Page 2 of Starfall

Ari

M aldia prospered with music and wine, the feast of the Great Fall in full swing. Harpists strummed their golden chords, and a lively band of younger star maidens played on a raised stage of floating white blossoms.

The younger maidens decorated the main hall with thousands of twinkling lights strung from the rafters, and the glimmering chandelier above our heads glowed with violet candles that dripped rose gold wax.

They cast their radiance upon silken tables and matching chairs, and the dainty strands of pearls draped across their centers reflected the warm light.

It was ethereal, a dream planted in reality.

I sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the jasmine that clung to the ivy-covered walls. The floral scent made my head spin more than it already was. I supposed nerves were catching up to me—anxiety that I hadn’t believed I’d experience. My body tensed, and a throbbing ache shot down my rigid spine.

“You all right?” Lily asked, her lips turned down.

If I had made Lily concerned, then that was a problem. I promised myself I would be the one to comfort her tonight, not the other way around. She hid her terror beneath her stoic features, and I couldn’t be responsible for upsetting her further.

“I’m fine!” I said, a little too loudly.

I grasped her hands and tugged her reluctant body onto the dance floor where our other sisters swayed.

She looked otherworldly tonight with a crown of woven jasmines perched atop her curly black tresses, the blooms matching the ribbons tied delicately around her throat and wrists.

Lily might not be excited for tonight’s ascent, but she’d been the one to style my hair and makeup, her deft fingers soothing when they worked through my silver strands.

When I glimpsed my reflection, I hardly recognized myself.

My silk dress was white—the same as my sisters’—but its plunging back gifted me boldness, and the thick charcoal makeup lining my eyes brought out every fleck of the silver that matched my hair.

Usually, I braided the straight strands away from my face, but Lily had left them down, the ends reaching the small of my back.

Tonight, my friend had transformed me into a goddess.

A goddess about to die .

My steps faltered at the unwelcome thought. Where the hell had that come from?

Even as I forced her to dance, Lily bit her bottom lip, her eyes scanning the room with tangible worry. I despised that look. How it twisted my insides up.

“Ari,” she whispered in my ear. “I…I can’t help but feel as if something’s off tonight.”

I leaned back to run my knuckles down her arm. Goosebumps rose in my wake. “Nerves,” I reassured with a confidence I didn’t feel. No, inside, my heart raced, and I cursed my body’s physical reactions. I had to remain unaffected. Calm. I’d known my fate all my life.

“You’re probably right.” Lily sighed, but she reluctantly drank and danced. It didn’t take much to understand she was far from fine.

From the corner of my eye, I spotted Amara, Nika, and Dara huddling in the shadowy eastern corner, their hands shielding their lips. They glanced nervously around them as they conversed. I caught sight of a glimmering tear in Dara’s eye .

It seemed Lily wasn’t the only one feeling out of sorts.

I focused on the song being played, one of my favorites. The harpists lent a note of sorrow that could only be brightened by the mellifluous timbre of a violin. Both sad and full of hope. The best combination, I thought. It reminded me of the mortals and their lives.

Aside from the three anxious sisters I noticed earlier, the rest were drunk off wine and sweets, laughing and dancing in a blur of white gowns, their voices drowned out by the sound of joyous laughter.

Not a single worry clouded their thoughts, but I was consumed by Lily.

I clung to her with both hands. Scrutinizing my own unusual panic wouldn’t do me any good, and that was a path I’d rather not travel.

“I’m going to grab another drink,” I said, eyeing the overflowing fountain of red wine beside a generous spread of chocolates and other such sweets. Lily grumbled under her breath.

I grasped her hand. “Lily… This is what we were created for, what we spent our entire existence waiting to do.” The Eternal plucked pieces of the Universe and fashioned us for a purpose, using his holy magic to do so.

It had to mean something . “Not only will we help those poor souls we’ve chosen, but we’ll be together forever, and that’s all I ever wished for. ”

Damn me, I sounded like Mistress Lina. I held back on rolling my eyes at my cheery display.

“I know,” Lily muttered softly. Instantly, her features softened, and she gave my hand a tender squeeze. “It’s inevitable, anyway.”

That last admission settled into my gut like lead. It sounded like a death sentence.

Lily might not be like most of my sisters, but I’d been drawn to her since we were small. Maybe it was the unusual violet flecks in her silver eyes that had originally captivated me, or perhaps, her sharp mind, which forever churned with thoughts I hadn’t dared consider.

She was family. All I knew about affection.

I had to make her smile. Even if for a few more minutes.

Guiding her back to the floor, I sent her twirling, the hem of her dress rippling like water in a stream.

My heart skipped as a wide smile graced her lovely features.

I was far from the greatest dancer, always the example Lina chose to explain what not to do, but being bad at something never stopped me from trying, even if I stepped on my fair share of feet.

Carina, one of the most disciplined of my sisters, parted the crowd, her eyes narrowed on my uncoordinated movements. I giggled as she sniffed in disapproval, turning up her pert nose and heading toward Shay and Mari, her constant shadows.

“I may despise her, but at least Carina chose to heal a child in Persh,” Lily whispered into my ear, her breath tickling the sensitive flesh. “I heard the poor dear is sick with fever, likely to die in weeks. Carina is insufferable, but I commend her on her choice.”

And here I would’ve thought her self-righteous nature would demand that she select a king or noble, someone who could change the future of the world with a single signature. I bit my lower lip. I tended to judge far too quickly. A trait I couldn’t seem to rid myself of.

When sweat lined our brows and our legs burned from exertion, Lily yanked me to the table overflowing with wine and desserts. My muscles loosened, grateful for the reprieve.

“These were calling my name.” Lily snagged a flaky pastry from one of the multi-layered towers of treats and stuffed it into her mouth. She groaned in delight.

“You and your sweets,” I chastised, even as I grabbed a pink macaroon. Those were my favorites. I might as well eat my fill.

“Everyone with a soul likes sweets!” Lily stole another, this one crammed with thick strawberry frosting. “Besides, we only have one more hour until midnight, and I plan on shoving as much food in my mouth as I can.”

The elation I’d experienced minutes ago vanished. I silently used one of the human curses I’d grown to love. No one would ever know—they couldn’t read my mind.

I jolted when a gong sounded. One more hour…

The ensuing cheers suddenly sounded stringent, too harsh for my ears. The decorated room and all of its splendor tilted, and I grabbed the nearest table to steady myself. Thankfully, Lily didn’t notice.

At midnight, the sisters of age were taken to the Room of the Fallen, a place where the ash of our deceased sisters was kept under lock and key.

Even an ascended star would burn out after eons in the heavens, shattering to dust. Mistress Lina collected the remains, using their ashes as part of the ritual.

The purpose was to connect us as one unit, allowing us to venture together to the ground, and then, when we ascended to our final places in the sky.

My pulse hammered at my throat, a wave of dizziness making me grip the table so forcefully my knuckles turned white. Nerves attacked me like a swarm of angry bees, and my knees wobbled precariously beneath my weight.

“Eternal above, you’re quiet. For once,” Lily said, trying to tease even if her mouth was full of pie. I hadn’t even seen her grab a slice.

“You know I’m fine,” I protested weakly, hiding my frown by drinking from my goblet. I drained the contents, but even the warmth the liquid brought wasn’t enough to squash the sinking feeling overwhelming me.

Lily straightened, lowering her treat. The way she stared at me now told me she saw straight through my act. “You’ve always known I wasn’t happy about ascending,” she began cautiously, bringing her voice down to a conspiratorial whisper. “It’s all right if you’re doubting it now. I’d understand.”

Before I could reply, to construct some excuse to explain away any odd behavior, Lily drew me into one of the many wide alcoves lining the main hall. The room flooded with white light, yet it didn’t reach the shadows, rendering us all but invisible.

“Are you still choosing that man from Clarine? The one with the ailing mother, right?” Lily asked once we found a semblance of privacy. I knew she worked to distract me . The irony of our positions wasn’t lost on me. It should’ve been me holding her hand.

“I am.” I leaned against the stone, one hand pressing into the slick marble while the other white-knuckled a fresh goblet. I’d snagged it from a passing tray, knowing I’d need more. “He’s worthy, and his cause is true.”

She released a relieved exhale. “Good. I’m happy you found someone who deserves your sacrifice.

” Lily brought her hand to my face, trailing a finger down my cheek.

“I love you. No matter what happens tonight, I know I experienced that emotion, however human it may be.” Lily scoffed.

“Carina would tattle on me for saying such a blasphemous thing. Eternal forbid I actually feel anything at all.”