Page 112 of The Starlight Savior

Her hands ran down her face as she tried to breathe. The heat was almost too much, their breaths intermingling. She had no desire to crawl out of the cave, through the waterfall, and descend into darkness though.

Shame swept over her. She should’ve waited for more training, but the simplicity in Tobin’s instructions was beginning to not feel like enough. Her magic was deeper than she’d ever understood. And tonight had proven that.

“I need you to tell me what you were trying to do tonight.” Conor leaned forward as a drop of water fell on his head.

Saige’s jaw clenched. Priestess Domina had encouraged her to keep this to herself until she could understand it better. The more she knew about herself and Sydera’s magic, the less King Vospella’s court could control it.

Considering Conor came to her rescue again, he must’ve seen the wall of rock piercing the earth. Or the crack in the middle.

She let out a sharp, breathless sigh. Could she truly not have one thing to herself? Everyone in Etrane seemed to know her business. Had a say in what she was and wasn’t capable of.

“You’ve burnt out before, haven’t you?” Saige hoped to draw attention away from the shadows drifting across her face at her magic gone awry.

“What makes you say such a thing?” A loose curl fell as he cocked his head.

“The fear in your voice, the way you yelled. You’ve experienced it, and it scared you shitless.”

He leaned forward, voice low. “You’re quite desperate to gain my secrets. Do you know why I brought you to this cave?” Saige shook her head. “There are eyes and ears all over the kingdom, even in the very place you practiced your magic. But here”—he outstretched his hands—“no one can hear us. Nor watch us. So whatever is weighing you down, please know that you can share it with me.”

“What if it’s unsafe to speak of such a thing?” Saige whispered. “I-I can’t put you in danger. Not like—” Her voice cut off as she choked on her words. Gods, she felt like she was stumbling backwards into her old ways. She could almost feel the walls rising from the depths of her core.

“There is no such thing as a comfortable or safe life right now,” Conor said. “If you’re going to be practicing your magic, you need one person to know where you are and what you’re doing. Trust me to be that person to watch over you. To protect you from risks like tonight. I can bear the weight of your pain if you only let me.”

Saige’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from the storm clouds swimming in his irises. His words grasped her tightly as her shoulders finally lowered and the pain in her chest loosened. Trust went two ways. She knew there was no other person she wished to share this with. “Okay,” she whispered.

There wasn’t even a place to start. How could she explain everything she learned without seeming unstable?

I fell into an enchanted book, watched the true reasoning behind the mist occur, and discovered I can wield the stars.

Conor shuffled closer to her, sensing her hesitancy. He clutched at her hands, his skin rough. His eyes were wide and earnest as he waited for Saige to speak.

Her body recoiled, feeling a zap of energy between their skin. “Don’t pry inside my mind,” she muttered.

He held up his palms in surrender. “You know I don’t mean to. If I may be honest, I’m not used to the visions being so strong.”

“At least ask for permission.” Saige ignored the rising heat in her cheeks.

With one hand extended between them, he inched his leg closer to Saige’s. “I would if I could,” he said earnestly. “But this isn’t something I can always control. Skin to skin contact either brings forth nothing or everything. I can never choose how much or in between. But I will never use it against you.”

“What did you see when you touched me then?”

Conor’s eyes narrowed as if he didn’t understand what he was about to say. “Stars.”

His hand was still lingering between them, palm open. She knew what would happen if she took it. He’d feel everything that flowed through her. Curiosity, fear, amazement. Devastation. She could never imagine what he’d see. Would he understand the words written in Ameris’s book? Or would he see how Saige channeled her magic, drawing from the starlight above?

Maybe he would use that information against her. Go right to General Zathos and King Vospella with confirmation for everything they hoped for from her. Conor said his father used his gift with spirit as a weapon. Who said that wasn’t what was happening now?

No. She dug a nail into her skin. Don’t think that way.

Conor was right. If she was going to practice her magic, she needed to have trust in someone. Niana was kind, but inconsistent. Flowing in and out of the castle and Saige’s day like water. She liked her aunt, but there was a wall between them. She felt it every time she looked into Eva’s eyes and saw nothing but all consuming sorrow.

She reached her hand out, letting the weight fall into his, and told him everything.

It was rare to see Conor’s face morph into a blank canvas, absent of any emotions as Saige spoke. She often had to lower or close her eyes, his gaze penetrable. She revealed her theories and how they led her to Priestess Domina’s temple. The small book she had given her and the true fate of the starlight magic-wielders. The way her power had built and built until her intentions became real.

When she finished, she inhaled deeply. Unaware of how much she needed to speak, there was a sense of relief in sharing this secret with Conor. But also fear. Day by day, she was beginning to understand the kind of world Opela truly was. A world where power meant more than anything, mortal and magic. Both sides controlled her in ways she couldn’t explain.

“Show me,” Conor said quickly. He let go of her hand, using his arm to sweep back the tendrils of flora descending over the cave’s entrance. Outside sat a lagoon, the bioluminescent plants traveling from the chasm and onto the rocks formed around the edge. The crescent moon and stars glittered on the water’s reflection. It was the most naturally magical thing Saige had ever seen. She’d submerge herself if she knew how to swim.