Page 26 of Starfall

“Fine. You’ll find no sympathy from me then, lass,” he hissed, moving ahead of me, his long strides carrying him farther away. He was getting his damned wish! His perfect Grace. Why was he acting like I had wronged him? His anger drove me to anger.

Eternal, we were like fire and oil.

I groaned, picking up my heavy skirts to catch up.

I couldn’t lose sight of him and risk my sisters’ lives, all because he was throwing a fit.

We progressed like this for miles, the tense silence painful.

Thankfully, there were no more signs of the Eternal’s creations and no more golden-eyed ravens.

Elias spoke for the first time in hours.

“Almost there,” he murmured, but a tinge of excitement brightened his voice. Persh—his home and the life he crafted for himself—beckoned. “Any second now, and we’ll see the walls. Once we get to the top of that hill, there.” He pointed to the crest ahead, his steps quickening.

He got lucky finding our way back to the right path, I thought, thinking of yesterday. I’d get his confession of being lost before I ascended.

Elias left Clarine for a reason. Aside from the emotional turmoil of losing his parents, I couldn’t picture him in the old-fashioned and strict city. Persh, from what I’d recalled from Dreamwalking—however briefly—was the exact opposite.

I wish I had a better understanding of what we were walking into beforehand.

We reached the hill’s peak, and my lips parted. Below, Persh lay sprawled at our feet, the high wooden walls surrounding it not able to hide all the chaos within.

“It’s…” I paused, searching for a word that wouldn’t offend him. I couldn’t th ink of any.

“Nice, isn’t it?” Elias grinned, his pride making his tan skin glow in the fading light.

Nice wasn’t the word I might’ve used, but it was…something.

Thick charcoal smoke rose from the city enclosed by walls of brightly painted red.

Thousands of brick chimneys puffed the toxins into the fresh air, and a soft humming reached my ears, even from a distance.

From what I could see, Persh held tall, narrow buildings, most at least three or four stories, all impossibly squished together.

The streets were tapered and lined with cobblestones, and I made out an obscene number of people milling about.

I swallowed thickly. Fuck, my nerves were rising, a swelling of restlessness making me shift on my feet.

Well, I had desired to explore the world, and Persh was infamous in Alderon.

I regretted that desire now.

“Come on, Ari.” Elias waved at me, the tension in his shoulders all but gone. He appeared lighter, as though he’d forgotten our trivial squabble.

He picked up the pace as he rushed down the hill and to the main gates. My cursed skirts got in the way as I trailed him, and I lamented not hacking off the bottom half when I had the chance.

“At least you’ll get to experience Persh,” Elias said, his voice turning somber once again. I didn’t understand why he cared. “It’s unlike anything you could ever imagine.”

I grimaced. That was what I was afraid of.

Glancing up, I traced the imposing red gates with my eyes, finding them to be around the length of a dozen or so men.

Well, a dozen ridiculously tall men. When they creaked open—the navy-clad uniformed guards impatiently waving us past—an odd mixture of cinnamon, mildew, and urine assaulted my senses.

The panic I’d experienced earlier resurfaced, and I instinctively sidled closer to Elias.

There were so many people. Too many. They made me feel too small, too dizzy, too insignificant. I ardently clung to the one soul I knew, even if he grunted when I frantically grabbed at his sleeve, my fingers digging hard into his muscle. He didn’t shake me off or groan, so I held on tight.

We were in some sort of town square, a marketplace set up to our right.

Vendors screamed profanities as they bargained with patrons, who shouted back in equal measure.

Striped awnings in all different colors shielded the stalls, keeping the unrelenting sun at bay, and many walked around carrying paper fans in the shape of intricately decorated flowers, the edges painted gold.

I’d never seen anything so disorganized and hectic.

Elbows knocked into my ribs and prodded my back, and heavy shoes stepped painfully on the tops of my worn boots. The offenders gestured at me as they passed, favoring the use of their middle fingers.

“That’s normal,” Elias whispered in my ear. I tilted my head, noting he wore the brightest of grins. It was alarming to see him smile in such a genuinely open way. “People’s moods are worse right before the festival. It’s Persh’s biggest attraction, and many are working the event.”

“ Ah , the infamous Aura Festival I’ve heard so much about.”

Elias hadn’t spoken a word of it aside from the championship match and the Bleeding Hearts’ Tent.

“You’re pretty sarcastic for a woman who’s lived in the sky all her life,” Elias muttered. “But the Aura Festival is something people enjoy. They wear costumes and masks, sell spiced caramel apples, and performers from all across Alderon come to entertain.”

It sounded equal parts overwhelming and thrilling. After beholding Persh in all its glory, I could only imagine what the festival would look like.

Elias’s smile fell when a young man wearing a brocade blue suit collided with his side.

He lifted to his full height and cursed at him in a way I secretly envied.

I imagined being able to frighten my enemies with a single glare would feel powerful.

The man stumbled back and bolted in the opposite direction. Elias’s grin returned.

“I see why you like it here so much. You fit right in.” Elias grasped my shoulders and angled me to his other side, saving me from being run over by a metal cart brimming with rotting oranges. The driver screamed at me, nonetheless. It made me wring my hands .

“There’s life here,” Elias said, his yellow-green eyes devouring the many sights and the diverse peoples. Unlike Clarine, the clothing here ranged from scandalously low-cut blouses and corseted dresses that barely reached the knees, to long overcoats and sharp, brightly colored suits.

Even some women wore suits, though they left the top buttons undone with ample cleavage on display.

I decided I liked that style the best, and I tracked the path of a woman sporting a striking blue one, her straight red hair shaved on one side.

A tattoo of a rose marked her bare skull. She was stunning.

Elias’s hold remained firm as he guided me down the uneven brick-paved avenues, busy shoppers scrambling around the glowering giant and his awestruck ward. However, it should be the other way around—I was granting his wish after all.

Well, hopefully . I’d need to test my powers soon.

If it wasn’t so loud, I might’ve taken in the sights with better clarity, but the noises overstimulated me, and I aimed my focus on the cobblestones as much as I could.

After some time, we turned down a narrow side street.

The brick buildings in this area of the city boasted arched windows constructed of gleaming copper.

Elaborate symbols were etched onto their sides, and my attention snagged on an illustration of a pocket watch overflowing with broken numbers, the artist’s skill unmatched.

This region was far less hectic than the street we’d been on, and I lifted my chin to marvel at the shining carved metal embellishing homes and shops.

The people dressed slightly differently in this sector, favoring loose-fitting dresses and billowing shirts, the top buttons casually undone.

“Ari?”

I snapped back to Elias who watched me with a sly grin.

“See, it captivates you right from the start. This area was built ten years ago. We call it the Copper Quarter, and it’s one of my favorites.

But there’s always change in the air, always new construction, new people, just…

new .” He beamed at the people shoving around us.

“Maybe it’s not as terrible as I thought,” I admitted, even if my heart raced. I still wasn’t thrilled with the suffocating feeling driving my pulse to pound at my throat .

“Eh, what did you say?” he prodded, uncharacteristic playfulness lilting his voice.

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t make me repeat it.”

“You’re even more willful than I am,” he noted with a scoff. “That’s not an easy feat.”

“Lucky me.” I shook my head, though I fought to keep my lips from lifting into a smile. “So, where are we going?”

“First, I need to meet with Darren in the Chance Quarter. That’s where the fighting club is located, along with some seedy gambling dens, a horse track, and a few…

other establishments.” I had a suspicion as to what ‘other’ meant, and I averted my gaze, favoring my boots.

“After I speak with Darren,” Elias continued, oblivious to my discomfort, “we’ll go to my apartment and find some victim person to try your power on.

If all goes right and you don’t end up accidentally murdering anyone, we’ll spend the evening there and clean up.

I know I could use a decent bath and a bed that isn’t a rock. ”

A proper bed sounded divine, and I lifted my head, completely ignoring the quip about my power failing. Elias would soon see how fierce I was. “I get to see the famed apartment I’ve heard so much about? I swear your eyes are brighter than the stars when you talk about it.”

Elias shot me a warning look. “Don’t mention it to Darren. He’s unaware I own it, and I’ve taken a lot of precautions to keep it hidden.”

“Isn’t he your boss? Why would you hide that?” I pushed, just as my shoulder banged into a lamp post. Elias smirked, lips twitching as he repressed a laugh.

Prick.

“You would understand why I hid it from him if you met the man. Which, hopefully, you won’t. You may be a divine being, Ari, but even you should steer clear.”

Now I was even more curious about Darren.