Page 106 of The Starlight Savior

“Please call me Domina.”

They walked past the painting of Tonirus and towards a large wooden door. When Domina pushed it open, Saige was greeted by the priestess’s personal library. Pulling out two wooden chairs, Domina gestured for them to sit. Tea was already prepared, steaming mugs set atop a marble table. It was the same color as the temple, lightning splitting across. The smell of mint and chamomile tickled her nose.

Domina lifted a spoon from a saucer of honey, stirring it into her tea. “Worshippers like myself can sense shifts in the world. Especially in the right direction.”

Saige was quiet as the warmth calmed her mind. The priestess’s words from the full moon festival hung between them.

Look to the stars when you are lost.

“The first evening we met,” Saige began, “what did you mean by your comments?”

Domina cocked her head to the side, a coy smile playing on her lips. “That is why you came here? To decipher the words of an old priestess?

“You spoke of the stars,” she said slowly, “and now I’ve discovered I’m being tested for…Sydera’s magic. I need to know what that is. Where it came from and what I need to look out for. Because no one seems to know.”

“Ah, the Mother Goddess, creator of our world and the deities we worship. But what a miniscule label for so much power,” the priestess drawled.

The priestess set down her tea and stood. She strode across the room to the wall of shelves. Her fingers trailed along the book spines, traveling up and down the ridges until she landed on one, sliding it out. It was a small book, maybe a bit bigger than Domina’s hand. It was faded, spine cracked. When she opened it, the penmanship was smudged from years of wear and tear, yellowing with age.

“You’re correct that Tobin is searching for Sydera’s power in you. To sense such unique magic from across kingdoms, it must’ve been a process of elimination. If you didn’t exhibit the other five deities and you can’t shift, where does that leave you?” She held up the book. “This will hopefully answer whatever questions you may have.” Then handed it to Saige.

The titleless cover was adorned with a faded eight-point star and swirling symbols. The decor of it reminded her of so many things she’d discovered in Etrane. Her mother’s cloak, the majority of the doors in the castle, her father’s swords and daggers. But most stars were seven-pointed, symbolizing the seven deities.

“What do the eight points mean?” Saige ran a finger along each point.

Priestess Domina smiled. “The eight-pointed star is quite the primitive belief. The first bloodlines believed that they were one with the deities, including themselves in their symbolism. A wielder and their seven deities.”

“Ah,” Saige breathed. Her eyes lingered on the cover. The eight-pointed star was more visually pleasing to her than the traditional star most of Brevil and Etrane wore.

“You’ve learned much about the different kinds of magic. Earth keeping the plants bountiful and our land stable. Water allowing the rivers, lakes, and oceans to be filled with life. Storm feeding our world, crafting weapons of power. Fire lighting up our realm and often healing our bodies. Animal connections letting us speak to the beings and even shift forms to enhance our power. And spirit allowing the wielders to not only have a deeper connection to themselves, but also the world around and below them. But we often miss one.

“Sydera is ancient magic, the very being who carved out pieces of herself and threw them across her land because she needed companionship, deities to fill this gifted world. But of course she also had her own kin, wielders of starlight. Or what is known as taboo and lost ancient magic. Which as you may be experiencing, is not lost at all.”

“Wielders of starlight?” Saige’s heart raced in her chest as if something about this was just right.

“Sydera’s magic was forged directly from the stars. Starlight flowed through her veins and across the land through her siblings, but also the few wielders she created herself.”

“And…” Saige took a slow breath, knuckles white as she gripped the book. “I’m one of them?”

“I didn’t say that,” Domina exclaimed.

Saige’s shoulders slumped as her eyes fell.

“I know why you’re here, witchling. Your maester is incapable of maintaining your training. It’s been many years since a starlight-wielder revealed themselves. I can’t say for certain what you may possess, but I do know there is something quite unusual.”

“What happened to the starlight-wielders?”

Domina pointed to the book. “That will explain everything better than I ever could, considering it was written by the final queen of Astra Islands. One of the last known starlight-wielders of Opela.”

Saige looked down at the small book, at the handstamped carvings. Opening it up, she realized the smudged words were not created by a printing press, but elegant handwriting. Someone had quickly written down the words, fingerprints and palm marks morphing and smearing ink across the page.

“I’ve never heard of starlight-wielders,” she admitted.

“Most prefer to ignore what they cannot explain. What they cannot understand. Starlight is some of the rarest and most powerful magic. I’m sure you can imagine what most people tried to do with them.”

The answer hung in the air.

They’d been used.