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Vale stopped stitching this time and let me move my lips very carefully, leaning closer to her. My hands tightened on her hips with the motion.

“All of it. And I’ve done my own research.”

More than I would admit.

“Well, then you remember how Starsearchers each align with a certain Fate as we grow into mature warriors.”

“Yes,” I mumbled, gently massaging my thumbs into her hips. Having her settled across my lap was an acute form of torture. There was no way she couldn’t feel how hard I was through my leathers. “Usually, the alignment with a Fate has to do with the time of year a Starsearcher is born or the positioning of the stars, but there are apparently cases when?—”

“I’m aligned to nine.”

“Nine?” I nearly shouted, my eyes shooting open. Luckily, Vale had been prepared for that reaction and had tied and cut the stitches before she said it.

She moved to climb off my lap, but I held her hips tighter. “Isn’t being aligned with even two fates rare, Vale?”

She nodded slowly. My mind whirled, trying to track down pieces that made this make any sense.

Cruelty and Adoration, she’d once told me. But for my spirit, I couldn’t remember a time she said that was her only tie. Only that she received powerful readings from the Fate. So carefully deceptive with her words.

“So, what does that mean?” I asked, ignoring the discomfort from that reminder.

“It means…” She took a deep breath, let it out slowly and sank into me. “It means that when City Council learned of a powerful young searcher in their town—before even all nine Fate ties had revealed themselves—they reported it to Lumin Temple. And the masters collected me from my family when I was four. I suffered at their hands for four years before Titus caught wind of my existence and rescued me…or took me?”

Her words tilted up at the end, like she still wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence. I knew how I wanted to. My fingers dug into her hips at the thought of the chancellor beneath my scythe.

Of any of them. This council or the temple masters. The latter were within reach. I could go now, make them regret ever laying a fucking hand on her. I had enough blades in the room for each of them to receive their own, surely.

Vale’s palm cupped my cheek, pulling me from the murderous intention I shouldn’t be having over her.

“I think my connection to nine is tied to why we’re here, though.”

And that reminder was a cool splash of water over me.

“Right,” I said, swallowing the anger. “Nine fates, messed up readings. There must be a connection. Who knows of your alignment?”

For a moment, hurt flashed through her eyes at my abruptness, and she stiffened.

I didn’t move her off me, though. She seemed to be waiting for it, but after tonight—after the truths she’d just given me—I took a break in pushing her away. I wanted her as close as possible.

So, I dragged my hands up her sides, around her ribs, and back down, repeating the action until she met my gaze. “Give me all the pieces, Stargirl, so we can figure this out together.”

That name relaxed her, something uncoiling within me in turn. A bit of my leash slipping.

“Harlen didn’t know.” Spirits bless her for knowing he’d still be in the back of my mind. “None of the children at the temple with me knew, and as far as I understand, when Titus brought me on as his apprentice, only he knew.”

“He made you his apprentice at eight years old?”

She nodded. “I started reading for him immediately. The official declaration came only a few months later, and he inked over the brand shortly after that.”

At the reminder, my hand slid to that tattoo. Hatred curdled in my chest because of what it did to her. How she felt a twisted loyalty to it, how she still felt obligated to please Titus because he’d overridden her debt to the temple masters.

“And I was beholden to him.” Vale took a huge breath before continuing, seeming almost painfully conflicted. “That’s why I couldn’t go against his wishes to sabotage my readings or confess that I’m aligned to nine Fates. He saved me from so many horrors, and he knows about my Fate ties. I don’t know what they mean, but I can’t turn away that relationship.”

How much of a relationship did they truly have? While Titus had freed her, was a different captor really a worthy solution?

One thing was clear: I needed to uncover what the chancellor was up to. Something about Vale’s entire story didn’t settle right within me.

But that wasn’t important right now.