lora. A week since Trick had disappeared on another secret mission, and during that time, Kyra had pushed herself to the brink of collapse. She played with Mark, told him stories, ran around with him. She went to the city a couple of times to gather items no matter my protests. She smiled and laughed, and never wavered. Not once.

Today, however, today I could see it. Today I could see the weight drowning her.

She turned only to gasp, clutching her chest.

I couldn’t help but smile. “I’m pretty sure we made direct eye contact as you walked out of the room.” At some point during the week, those shadows had split in half. Half of them had gone back to wherever Trick was, and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was all Trick’s doing that his shadows had stayed with her or if it was his magic. It still confused me, despite Rose trying to explain it to me.

His magic was sentient, but it wasn’t. I didn’t understand how it could be both and neither at the same time, but I suppose it wasn’t something I was meant to truly understand.

She glared. “You’reverysilent, don’t judge me.”

I chuckled. “You won’t find any judgment here.” I nodded towards Mark’s door. “When is his birthday?”

Her shoulders relaxed a hair as she headed for the table to pick up the papers we had scattered that day. “12 days from now. December 13th. He’s been asking if you or Letak will take him up. I haven’t seen Letak since that first night, but if you don’t want to, he’ll understand.”

“What kind of Uncle would I be if I didn’t take him for a completely unsafe ride 1,000 feet up in the air?”

She smiled, her brow lifting. “Uncle?”

I shrugged, walking to the other side of the table to help her straighten up. “Has a ring to it. Uncle Cole.”

She rolled her eyes and slid a stack over. It wasn’t seconds before her smile started falling, her eyes going distant.

I straightened, studying her. She never talked about what happened when her mother had attacked her or anything before then. I didn’t think ‘talking’ was something she actually did, not about the painful stuff, but I knew it would help because it helped me. “You’ve been drifting off a lot more these last couple of days,” I finally said, and her motions slowed. “Mark’s noticed.” Maybe if I could just push a little. Rose hadn’t pushed me, but nobody was exactly the same. Maybe she needed that. Just a small push.

Her throat bobbed. Kyra straightened her stack and set it on the edge of the table, hair falling to curtain her face.

“Talons, what’s going on? I’m here to help, you know that, right?”