Page 164 of The Starlight Savior

“S-stay,” she choked out. She simply wanted to move forward. Not back.

“Stay? You want me to stay?” Conor’s silver eyes widened.

Saige mustered a nod.

“But—”

All she could do was keep nodding. When she was well, she would explain. But for now, she just wanted him to stay.

Chapter 63

After enough rest, Saige’s body was fully recovered. Magic thrummed below her skin constantly, but it was welcomed in such a beautiful way. It was not just her power pulsing through her, but her ancestors’ too.

At first, Saige didn’t remember her interaction with Ameris. Her brain couldn’t muster an explanation for her surge of magic or white locks of hair. As if the revelation was hidden behind a door, only to be revealed when her mind strengthened. But once her energy came back, so did her memories.

Her interaction with the last Starlight Queen felt like a lost dream floating in her mind, as if she didn’t actually experience it. But Saige did. The locks of hair were remnants of it somehow, Ameris’s magic integrating with Saige’s. She told no one of her experience. Something deep inside her urged her not to, keeping this secret between her and the stars.

Conor took her request of staying a bit literally, never leaving her bedside. He read books to her, spoonfed tonics to keep her strong and healed, and shuffled guests out when exhaustion took over.

She didn’t mind the cycle of visitors though. Althea, Baron, Niana, and even Sebastien circulated through her quarters.

The first thing she demanded of Sebastien was an explanation of his wolf form. Silva’s northern colonies were a rare class, hidden in the crevices of mountains and forests.

At first, her body shook with unease. Another secret kept from her. How many more were there?

But Conor explained each individual of the shifter bloodline made a pact. Only a handful of people knew that the shifters were not myth. Sebastien convinced them to break the pact of secrecy and reveal themselves for Saige’s cause against the mist.

Her heart throbbed as Sebastien spoke.

They had come for her. And she had succeeded.

Althea and Baron, accompanied by their father, made the difficult decision to start their lives over in Etrane.

“That mark on your arm,” Althea said with a scrunch of her nose, “I guess the protection extends to us too?”

“It was my terms.” Saige had shrugged, hoping it still extended towards Judith and her safehouse.

Her caregiver still resided in Brevil for the time being. Conor’s father was hesitant to initiate any emergency extractions. The tension between the kingdoms was heavy with the mist dissipated and no wards. And no one wished to cross paths with the water-wielders Brevil had aligned with.

“So what do you think you’ll do here?” Saige asked the twins.

“I don’t know,” Althea spoke honestly. “Your warlock has this theory about our mother’s bloodline. Maybe we’ll explore that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He seems to think Baron and I are too good to be mortals.” She shrugged, hiding the smirk in her cheeks. “Maybe he’s right.” Instead of elaborating, she returned to her book of herbs local to Etrane.

During one of Baron’s visits, he revealed that Hadeon had gotten promoted.

Saige’s scowl was the only response she could muster.

The muscles in her abdomen twitched at the memory of his dagger in her belly. It had been such a betrayal, but what hurt worse was the fact that he was related to King Brennus. How had he ended up in Denholm? No one had that explanation yet. Brevil’s borders had become tight in fear and protection with minimal ability for Etrane to spy and prod.

“He tracked us to the portal, with Tiranos in tow.” Baron sighed. “No one was aware his mother is the King’s sister. He was under protection in Denholm with a carefully curated backstory.”

“I suppose it is true that everyone keeps their secrets.”

“I suppose so,” Baron agreed.