Starkeeper of the Fractured Crown

Rather, I lifted my chin. “Why do you insist on wearing that crown? It makes you look—”

“Kingly?” he offered, pouring himself a drink. “Well, I am a King. A High King, to be exact. Far better than the titles in our old world, don’t you think?”

I made my way over, once again wondering why I ever agreed to help my big brother when I could barely stand him for more than a few minutes at a time. Satarmore was best left experienced in small doses. “That spell did lead somewhere. A street.”

Satarmore spun on me, eyes widened, drink sloshing. “Golly!” he breathed out. “A street? Let us rejoice! There are streets in Therian!” He took a drink of scotch, his sarcasm drifting into irritation.

I frowned deeply, hand tightening around my cane. “One of magic. Where Nightwalkers live and shop. Raphael doesn’t know about it.”

The warlock king’s eyes filled with intrigue. “Hmm. That would explain why the spell led you there. Was there anything useful?”

I shook my head, knowing exactly where this would lead. “Nothing important except for one thing. There was a girl.”

Satarmore inhaled as if it were his last breath of sanity. “Go bed her then. I don’t want to hear about your conquests.”

The exhaustion slipped through just as Satarmore turned away from me. It wasn’t often I saw it, but I knew it was there. The toll of a king was unending.

“She was human,” I stated, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. “She’s been visiting since she was 9 years old, and she knows Sarivosian. She knows a lot more than that too, but she keeps her identity hidden. Perhaps that’s why the spell led me there. Maybe she holds some key as to why this is happening.”

Satarmore’s shoulders had tightened, his cup frozen halfway to his mouth, his expression hidden from view.

Seconds ticked by until he finally took a drink, finishing his glass. “You are to leave her alone.”

Shocked by his retort, I straightened, my own interest in the girl growing. “We could use her, Satarmore. You wanted answers, I’m giving you—”

“That’s an order from your High King.” With that, he headed for the doors without another word.

I watched after him until the doors shut behind him, confused and lost. It wasn’t a normal reaction, even for him.

I snapped my fingers and stepped through a door into another throne room, this one made of sky-blue, the walls covered in beautiful paintings.

A pair of sky-blue golden eyes sparked in joy as they met mine. “Tally,” she greeted from where she sat at the table in the center of the room. “That was great timing, we were just finishing dinner.”

And in fact, they had just finished. Empty plates and full stomachs filled the table. Part of me felt a slight bitterness towards Satarmore for assigningme this task. I loved family dinners.

“He always has good timing,” Eric said, leaning back in his chair. “I’m still not convinced he can’t read minds.”

I gave the immortal human a look. “You know I don’t have that power.”

“Yes he does!” Phillip cheered, jumping up from the table, sprinting across the room, and lunging into my arms.

I caught the 10-year-old with ease, although my old bones groaned. “Oh, good evening, Phillip.”

He jumped back, shaking out his light blonde hair, his blue eyes shining. “What are you doing here, Uncle?”

The boy worried me greatly, worried everyone. He was only seven years younger than Penny and Eric, but he had yet to allow his body to age since the war that took our world, sending us here. It was something we had talked about at length, but Luke continued to remind us that some trauma was just more difficult to work through than others, especially for a boy as young as Phillip had been when the war started.

“I’ve come to speak with Penelope,” I answered, eyes lifting to the High Queen.

Her eyes darkened ever so slightly. “Please give us the room,” she stated to her family.

Eric glanced between us and, with little hesitation, stood. “Come on, Phillip, let’s go brush our teeth.”

Phillip studied me, his brows furrowing. The boy could sense a shift in the room better than anyone I knew, but this wasn’t meant for others. Satarmore was a touchy subject and Eric and Phillip didn’t need to know what was going on in his personal life. “Okay,” he finallysaid.

I watched after them until they disappeared down the hall.

“What’s going on?” Penny asked, clearing the dinner table with a wave of her hand.