Page 65 of Darkness Births the Stars #1

CHAPTER

THE GOLDEN DAYS OF LYRHEIM

Rada

I gazed into the very heart of Darkness.

The sky was an endless expanse of deepest black above me, cloudless, not even the moon offering its glow, having completed its three-tendays-long journey.

Tonight marked the Lyrnight, the dawn of a new year, the longest night of all.

It had been my idea to attempt the creation of my guiding lights tonight, to pitch all my skill, all the power of my Light against the Dark when it ruled unchallenged.

What use would my beacons be if they couldn’t shine through the darkest of nights?

Now, standing in the shadows of the King’s Hall, the frosty breeze tousling my unbound hair and ice crystals crunching beneath my feet, I questioned my daring.

“It is time.”

The king’s firm voice made me turn toward the brightly lit entrance behind me.

The warm glow illuminated Aramaz’s broad-shouldered form as he joined my vigil.

I had asked for a moment of solitude to prepare myself, but the growing noise of hundreds of different voices had not deceived me. My respite was over.

Like me, the king had slung the thick white pelt of a snow-wolf over his shoulders to ward off the winter cold.

His lips curved into a reassuring smile as he took my hand and led me inside.

To me, his smile seemed as frail as the hoarfrost covering the green grass outside the hall.

Aramaz knew how much hinged on my ability to control my powers, and it made him as nervous as I was.

Tonight was meant to be not only my greatest triumph, but also his.

Giving the mortals guidance during the dark nights they feared would be the crowning accomplishment in a series of victories we Aurea had achieved.

The Kritak threat was finally contained.

It had taken several bloody battles, but together with our Anima, we had slain every spider-like being on Aron-Lyr’s soil.

Between battles, Belekoroz and I traveled the land, warding places where the Veil was thin.

Our newfound unity had strengthened the rule of Order, the mortals celebrating a dawning era of peace—a Golden Age, they called it.

Part of me agreed. I had never been more content, spending my days far from the duties and obligations of court, either fighting or exploring.

And my nights… my nights were filled with passion.

While Belekoroz and I usually ventured into the Other before giving in to temptation, we took full advantage of being far from prying eyes to indulge in the physical pull between us.

One of my fondest memories was our hunt for an obscure gate on a distant island in the Emerald Sea.

It took us over a tenday to close the rip in reality leading to the Other, mainly because we spent days frolicking on the fine-sanded beaches, making love in the shallow, warm water as if we had no cares in the world.

Was that what happiness felt like? I knew it was only an illusion, a temporary escape that couldn’t last .

Now my duty awaited. The nervous churning in my stomach intensified as I took in the crowd gathered in the grand hall, with its many roaring fireplaces and the wooden ceiling spanning high above us.

Everyone was eager to witness the birth of the lyaureny —the name the Council and I had given my guiding beacons, meaning Light born from the Darkness.

Stars , as the mortals were calling them.

All my fellow Aurea were here, their Anima gathered around them in their mortal forms, though I could glimpse hints of feathers and scales.

Aramaz had also invited ambassadors from all races of Aron-Lyr: our tall, graceful Elves towering over the sturdy Dwarves beside them; small, round-cheeked Brownies chatting amicably with lithe Dryads, while fierce Drakuul warriors listened in awe to the beautiful music provided by a group of golden-eyed Djein.

The winged Aerieth confined themselves to the ground tonight, as visibly uneasy indoors as the blue-haired Nyx, their gills fluttering in agitation.

All eyes were on me, anticipation on every face.

Yet one face was missing, the air bereft of the enticing whisper of Darkness I had grown so accustomed to.

I swallowed my disappointment. When Belekoroz had asked about the ceremony yesterday, after our last excursion, I hadn’t told him I hoped he would come.

Despite our physical intimacy, our relationship remained a complicated dance, an endless game where every misstep, every revealed weakness, could decide who won and who lost.

Aramaz bade everyone come outside with us.

I fought to control my rising nervousness, my heart beating hard and fast. The king’s touch on my hand was warm and steady as we led the crowd in front of the hall, my skin icy in comparison.

Only a few torches flickered, casting long shadows where everyone gathered in a wide circle, leaving ample space for me to summon my magic.

With a wave of his hand, Aramaz extinguished even those few lights, plunging us into darkness .

Nothing to distract from the spectacle everyone was waiting for.

The same reason Elodia had dressed me in a deceptively simple white dress, my hair unbound.

The flowing fabric did nothing to keep the cold away as I let my furs fall to the ground at the king’s prompting nod and stepped forward, the chill biting into my skin.

A hush fell over the crowd.

With a beckoning gesture, I called in my powers.

Light sparked to life, dancing around my fingers in a glittering arc, so brilliant that some onlookers had to shield their eyes.

I breathed in deeply, the cool night air filling my lungs.

When I had told Belekoroz I knew how to create my guiding lights, the next step had seemed so simple.

Yet now, I hesitated, unsure where I needed to be decisive.

“Just remember how much you enjoy letting Darkness and Light dance together.”

The smooth voice in my head startled me.

My lights flared up. I resisted the impulse to search for him in the crowd, aware that it would draw unwanted attention.

Strands of Darkness intertwined with my Light, obeying my command as willingly as my own aspect.

The sight was mesmerizing. An awed murmur rippled through the onlookers as the magic merged and sundered again and again.

“Dance? Is that what you call it?” Despite my outward indifference, I couldn’t contain my giddy excitement in the touch of my mind to his. He had come. Gathering my resolve, I reached for the raging power of the Flame within me.

“I can call it whatever you prefer.” Belekoroz’s mind-voice was full of amusement. “Dance, tangle, take, devour, fuck…” A pause. Something indefinable entered his teasing tone. “Or make love.”

My grip on the Flame weakened as a wave of disbelief rolled through me. Had he caught on to my ill-advised feelings for him? Feelings I did not dare to name, because I knew they were impossible .

I was losing control. Darkness and Light spun faster, colliding in small explosions so bright a few people cried out in fright.

The weight of all those eyes on me felt oppressive.

Aramaz’s blue gaze filled with alarm as he realized something was amiss.

I tried to quell my rising panic, knowing it was only making things worse.

“Look at me. Only at me.”

My gaze was irresistibly pulled to Belekoroz, nearly invisible in his black attire at the edge of the crowd.

“Deep breaths.” The physical distance between us felt insignificant as his mind slid against mine. “You can do this. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

My fear calmed. I remembered what I had realized when I had touched the Darkness for the first time, when I had let it devour me.

Sometimes, to gain control over something, you had to yield to it.

With a deep exhale, I loosened my grip on the Flame, allowing it to rage free and unfettered.

Power washed through me in an exhilarating flood, filling me with wild excitement and the same conviction I had felt when helping Tanez create her Dryads.

The magic knew where it needed to go. I just had to trust it.

Light and Darkness intertwined, a blazing stream of pure energy that flowed around me in a graceful arc, making my hair and dress flutter.

I caught it with my mind and my hands, weaving it into pulsing orbs.

At my command, they ascended into the night sky in a shining wave, more and more of them with each passing moment, until they looked like a beautiful tapestry of fireflies illuminating the heavens.

Suddenly, I realized I had no idea how to arrange them. My mind raced through countless possibilities: the glittering web of a spider in the morning sun, waves depositing seashells on the shore, a flock of birds soaring on the wind .

Then, a vivid memory surfaced: pale skin beneath my fingertips, my lips tracing the firm flesh of a muscular shoulder.

Belekoroz’s body was adorned with small birthmarks, an imperfection that endlessly fascinated me.

But this pattern called to me the most: two curved lines of dark marks, cupping each other like hands reaching out.

They tempted me to sink my teeth into them every time he drove me wild with pleasure.

Before I could contemplate whether this was wise, the first of my stars, the brightest ones, had already settled into the familiar pattern.

The other lights followed, finding their places in the sky, sometimes alone, sometimes in groups.

The darkness was gilded by the glittering stars, enhanced, not conquered, by their power.

It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

A roar erupted around me, awe and joy on every face. Aramaz was the first to reach me, my betrothed glowing with pride as he kissed my cheek.

“Lady of Light and Queen of the Stars,” he proclaimed, his words echoed by hundreds of voices.