Tears of Starlight

Chapter One

Kana's POV:

Her heart pounded in her chest as she stepped out and into the Moonstone Palace. She'd only been here a few times, but she figured she remembered her home well enough to get them there. The balcony exposed them both to the harsh winds of winter, Vaughn blocked most of the wind.

"Are we just supposed to wait here?" He grumbled buttoning up his Terrassen winter jacket. The black leather suited him perfectly. She smiled up at him her hair flaring slightly.

"Come on," She tugged his hand wrapped in hers. "I doubt he'll mind if we hide from the cold, Rhysand is pretty reasonable."

Vaughn hummed, keeping her close as they stepped into the Moonstone Palace. She glanced over the furniture as Vaughn looked around the room. "There aren't any windows."

She smiled, "Rhysand's ancestors built the place, they warded it to always be kept warm and to keep the wind out even without windows themselves."

Vaughn nodded and said into her mind, How long have you known I was a Daemati?

A few centuries, She limped over to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. I didn't want to risk anything, so I made myself forget about it.

Vaughn frowned, Using the Champion Mark.

She nodded and he sighed, "He might be busy."

"Or he's just slow in his old age." She rubbed her hands together. "Rhys, Cassian, and Azriel are older than Lorcan, you know."

Vaughn nodded, and tugged her beside him as footsteps sounded down the hall. She winked at him upon which Vaughn snorted. He murmured, "This is a horrible idea,"

"You could have stayed in Terrassen," She suggested.

He hissed, "No way, in fucking hell."

She giggled and glanced out over the mountain range. Where three peaks stood higher above the rest. She pointed it out, and explained, "Two weeks a year three stars line up with the tallest peak; That's the Night Court crest. Though I'm not sure if Cassian convinced Rhys on adding, 'This is a bad idea.' to the bottom of it."

Vaughn smiled and shook his head. "I have a feeling if you said that to Aelin she'd actually do it."

She laughed her voice echoing through the halls. She murmured, "I'm surprised the shadowsinger isn't here already. He's usual on top of things."

"I am here." Vaughn silently reached for a dagger in his pocket as the Shadowsinger emerged. She smiled as the Shadowsinger stared at her. He said carefully, "Kana."

The shadows danced in the air and she sent her own shadows to mingle with his. Azriel raised his brows in surprise, "That's knew."

She hummed and Maeve's face flashed before her, the iron rods sticking out of her, the hellfire that had scorched her back alive. That she still had scars to this day.

"A lot of things have changed." She said simply. Her shadows came back to her and curled around her feet, some dipping into her pockets in an attempt to warm her hands.

Since she'd been allowed to let her shadows have free will after Maeve's death her shadows had been a lot more forthcoming. And kind. The things were always sneaking Aelin chocolates, or pulling her a mug of tea from the kitchen.

Maeve had given her an order to stop their freewill. She'd promised herself it would never happen again if she could help it. Azriel nodded and set his hand on truthteller. Vaughn didn't even tense, he merely raised a brow and asked, "Are you going to use that?"