Page 58 of House of the Beast

“No, I must apologize,” said Tomin as he straightened, obviously not sensing my distress.

“Our orders had been to take you to your father, but no matter my loyalty to Lord Zander, I am still a follower of the Beast. I was wrong to hinder one of his chosen in such a way.” He took a deep breath.

“You helped me when you didn’t have to, and for that, I must warn you to be careful. ”

“Ask him why,” said Aster, sidling over again now that the hard work was over. “Milk him for all he knows. He owes us that much.”

I narrowed my eyes at him briefly, but dutifully repeated, “Careful? Why’s that?”

Tomin looked visibly torn but, after a moment, seemed to find some inner resolve and straightened his spine to say, “I have sworn my fealty to Lord Zander, my lady, but you have shown to me what the rumors did not—that you truly are blessed by the Beast. I heard you speak to him and felt his touch at your command. I have committed a grave sin by daring to raise a hand against you, and for that I will atone by telling you what I know.”

“Go on,” I said, feeling Aster’s burning curiosity at my side.

“Lord Zander has claimed that he was shown a vision of the secret to transcending humanity, and that he would become closer to the Dread Beast than anyone else,” continued Tomin.

“For that, he needs to make a sacrifice worthy of this knowledge, and that sacrifice is your life. This is a dangerous place for you, Lady Alma. I beg you to stay here, where it is safe among other people.”

I had already known this much of my father’s plans—but hearing again his intent to kill me left a bad taste in my mouth. “I can’t stay. I have a duty to my god, to slay the fallen star and earn the title of First Hand,” I answered bluntly, hoping it would spur Tomin to tell me more.

He hesitated, clearly turning over something in his mind, then seemed to throw all caution to the wind and said, “Then you must stop your father, at the Pyres. He has commanded his men to intercept another group along the way—any group of Pilgrims—and to lay them out as bait for the Wanderer of Still Waters. He needs its power to finish the rite of ascension. If he succeeds, I fear that he will be too strong for you to resist, no matter your favor with the Beast.”

I paused, taking the information in. My father wasn’t planning on sacrificing only me.

He planned to do it with others as well.

A whole retinue of men, offered up to a celestial being as the Despot Queen had once done.

The fallen star would go to them, such a tempting feast they would make.

It was a clever plan, and one I feared was sure to succeed.

“Thank you for telling me,” I said, maneuvering him to lean against a nearby chair. “I must leave you here now. Someone needs to stop my father.”

He lurched into an unsteady bow, startling me. “My lady,” he said quickly. “Words cannot express my sorrow at my own actions and my complicity in your father’s plans against you. If you have it in your heart to forgive me, I will be forever thankful.”

“He’s not forgiven,” said Aster with a pointed sneer. “He wasted our time—and weighed a ton!”

I tried not to roll my eyes at his antics. “The Beast and I both forgive you,” I told Tomin instead. I could see the Sorrowless Disciple making her way over now, ready to attend to her next patient. “You’ve done me a great favor by sharing what you know.”

“May the hunter be with you always,” said Tomin.

His eyes shone with reverence. He truly believed I was the Beast’s chosen—and all because Aster had deigned to help me carry him here.

Despite my dark companion’s reluctance, his complaints, and his very nature, he had lowered himself to help me, and in return, I had earned the gratitude of a man who had thought himself my enemy.

Tomin was alive, and he had told me of my father’s plans, and this was one encounter I could walk away from with satisfaction in my heart instead of guilt.

It felt good. So much that it surprised me.

It felt like something my mother might have been proud of.

I thought about this all the way back to the empty foyer, where we stopped beside the statue. Aster went to lean against it, and said to me, “You look like you’re deep in thought. What is it?”

I looked at him, this beautiful monster who somehow was mine.

Perhaps I wasn’t a mere vessel to him after all.

Perhaps he really did consider me a friend—someone he genuinely cared about.

I had never believed it before. Or rather, I had always stopped myself from believing it.

Now, though, as I watched the way he rested his weight on one leg, the other tapping on the floor in absent restlessness; the way he blew his hair out of his face, pretending at nonchalance; the way his eyes rested on me, and only me, my heart swelled with quiet hope.

Before I could doubt myself, I stepped up to him quickly and pecked him on the cheek.

His eyes were wide when I pulled back. He touched tentative fingers up to the spot where my mouth had met his skin. “Alma. Did you...?”

“I’m just saying thank you,” I snapped, already turning away.

My face was surely aflame. If anyone had seen me, if anyone knew at all that I had just kissed an elder god, I would be strung up from the city walls for blasphemy.

I hurried toward the door as if to run away from what I had just done, but, even so, could not stop a smile pulling at my mouth at the memory of his soft skin beneath it, and the joyous wonder I had glimpsed in his eyes before I turned away.

I pressed my lips together, trying to force my expression back into one of nonchalance.

“Wait,” Aster called behind me, stumbling to catch up. “Alma, wait! That’s not fair, you took me by surprise! Give me some warning next time.”

“There will not be a next time.”

“Don’t say that,” he wheedled. “Come on, Alma, slow down. Where are you even going?”

Fortunately, I had an answer ready for him as we strode back onto the street, and I hoped it would be sufficient distraction. There was only so much my heart could handle in one day. For now there were other matters to focus on, and it was with relief that I turned back to my rage and my revenge.

It was clear now that my father had never intended to simply make a play for glory upon this Pilgrimage, despite his obsession with it these past years.

His goals had always been larger—and I had been nothing but a convenient piece in the game he was playing.

He had taken me away from my mother, condemned her to a lonely death and me to all my torment for it.

His current plan seemed to require three things in order to come to fruition: the fallen star, me, and whatever knowledge was hiding here in the umbral plane. I was going to take great joy in tearing it all down.

The safest option, the one that Sevelie would have approved of, was to simply never deliver myself to him.

But the thought of hiding away like a coward for three days and nights until the gate opened once again to let me out sat poorly in my stomach.

I would emerge alive but have nothing to show for it.

Aster had not chosen me so that I could cower at the last second.

Instead, I would hunt down the star myself, quickly, before my father had a chance to set his trap.

It was a gamble against time; as soon as those poor souls were caught and strung up as bait, I would not be able to reach it without putting myself in danger.

But I had anger on my side, fresh and scathing, and I had my monster.

I turned back to Aster. “We’re going to kill a star,” I said.