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Chapter Ten

S leep eluded Astra that night.

She’d wrestled with her sheets for hours when she finally slipped under the current, only to land in a long, dark hallway, billowing at the edges as her subconscious mind tried to patch together a message. She stepped forward, the darkness whispering to her.

Each step dragged her deeper into herself, the hollow sounds of her steps echoing off ribs and marrow.

As she came to the end of the hall, the walls fell away, revealing another world entirely.

Everything was stark white marble, walls and steps falling into place as she moved through the dream.

She turned her face upward, the walls stretching into oblivion.

White towers sprouted to life, looming over her, topped with puffy opal clouds. When she turned her eyes back to the room before her, two thrones sat in the middle. They were carved from crystal, clear facets refracting a strange orange glow, something like fire rising behind them.

The light seemed to ignite the thrones from within, sparkling as it slipped higher over the backs, chasing the moonlight from above. She glanced downward, a row of runes carved into the marble flooring running through the middle of the thrones.

She recognized the shapes—they’d been emblazoned into the cuffs of the Solarian in the orb.

Sit , a voice whispered, not from behind her, but from further within her. She stared at both thrones, overwhelmed by their brilliance.

She searched her bones for some sort of guidance, but nothing came. She was alone.

Tsk, tsk. Where is your intuition, Fire Queen? Have you forgotten who you are?

Astra spun, sure the voice was in the room with her. The ghost chuckled as she fixed her gaze back on the thrones. Refocusing her eyes, she narrowed them to make out more detail.

There, on the arch of the throne to her right, a Lunar etching.

The sigil was the Aurellis family crest, but dripping with a metallic liquid.

She drew nearer, a humming reverberating off the thrones that called to her.

It was the same as the orb—a song that fell apart through space and time.

As she climbed three shallow steps she felt a pull behind her, a heavy train dragging her back.

She twisted to see where she was caught and a dreadful realization settled into her stomach. The robes were not just fancy wrappings—they were the very same coronation robes being stitched together now by the maidens for her sister’s trial.

The shock hit her in the chest, pushing her from the dream and back into her bed.

* * *

“Astra?” Ameera asked, slipping into her bedroom the next morning.

She must have drifted back to sleep eventually, though it took some doing.

“Are you feeling all right?”

“Fine,” she lied.

“The council is assembling in the Celestial Hall. There’s news from the Outer Courts.

” Astra jumped from her bed, catching her council robes as Ameera flung them across the room.

Ameera swept her hair into a somewhat presentable braid before stepping into the hall, doing everything she could think of to shake the strange feeling after her dream.

It was all the celebratory moonshine , she told herself.

Something was gravely wrong in the Celestial Hall. She felt the shift as she passed through the moonstone doors, no less than twenty concerned clouds, dark grays, and purples spinning above the heads of the council. Mirquios and his court lined up near the back of the hall.

She nodded as he smiled at her, heading straight for her mother.

“What’s happened?”

Oestera sorted through notes and a letter with a broken seal, Pluto’s navy blue wax cracked across the opening. Oestera dropped her notes and looked at her daughter.

“Sit, Astra. We’ll wait for the rest of the courts.”

Astra sank into her seat at the council table, watching Lunelle’s face.

I don’t know either , she beamed.

Nayson patted Astra on the shoulder, seeing the tension rise in her spine.

He whispered, “All will be well, darling. Try to block them out.”

Oestera waited as the room filled with Venusian, Earthen, and Martian rulers and advisors. When the buzzing in the hall slowed, Oestera rose and stepped to the center.

“Pluto has been removed from the Outer Courts.”

Hundreds of whispers ran around the room, rising in plumes of teal and orange.

“Solan has moved his armies into the Jovian Court’s rings according to the intel Pluto’s prince, Arcas, shared with me this morning.

” Oestera waved the parchment in the air as Astra realized Mirquios, Kahlia, Mother Nature, and Omnir held similar missives.

“We’ve been invited as the leaders of the Inner Courts to a summit to discuss Pluto’s plea to join our alliance against Solan.

If they’re sincere in their description of events, Solan is moving quickly and furiously. ”

“Why would they remove Pluto? Wouldn’t they want to keep Arcas and his court?” Astra asked.

“No,” Mirquios said, stepping toward the table. “Pluto has been a weight on the Outer Courts’ resources for some time. They’ve struggled to stamp out rebel activity and their prince is in debt beyond calculations.”

“If you have spies in the Jovian Court, you’d best call them home,” Oestera said to the crowds gathered.

“If you’re departing to Pluto from the Lunar Court, please don’t hesitate to let us know what you need.

We will leave tomorrow morning, but tonight,” Oestera turned toward her daughters.

“We have great news to celebrate. The Mercurian Court will have our very own Astra as their queen.”

Astra’s stomach flipped once again, a feeling she probably needed to get used to. She glanced at Mirquios, grinning as nearby dignitaries congratulated him.

“Make whatever arrangements necessary. The Lunar Court is here to help. But, move swiftly. We will see you this evening.”

The room tilted, spinning in a flurry of anxious oranges as Astra tried to get her head about her. Oestera stopped between her daughters.

“Lunelle, you will leave with me in the morning for Pluto. War is never a good time for the transfer of power. It makes the courts nervous. The more we can get your face in front of them, the better.”

“And who will lead Lunaria?” Astra asked, her fingers clenched as the tenor of the room reached a fever pitch. Eyes watched her curiously, concerned.

“Tula will,” Oestera said as if it were obvious. “She is the High Priestess. We’ve been preparing for this possibility for years, Astra.”

“I could help?—”

“This is not personal, Astra. The brink of war is no time for make-believe,” Oestera snapped, her eyes falling toward Astra’s fingertips.

Ah, but it was personal.

She didn’t trust the Fire Queen.

The flames within her sprang to life, bubbling against her skin, pressure mounting within the valleys of her fingerprints. She battled it back, absorbing the sting, but the way her mother looked at her only stoked the flames.

“Your fear is written all over your face. You’ve hardly been home a fortnight, Astra. Tula is far more prepared than you are to lead this court. I cannot leave the Fate of our people in your burning hands.”

“I need some air,” Astra gasped, rising from her seat. Of course, her mother saw the flames, but not the ocean’s tide of restraint she employed to keep them at bay. And she was only proving her point as she cut a path through the hall.

Ameera moved in tandem, trailing her into the courtyard. Astra let a few sparks escape, just enough to take the pressure off, but it did little to settle her.

Ameera reached for her, but pulled back at the rush of heat beneath her skin.

“Astra,” Mirquios called.

She spun, tucking away as much of the pain as she could as he crossed to her.

“Your Highness,” Ameera said, bowing.

Astra forced herself to make eye contact, hoping he hadn’t heard her mother as the courtiers shuffled inside. “I’m sorry that we’ll be separated so soon.”

“It is unfortunate,” she replied.

“But this could be beneficial for us. Pluto is in a tough position. It will be good to have someone on the Outer Courts in our corner.”

“Of course,” she mumbled.

“At least we’ll have tonight?” He offered, his eyes softening as he laid a hand on her crossed arms. If he felt the flicker of fire beneath her skin, he played it well.

She nodded.

“I’m excited to introduce you to more of my courtiers this evening. They’re all beyond thrilled to hear of the engagement.”

Astra smiled. “I look forward to it.”

“I’ll see you this evening,” he said as he leaned in and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. As he disappeared, she felt her shoulders loosen, but the heat did not dissipate. Instead, it only grew harsher, licking at her spine and whispering danger.

“Ameera,” Astra whispered, moving closer to her. “I can feel it again.”

“Feel what?”

The heat, the Solarian , she beamed, afraid to be overheard. Her skin prickled and she spun, searching for someone out of place. The courtyard was mostly quiet, save for a few maidens darting back and forth to prepare for that evening’s festivities.

I’ll tell Archera . You only feel it here? Or in the hall?

Just out here.

Ameera nodded, silently ushering Astra out of the open courtyard and down the hallway to her chambers.

“I’ll speak to Archera right away, but with Pluto’s announcement, your mother has every sentry available on the palace grounds. If someone is here, they’ll know, Astra.”

“Tell her to triple up on Lunelle’s guards. She has to be their target.”

Ameera arched an eyebrow. “Please don’t get yourself into trouble, Princess.”

“Who? Me?” Astra forced a smile, feeling her body finally release the emotions of the hall.

“This is a good thing, you know,” Ameera sighed. “Your mother leaving. You’ll be free from her strict rules. You won’t have to worry about Lunelle’s divided loyalties. You won’t have a fiancée to impress with your ladylike charms. We could have some fun.”

Astra leaned her head against the wall. “You’re right.”

“We could visit Ellume?”