Page 148 of The Starlight Savior

“Good, good,” Althea said distractedly, peering back at Conor. “If I may speak honestly…”

“Don’t you always?” Saige teased, poking at Althea’s arm.

“Well, of course.” She smiled. “I’ve never seen you so comfortable.”

Saige’s brows tugged together. “Really?”

“Really. The warlock seems like a good influence.”

Saige shook her head. “It’s complicated.”

“I know he hasn’t been the most honest of men, but everything about you is different when he stands by your side. You seem lighter. Confident.”

“I just…” She looked from her friend to Conor. He stood by Baron’s side, speaking in a low voice. “He’s kept things from me. Things I should’ve known. It’s difficult to push past.”

Althea’s voice was soft as she spoke. “The whole land is made up of liars. Not just to protect ourselves, but others. You didn’t confide in me out of concern for my safety and protection. So did Conor. I don’t think it’s your place to decide which lies are worse than others.”

Saige’s throat closed around her. She wished she had something to say, but the words wouldn’t come to her mind. “I can’t think about that now,” she said honestly. “We need to get started.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Luck was on their side as the moon showed full in the sky, glistening stars brightening their surroundings. Saige was as ready as she’d ever be. She knelt onto the ground with Baron and Conor standing on either side of her. Lightning sparked against Conor’s palms, while Baron’s twin daggers were tightly in his grasp. Althea knelt uncomfortably by Saige’s side, shifting on the heels of her feet.

“Ready?” she asked softly.

Saige nodded. The nausea roiling in her gut betrayed her. All along, she had been waiting for her purpose to shine before her. And now, kneeling in the barren dirt, she was here. Her father may not have wanted her immersed in such a daunting task, yet her path had been chosen once her magic emerged.

The last starlight witch.

“Saige,” Althea said softly, “we’ll be right here. Anything you need, just ask.” Rising from the ground, Althea retreated to her bundles of herbs and medicines.

Saige wasted no time. Ignoring the sharp bite from the dead blades of grass, she inhaled deeply, letting the air sit in her lungs before exhaling. Imagining her power building in her body, she felt starlight pool in her gut, flowing up her chest, into her shoulders, and down her arms. Light emerged from her palms, penetrating the ground. The grass illuminated around her as her mind flooded with an odd sense of euphoria.

Her head lifted back as she searched the sky. With every inhale, she imagined breathing the magic encompassing the full moon. Each breath brought more and more energy, brightening the space around her. Saige tried her best to follow her instinct, but she didn’t know what direction to turn to. Althea’s suggestion rang in her ears. All she needed was to imagine her light branching out, bleeding into the river.

The silence around her was beginning to shift. A soft pounding echoed from the south.

Saige’s attention snapped up at a strange sound in the distance. “Conor,” she called, “what is that?”

His only response was lightning dancing out around him, forming a barrier of magic. Her magic faltered beneath her, but she refused to divert her focus away from the sky. Despite the increasing pounding, Saige had to trust that Conor and Baron could hold whatever it was at bay.

Baron barked out a flurry of curses, clutching his blade tighter. “What do we do?”

Saige looked up, heart stuttering at the sight of blotted movement appearing over the ridge. “What—”

“Keep going,” Althea urged. “We got this!”

Saige tried to stand, but Conor’s hardened gaze kept her in place. “Your only job is the mist,” he said sharply. “Let us protect you.”

The ground awaited her. But each time she tried to return her hand, fear replaced her power instead. It gripped her tighter than her magic could. Her focus splintered as one eye trailed on the growing crowd in the distance. The pounding transformed into an army of hooves as men in olive green barreled towards her on horseback.

“Conor,” Saige pleaded, “is that—”

“The Brevillian army,” Conor snarled, his lightning sharpening around them, threatening to spark against Saige’s body.

“Looks like they’ve come to stop us,” Baron said.

Althea shook her head. “How did they get here so quickly?”