Page 39 of A Legacy of Stars (The Lost God Legacies)

39

STELLA

S tella’s heart was in her throat as she stared down the arrow pointed at her chest. For the second time in a night, she worried she’d met her end.

The men were too close for her to use magic to counter. The second they felt the flames, they’d loose an arrow, and it would be the same if they felt her nudge at their minds.

“Your Graces,” one of the men said, a wicked smile passing over his face. “What a welcome surprise. I hope you’ll forgive us for not welcoming you sooner, but we needed you to step out of the shadows so we had a better shot.”

Alexandra’s hand lifted to her vest, but Teddy grabbed her wrist.

“You won’t be faster than an arrow,” he whispered. “Be strategic.”

“You should listen to your brother, princess,” one of the rebels said. “You might train like a man, but women do not have the capacity to strategize.”

Stella could practically hear Alexandra’s teeth grinding, but the princess relaxed her hands to her sides.

“Now, if Your Graces would be so kind as to let us escort you. We’re happy to take you in right through the front doors since we already have the castle,” the other rebel said. “You can drop your weapons here.”

Stella and Alexandra tossed their short swords to the ground. Teddy stepped forward to do the same but paused as a hooded figure darted out of the garden from the left, moving with familiar grace. A second figure moved behind the first like a shadow.

The rebels did not even have time to turn before they were on the ground, one bleeding from his throat, the other with a dagger in his heart.

Stella gasped as one of their saviors shoved down their hood. It was Juliana Savero. The skirt of her red dress was shredded, but her hair was still somehow perfectly styled.

“Honestly, Jay, must I do everything myself?” Juliana said as she bent to pull her dagger from the rebel’s body.

Jalen grinned as he shoved his hood back. “You had it in hand and it’s good for you to get those perfectly manicured hands dirty from time to time.”

“You two are supposed to be inside,” Alexandra said.

“We were tired of waiting. You’re so slow,” Juliana said.

Stella grabbed her short swords and sheathed them at her hips, stepping back to allow the siblings their reunion. The Saveros had always been a unit she had orbited, and here she was again, watching them hug while she stood awkwardly off to the side.

Teddy noticed her watching and dragged her in, and to Stella’s surprise, Jalen, Alexandra, and Juliana hugged her just as tightly.

“Thanks for not killing our brother when he was being a moron,” Jalen said.

Teddy sighed. “I was not being a moron, I was thinking of?—”

“Your Minyha ,” Jalen taunted. “Yes, we know. Spare us the sentimental declaration of love. We have to get inside.” He pulled back and patted Stella on the shoulder. “Now show us this passage.”

Stella rushed over to the grate and heaved it open, laying it on the ground as gently as she did when she’d been sneaking in to meet Arden.

They funneled down into the dark corridor quietly and Stella snapped her finger, sparking a flame to light their way. She smiled at the quiet bickering of the siblings as she started to walk down the narrow tunnel.

The journey was short, but it felt like it took an eternity to get to the end of the passage.

“Where does this come out?” Alexandra asked.

“The kitchens,” Stella said. She walked up the steps, paused outside the wooden door, and listened for movement on the other side.

She’d done this so many times before, but her heart was beating so loudly in her ears that she could barely hear anything else. When she was certain it was clear, she pulled the door toward her and ducked under the shelf into the pantry. Teddy was close behind her as she paused again with her ear against the door to the kitchen.

His hand came to her waist, and the bond in her chest pulsed with warmth.

After a few moments of silence, Stella cracked the door open.

Instantly, the knob was yanked from her hand and someone dragged her from the pantry. Stella was shoved, stumbling, into the center of the kitchen by one of the rebel fighters.

Teddy grabbed the man’s shoulder, but stopped when he saw that a second rebel had a blade to Stella’s throat. There were at least twenty men in the room and they had every exit but the window covered. With her eyes, Stella pleaded with Teddy not to fight.

Teddy held up his hands in surrender.

“Wise move, Your Grace,” the rebel taunted. “You should tell your siblings to do the same.”

Teddy rolled his eyes as his bickering siblings filed out of the pantry.

If a look could raze a building, Olney Castle would have crumbled under the glare Alexandra leveled at the rebels. Jalen and Juliana looked around the room, taking inventory of the opposition.

Stella just needed a diversion to squirm away from this man.

“Weapons down, Saveros,” someone called from just outside the room .

Stella knew the voice. Fionn Silver.

The mercenary stepped into the kitchen doorway, dagger in hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let everyone know how it was Stella McKay who laid the groundwork for my rebellion,” Fionn said. “Lovely of you to prop open the kingdom doors for me. A regular old McKay family welcome.”

She noted with a frisson of pleasure that he was walking with a limp as he closed the distance between them.

“Don’t look so smug, princess. Everyone gets a lucky shot in every once in a while,” Fionn said.

“Should have aimed more to the left,” she grumbled.

“If you had, you would have disappointed many women in the two kingdoms.”

Alexandra made a gagging noise.

Fionn’s gaze snapped to her. “There she is. The Savero I thought I’d be facing off with in the tournament. Fed you the idea and everything. What happened?”

Stella happened. It was frightening how long he’d been working on this plan.

Alexandra didn’t take the bait, though Stella could see that she was furious.

“Lucky for you, I was unwillingly diverted,” Alexandra said.

Fionn grinned wickedly. “Should we have a showdown now? A little entertainment for my men. I know you’re the type to want to prove a woman’s worth. I can’t think of a better place for you to do it than in a kitchen.”

Rage flared in Alexandra’s eyes and energy crackled through the air. She stepped toward Fionn.

A loud battle cry sounded in the hallway and Nathan Aiger came running into the room, slicing through the two men closest to the door with brutal efficiency.

Stella took the distraction to wrench the blade away from her neck and smash her head back into her captor’s face.

The whole room erupted into chaos, the Saveros and Nathan each taking on several rebels. It wasn’t until Nathan stepped aside that Stella realized someone had charged in on his heels, and that someone was her brother.

Leo sprinted toward her, running his blade through the chest of the man who’d been holding her. Then, he dashed past her into the fray.

Stella stepped up beside Nathan and helped him hold off a new group of rebels who were trying to get into the room to help. She glanced over her shoulder at the fighting. Teddy, Jalen, and Juliana were fighting on one side of the room. On the other, Alexandra was engaged with Fionn, the two of them exchanging vicious blows with matching looks of murderous delight on their faces.

Nathan settled back-to-back with Stella.

“So, Stella,” he said between fending off sword swipes. “I have been trying to get to know Rosie and I would love your blessing to?—”

“Nathan Aiger, I swear to the gods, do not even think about going near my sister,” Stella said, sending a fireball at a man charging toward her. He stopped and dropped to the ground and Nathan spun to drive his sword through the back of the man’s neck.

“Come on, Stella. I’m serious this time. I just want to get to know her. Take a minute to think about it.” He looked so sincere. He turned to fight off another guard, then pivoted and looked at her expectantly.

“This is hardly the time,” Stella said. “Did you ask Leo about it?”

Nathan’s handsome face paled. “No. I’m going most terrifying to least terrifying sibling.”

Stella laughed. “That would be more believable if you weren’t so pale. Also, I’m a little offended.”

“You’re loud-scary. Leo is quiet-scary. He’s a harder read and your thoughts are written all over your face, Minyha ,” Nathan said.

Stella huffed a laugh and threw a dagger at the guard charging at them. It sank into his shoulder and he twisted just in time for Nathan to cut him down.

“Have you asked Rosie if she wants to be courted?” Stella asked. “I’m giving you a hard time, but it’s her permission you really need.”

“I asked before and she said she had to think about it.” Nathan fumbled a step, looking sincerely afraid. “What if she says no? ”

Stella shrugged. “Then I guess you’re out of luck.”

Another group of rebels rushed in from the hall before he could say another word. Nathan cut off as many as he could, but one rushed past him toward Stella. She brought her blade up to stop his blow, but the cuff on his wrist lit up and he unleashed a fireball. Calling up her magic was so second nature that Stella caught it right away, but not before it dropped her to the floor. The searing pain of her sore ribs hitting the stone knocked the air out of her lungs. The fireball fizzled out.

The man was on her in an instant, straddling her waist, his hands fastened around her neck. Stella clawed at his fingers, kicking her legs to try to knock him off, but he wouldn’t budge.

Something struck the man in the head and his eyes rolled back. His hands went slack, and he fell to the side.

Rosie stood over him, a large cast-iron frying pan in her hands.

“Don’t touch my sister,” she said, dropping the pan on the man’s unconscious body.

Stella jumped to her feet and pulled her sister into a hug. “You shouldn’t be in here.”

Rosie held up a short sword in protest, but as Stella sat up, she realized the fighting had largely come to an end.

Their group looked tired and marked by minor wounds, but everyone was still standing.

“Looks like the McKays really did give them a warm welcome,” Leo said with a smirk. “Too bad Fionn isn’t here to see it.”

Stella looked wildly around the kitchen. “Where did he go?”

Alexandra rushed toward the back door with a hand pressed to her bloody side. “It’s my fault. He got the upper hand, and he ran out the back door when I was wounded. I’ll catch him.”

Teddy grabbed her wrist and pulled her to a stop. “We should clear this floor and find our parents. If they really did take the castle, we have bigger problems.”

Alexandra looked like she wanted to argue, but she cast one glance out the kitchen door and then nodded in resigned frustration, still clutching her side .

Teddy led the way, and they all ran into the hallway, clearing rooms one by one. When they came to the east wing, they found a group of rebels engaged with a solo fighter.

The hooded figure moved swiftly through the remaining rebels, bodies dropping in their wake. The figure’s movements were familiar—the smooth, efficient pattern of a Novumi fighting style.

Teddy watched as the figure rose from a crouch. “Is that?—”

“Isla,” Alexandra finished.

She yanked her scarf down and smiled at them. “You didn’t really think I’d leave you both without a word. That I would leave your father. What do you take me for?”

Both Teddy and Alexandra looked overjoyed at the sight of King Xander’s consort.

Isla looked somehow elegant in her bloodstained scarf and leather armor, her curved blades still at the ready for any adversary. Her black hair was braided back in an intricate design. She bore a strong resemblance to Queen Jessamin since the two were cousins. They shared the same regal posture, high cheekbones, and assessing gaze, but Isla’s skin was a lighter shade of brown and she had a smattering of freckles over her nose and cheeks that gave her a more youthful appearance. She also tended to wear armor more than evening wear, much like Alexandra.

“You’re back,” Alexandra said thickly.

Isla’s smile was beautiful and a bit frightening. “And I’m not alone. What have I always said?”

Alexandra’s face lit up. “A battalion of women is better than an army of men.”

Isla smirked. “And this is no army. These men lack true commitment to their cause.”

“This was your plan,” Teddy said.

His relief hit Stella in the chest.

Isla nodded. “We needed to do something drastic to get all the rebels out at once. The strategy we had been using for years of trying to pick them off one by one as new syndicates popped up was simply not working anymore. ”

“You knew they wouldn’t be able to resist the hope of a real rebellion,” Teddy said.

“Especially with me out of the way,” Isla said. “Their attack is already frayed. Half their men abandoned the fight when they met our opposition, escaping on a fishing vessel.”

Alexandra pointed down the hallway. “We have to get to Father?—”

Isla looked offended. “You think I would leave your father unguarded?”

“I think he’d probably be annoyed to be guarded by anyone other than Mother,” Alexandra said.

“Well, Nicholette has a long history of trailing your father. She’s excited to remind him how rusty he is.”

Stella knew the name from her parents’ stories. Nicholette was one of the four princess guards who had protected Queen Jessamin when she first went to Argaria, and she’d since remained in service to the queen—and, apparently, Isla.

“You think he really doesn’t know?” Alexandra asked.

Isla shook her head and smirked. “No. But I like seeing the two of them argue about who is protecting who. I’ve missed it.”

Teddy stared down the hall. “How did you do it?” he asked.

“I have been preparing for months,” Isla said. “We knew the tournament would draw them out, we just weren’t sure how. Your Uncle Evan had several informants who kept us abreast of the plan and the players. Their leadership structure is nebulous and ever-shifting, we think by design. It makes it hard for them to stay organized, but it’s also made it almost impossible for us to stop them. The only way we could ensure we hurt the Sons as a whole is to draw as many of them out at once. We figured that my being fired and the tournament on the heels of that decision would be too great of an opportunity for them to ignore.”

Stella was both awed and terrified of Isla. “How did you know it would work? What if the spectators got hurt?”

“They surprised us at the docks, so we had to adapt our plan.”

The guilt over Fionn’s favor finally caught up to Stella. People were hurt because she’d been so stubbornly against working with Teddy for the first challenge.

“What do you mean they surprised you?” Stella asked.

Isla ran a hand down her vest, checking that all of her blades were secure. “We were ready for them to attack the tournament, but when the huntmaster and one of his battalions were called away to attend to two ships that arrived late in the day, it left us with less hunters watching the arena. That’s how they planted the bombs.”

Stella’s mouth was so dry, she could hardly speak. “What happened at the docks?”

Isla’s eyes narrowed at Stella. “The harbormaster misplaced some pages from the ledger and had no recollection of three ships arriving yesterday that had just been sitting there. When two others arrived and parked next to them and rebels started streaming from all five ships, it took us by surprise.”

Alexandra stepped forward. “How did you handle it?”

Isla smiled affectionately. “Ever the strategist, Alexandra. How would you have handled it?”

“I would have helped the huntmaster hold the docks, secure the ships, and then fight back toward the castle and arena,” Alexandra said.

Stella frowned. That strategy would secure their escape route, but at what cost?

“And that’s basically what we did. I sent half of my battalion to the docks and the rest of us fought to secure the arena and get the crowd to safety on the upper level of the castle.”

“It’s my fault people were hurt,” Stella said.

Isla shook her head. “This is war, Stella. Let go of whatever guilt you’re carrying. You didn’t start this fight. A few hunters lost their lives and many spectators were wounded, but your mother and the rest of the witches in the crowd were able to heal all of those injuries and the more gravely injured were brought to the healing suite for Lyra to work on.”

Teddy placed a hand on Stella’s lower back in comfort.

Isla’s brows shot up. “We have much to talk about, it seems.” She glanced out the windows. “We let them have enough to believe they were in control—the castle, the tournament. We let them have the docks until they divided their forces and sent more men up to the arena. Then, we immediately took it back. With this type of group, we had to play to their egos. A man lets his guard down when he thinks he’s already won. What you see out in the courtyard is the very end of their so-called revolution.”

“Did you catch Fionn Silver?” Stella asked.

Isla’s face contorted with confusion. “The mercenary from the tournament?”

“He was leading them,” Teddy said.

Isla shook her head, looking confused. “If he’s their actual leader, that’s news to us. I didn’t realize he was involved. We chased the remaining rebels to the pier, but a group of them escaped on some well-hidden boat on an older, less-used dock. But it was only one boat’s worth, and if whatever is left of this revolution exists on that boat, Queen Karina will take care of them the moment that they land in Novum.”

“Assuming they’re going to Novum,” Teddy said quietly.

It made Stella uneasy. Fionn had seemed important and she would have felt more settled if he’d been captured with everyone else.

“Don’t look so nervous. We have been planning this for months and we knew it was our greatest chance to find all of them at once. We are taking this very seriously and we estimate we have captured or killed ninety percent of their known network,” Isla said. “Rest assured that we will find them wherever they land. My battalion is clearing the area around the castle now. It’s finally over. For good this time.” She looked at Stella. “You should go see your parents in the sitting room down the hall. Your mother has run out of people to heal and she’s making everyone crazy.”

Stella didn’t wait for her siblings. She turned and sprinted down the hall to the sitting room. She had believed it when Isla said her parents were safe, but it wasn’t until Stella laid eyes on them herself that she really trusted it .

Her father’s shirt was torn and bloody, but he smiled when he saw her. Her mother’s dress was smudged with soot and her eyes were rimmed in red, but she ran to Stella.

“Mama.” Stella hugged her mother and, finally, all the feelings that she’d shoved down for the past few hours hit her at once and she started to sob.

“You’re safe, Little Star. I’ve got you,” Cecilia whispered. “You did so well. Everything is okay now.”

“How are you all okay? I saw the royal booth,” Stella rasped.

“It looked worse than it was,” her father said, hugging both of them.

Cecilia huffed an exasperated sigh. “Your father means that he threw all of us down and covered us and took the brunt of the wood shards.”

Rainer kissed her cheek. “And I’d do it again.”

“Once a guardian, always a guardian,” her mother grumbled.

Stella’s relief brought on a wave of exhaustion. “I know there is probably a lot to do, but I need to sleep.”

Her mother smiled. “Of course, but it looks like someone is waiting to talk to you before we head home.” She nodded to Teddy, who was standing in the sitting room doorway.

Stella wiped away her tears and smoothed her shirt. “I’ll just be a few minutes.”

Cecilia smiled. “Take your time.”

Her parents crossed the room and fell into an animated conversation with King Xander and Isla. Teddy caught her eye and nodded toward the hallway.

Stella hesitated a moment before following him out of the room.

In the dim torchlight of the hall, he looked exhausted but handsome. There was a bruise on his temple and blood on the neck of his shirt, but she didn’t care. She still wanted to shove him back against the wall and kiss him.

The only thing stopping her was the look on his face when they’d said goodbye to each other in the seaside cottage.

The final challenge didn’t change anything. She’d been willing to die for the greater good, but she wasn’t ready to live for him when doing so would mean making him the center of her world. She’d barely had a chance to become her own person and she couldn’t give that up and disappear into the role of queen. Many women would have seen that as a boon, but she knew the perils of royalty firsthand.

Teddy reached up and brushed his thumb against her neck. “Are you well?”

She must have looked a mess—dried blood crusted on her temple and neck, her clothes charred and filthy, and her hair hanging in a ratty braid down her back. But the way Teddy looked at her made her feel beautiful.

“As well as can be expected,” she said. “And you?”

“As well as can be expected.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you won.”

Teddy shook his head and sighed. “I didn’t win.”

“Fighting again. It feels just like old times.” The joke fell flat, but if Stella tried to be serious she would break down all over again. “You deserve the win and you deserve the choice. A good queen will make all the difference in your life, but it will also be what’s best for the two kingdoms.”

Frustration surged through their connection. “Fuck the two kingdoms. What do you want?”

She tapped her chest. “I can live with this just like I have through this whole tournament, and you can too. What I could not live with is knowing you’re in a miserable political marriage with no one looking out for you.”

Teddy glanced back toward the sitting room and blew out a slow breath. “I know you’re probably eager to go home and rest, but I just wanted to ask you one last question.”

The bond swam with a nervous energy.

“Has your answer changed?”

Stella stilled, meeting his golden eyes. “What answer?”

He hesitated. “Do you really not want to be anyone’s queen? Even mine? ”

Mine. Minyha. My heart. My greatest trial. The word was so accurate and so painful.

She loved Teddy, but, much as she’d wanted a fairy tale—and this would have been a neatly tied-up happily-ever-after—it was too soon to commit in that way, especially when committing meant leaving her family and her life behind. She’d learned the hard way not to simply slot herself into some man’s life. While she knew that Teddy didn’t just want a warm body—that he truly wanted her —there was no doubt that every choice he would have to make would put his kingdom before her. That was the role of a good king, and she’d learned enough to know that she couldn’t be a woman whose needs fit after everything else a king had to attend to.

Stella swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yes, I’m sure. I’m not cut out to be queen.”

He nodded and stepped away from her.

“I hope you find someone perfect for you,” she said softly.

She smiled at Teddy as he walked away, and it only hurt a little to wish him well. She meant it when she told him she was happy he won. She just didn’t know how to live with knowing what she had lost.