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Chapter Sixteen

W hat are we doing, Astra ? Ameera cried from behind her, the stone steps creaking below their boots as they followed Daria down a long, dark hallway.

We’re doing whatever we have to, so Daria and her weird gang don’t murder us? Astra thought back.

She led them around a corner and stopped at a stone door.

Pushing inward, she revealed a makeshift study of sorts.

A desk in the middle held dozens of documents, tattered maps speckled the dim walls.

She gestured to the two empty seats in front of her.

Astra took one and Ameera sank into the other as the commander scanned the maps.

“I’ll be right back. I need to grab something,” Daria muttered, searching through the pile of documents nearest her. “There are guards outside the door. Don’t fuck around, Astra.”

Daria shut the rickety door behind her.

“I, too, would like to be involved in the argument,” Luxuros whispered as he spun on his heels, glaring at Astra.

“Everyone, breathe!” Astra whispered sharply.

“This is insane,” Ameera said. “You know she can’t be trusted!”

Astra huffed. “She probably tells her friends the same thing about me , Ameera.”

“Who is this ‘Bloodmoon?’” the commander asked.

“Old friend,” Astra answered as Luxuros read very far between the lines.

“Ah. I see.”

“You don’t see,” Ameera said. “Daria Bloodmoon is a fucking baby who ran off to Ellume when?—”

“Enough, Ameera!” Astra held out a hand. “It’s not important. Daria and I have our issues, but there’s no reason not to hear her out. We’re all adults here.”

Luxuros scoffed as Daria returned, a scroll in her tattooed hands. She sank into the seat behind her desk, setting the parchment between them.

Astra watched Daria’s face as she rifled through feeling after feeling to categorize them and give them places to hide before she could turn her steel gaze onto the princess’s face.

Astra could only see a girl she once knew, who told her every secret, every passing thought. One who knew how to unfasten a column of linen-covered buttons in record time?—

“Well,” Astra said, sucking in a cooling breath through her clenched teeth. “You have me. What do you want with me?’

“I need your help,” Daria admitted. “Much as it pains me to say it.”

Astra sighed. “Gods, what?—”

“I need you to not freak out, As.”

“I’m not called the Calm Queen!” She gestured to the room around them for dramatic effect. “Just tell me where the fuck we are.”

“You,” Daria said, inhaling deeply. “Are sitting in the barracks of the Lunar chapter of the Nova Rebels.”

Astra’s head spun, unsure what to make of the words coming out of Daria’s mouth. She knew them all individually, but strung together in that order she was at a loss. Fortunately, she didn’t have to say a thing, because the commander did the talking for her.

“ Li elomhi eontu?” he asked, his Mercurian accent slipping away into something unknown.

Daria’s eyes sparkled. “ Eontu neu.” She returned, stretching her arm across the table to grip his in a quick shake. Astra looked between them, shock settling into the hollows of her cheeks.

“Seems you might already know quite a bit then,” Daria said.

“No,” Luxuros replied, shaking his head. “She knows nothing about the rebellion.” His shoulders relaxed as he turned his attention back to the maps behind Daria.

“I’m a quick study,” Astra protested.

“I remember,” Daria whispered, her eyes fixed on Astra’s face as a twist of something dark, like sweet wine, crawled her neck. “The Nova Rebels are a network of activists working to dismantle the oppressive monarchies that do nothing but take from their courts.”

“Amazing,” Astra whispered, glancing toward the commander. “That’s fantastic!”

“You’re, uh, kind of part of those monarchies, As,” Daria murmured.

“Only by blood,” Astra insisted. “You know me, Daria. You’ve seen what we’re capable of in Celene.”

“Of course,” Daria said. “There are plenty of monarchs who understand our mission. You’re one of them, I presume,” Daria looked toward Luxuros who nodded.

“Not quite. Luxuros, Commander to the King of Mercury.”

“Mirquios is a good man,” Daria chirped. “I’ve met him a few times now. I heard a rumor that he was engaged to the Lunar princess—does that mean Lunelle is sympathetic to our cause?”

Astra laughed darkly, a violet wave tickling her back. “He’s not engaged to Lunelle,” she said, leaning across the desk. “He’s engaged to me.”

Daria was silent for a beat too long. “ You? ”

“Me!” She mocked. “Is that really so surprising?”

“Yes,” Daria insisted. “It is. Besides the obvious, I assumed your mother would keep you chained to the Lunar Court all your days.”

“What do you mean?”

Daria turned to Luxuros. “She really doesn’t know anything, does she?”

“By design,” the commander scoffed.

“You’re an incredibly powerful weapon. Your mother knows that. The moment she lets another court get their hands on you, she loses all control, and we just didn’t think she’d ever do it. Especially to someone like Mirquios. Mars, maybe.”

“She tried that,” Astra cut in. “But the king and I Tethered. She couldn’t fight it.” Daria held Astra’s eyes, a ruby streak of resentment painting the walls of her ribs. Whatever she wanted to say, she kept to herself.

Luxuros let a deep sigh sink between them, squinting as he revealed more information than he felt comfortable with, but they were in too deep now. Astra needed to know.

“The Mercurian rebels believe the queen is trying to get Astra out of the Lunar Court to protect her from Solan. If she was married and settled in another court, Solan would have to engage in yet another war in order to attack her. Mars would be an obvious choice for her—they were good enough to trust a Lunarian princess once, so why not a second time?”

Daria tucked her chin as she processed this. “That can’t have gone over well with Mars. There’s no trouble between your courts now, is there?”

Luxuros shrugged. “It’s not the first time a Lunar princess has Tethered her way out of a Martian engagement.”

“I’m sure Omnir is pissed. He’s young, his temper is nothing short of volatile.”

Luxuros waved his hand. “The child has been dealt with.”

“What does that mean?” Astra growled.

“It means the Mercurian treasury looked quite a bit lighter the morning after your engagement, Fire Queen,” Luxuros muttered.

Astra’s cheeks warmed. She hated the idea of a bunch of men sitting around a table striking deals against her hand.

“Mirquios believes you to be a worthy investment, though sometimes I’m not sure,” he said, a hollow grin on his lips.

“I don’t understand?—”

“The last Lunar princess with your… spark…” Daria began, a wicked smile pulling at her berry-stained lips.

“...bled out on the Solar Court’s gilded tiles for a reason, Astra.

Leona was a dangerous threat to them and they knew it.

You’ve barely scratched the surface of what you’re capable of.

Your little reading ability? Party trick. ”

“Thank you!” The commander sighed. “I’ve been trying to tell her this. With a little training and, gods forbid, some structure, she could unleash gods know how many talents. She doesn’t listen.”

“That’s your first mistake,” Daria laughed, leaning back in her chair. “You can’t tell Astra Leona what to do. You have to let her come around to it on her own.”

“Time wasn’t on my side,” Luxuros laughed.

Astra’s head swirled, a thousand different thoughts dying on her tongue as she tried to process. “I believe you wanted my help with something,” she said.

Daria focused. “Yes. You saw that Ellume’s Gate is no longer under Ivonne’s control.

The rebels have claimed it as a port for other rebels to use.

We’ve taken half the city at this point.

But Ivonne is still High Priestess and making our lives miserable.

She’s conceded what we’ve taken, but her side of the city has fallen into ruin as she rakes in her tithes. It’s bad, As.”

“How long has this been going on?”

“We took over the gate near Spring Equinox.”

Astra winced. It had been half a year without a whisper of something so dire—her mother was even more out of touch than she feared.

Daria continued. “The Ellumian Council is doing anything they can to stamp out the rebels. Our ranks have grown to hundreds now, but we don’t have the funding or the sentry.

They routinely sweep our barracks and imprison us, if not worse.

Two weeks ago they arrested our Nova Captain, Lumas.

We’ve been unsuccessful in locating him…

but you could waltz into the temple council chambers and no one would bat an eye.

We only need to know where they’re keeping him—I won’t ask you to risk your neck for a stranger. ”

Astra tilted her head. “Does your mother know about your affiliation?”

“Does your mother know about your affiliation?” Daria returned, glancing toward Luxuros. “Ivonne suspects, but she would fling herself off the Ellumian cliffs before she’d let the council find out her own daughter is poised to gut her city once and for all.”

Astra flushed, her nerves flaring in her fingertips. “Understood.” Her lips twisted into a concerned knot. “I’ll help you. I have business with your mother. I’ll seek her out first thing in the morning.”

“Mother?” Luxuros asked, his brow arched.

Daria dropped her gaze, chuckling under her breath. “Astra is not the only Lunarian with mommy issues.”

Ameera clarified for him. “Daria Bloodmoon, daughter of Ivonne Bloodmoon, High Priestess of Ellume. Though you hardly get either of them to admit it.”

“At your service,” Daria quipped, saluting the commander.

“I’ll escort you home. It’s dangerous in the streets, but we’ve built underground paths all over the city.

The Crescent Manor still falls under Ivonne’s territory, but she hardly leaves the temple these days.

She certainly doesn’t know her own daughter is raising an army against her,” Daria said, winking.

She rose from her desk, tugging on the leather hem of her chest piece.

“Do me a favor and look a little distressed if we pass anyone. A Lunarian princess is a good get, and I’m aiming for second-in-command.”