Page 15 of Wings of Starlight

Clarion had no answer for that. If only she’d devised some clever lie, some excuse…But it seemed unwise to contrive something now. “I’m sorry.”

Her voice sounded terribly small and pathetic, even to her own ears. Elvina heaved a long sigh. “I thought you had grown out of this impulse of yours. At the very least, I thought you had the good sense to stay out of such obvious danger. I ought to reassign your guard for the oversight.”

“It wasn’t her fault,” Clarion protested. Panic knifed through her. How could she have been so careless? She hadn’t considered how it might impact Artemis, whose entire job was ensuring that Clarion stayed out of harm’s way. “It was mine.”

Any warmth in Elvina’s expression vanished. “You disobeyed my direct orders.”

“And I apologize for that.” Clarion rose to her feet. In her unbound hair and loose nightgown, she felt entirely unequal to the task of challenging Elvina. But perhaps, now that she had her full attention, she could get through to her. “However, I cannot sit idle while our subjects put themselves at risk. The Queen of Pixie Hollow must—”

“I feared the worst!”

The rawness of Elvina’s voice silenced Clarion’s every coherent thought. It rang in the silence. Elvina’s breathing came unevenly, and it was only then that Clarion understood. Elvina was not just furious with her.

She was afraid.

“The scouts weren’t able to track the creature,” Elvina continued. “It left no trace, as if it just vanished. When I returned to the palace to find Artemis in a panic and you missing, what was I supposed to believe? If it had taken you…”

Then there would be no coronation, and Elvina would be free to rule for another thousand years—or until another star fell, one carrying a far more suitable heir. Clarion did not know what was worse: her self-pity or how wretched Elvina looked with her trembling hands.

“Where were you?” Elvina asked, voice low.

Your predecessor has not been forthcoming.Clarion shoved the memory of Milori’s words down as quickly as it arose. “I went to check on Petra. You know how she gets.”

It wasn’t a lie—not entirely.

“I do.” Elvina relented. The answer seemed to appease her, and moment by moment, she collected herself. “You are kind to that tinker. But do not disobey me again. Pixie Hollow cannot afford to have its heir going wherever she pleases and putting herself in needless danger. You are too valuable.”

Of course. Orders were not for her to question, nor for her to understand. Clarion wrapped her arms around herself. “Elvina?”

Elvina inclined her chin in acknowledgment.

If she wanted the answer to her question, she had to tread carefully. “That scout said the monster came from the Winter Woods. Will the winter fairies be all right?”

Elvina frowned, clearly surprised by this new line of questioning. “The Winter Woods is a dangerous, barren place crawling with monsters. They are used to it by now.”

Crawling with monsters.Clarion could not scrub from her mind Milori’s look of befuddlement when he’d said,You don’t know.Struggling to keep her tone neutral, she asked, “Did you know that before today?”

“Only vaguely,” Elvina replied guardedly. “There is a reason we haven’t attempted to make contact with Winter.”

“But it’s the Queen of Pixie Hollow’s job to keep her subjects safe.” Clarion dared to meet her mentor’s eyes. She found herself jittery and cold with the thrill of talking back. She did not think she liked it. “Isn’t it?”

“Hersubjects, yes,” Elvina said, leveling a flat stare at her. “The winter fairies have managed themselves for centuries and have coexisted alongside those creatures for as long as I have been alive—and much, much longer, I’m certain. Besides, they answer to the Warden of the Winter Woods. The Warden has their own way of doing things, and I assure you that they would not appreciate our interference.”

Clarion wasn’t satisfied with that answer. How could she be, when the Warden of the Winter Woods himself hadaskedfor her help? Elvina demanded she accept her decisions and explanations without question. Yesterday, she might have. But now, Clarion could not deny that maybe Milori was right.

Elvina was withholding something from her.

When Clarion made no reply, Elvina seemed relieved. Her rigid posture relaxed, and her tone softened. “Let us put this behind us. We will remain vigilant, but for now, it seems the danger has passed. Tomorrow, business will continue as usual, and you will be shadowing the Minister of Autumn. It will be good for you to see how he manages preparations for a seasonal turn.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With a stiff nod, Elvina left the room.

As soon as the door latched behind her, Clarion collapsed into bed. In the dark, the ceiling swam with the golden light emanating from her wings. From her vantage point, she could see the vastness of the night sky through her window. And there, reaching toward the scattering of stars, was the frost-backed peak of the mountain, frozen and forlorn. This time, it felt less like the mountains watching her—and more like a winter fairy. If she closed her eyes, she could practically see it: Milori, his hair like a white flame in the wind, his eyes fixed on the Pixie Dust Tree.

I will be waiting here, at sunset, every night for a week.

The next day, Clarion regretted staying up so late. By the time evening settled over the Autumn Forest, she was exhausted from a full day’s work alongside the Minister of Autumn—and shivering even in her cobweb shawl.