Fireborn

15 ¦ Vengeful Quest

"The stars make you sad, don't they?" I asked.

"Stars are a bittersweet memory," came his cryptic reply. "They remind me of a time long past. My father had an observatory at his castle."

"You lived in a castle?"

"Yes, Castle Eismark."

"I've never heard of it." I paused. "I didn't know you were royalty."

"I've completed all the ribbons, remember?"

"Oh...right."

He sighed as he leaned against the stone ledge. "Father was Baron Dahlroth von Kratvach, and my mother was a Risan Sorceress called Stefánia de Grazia. He loved her so much that he gave her an immortal soul. Together, they ruled Kratvach until the Gatál invasion forty years ago."

"Oh, yes. I remember reading about that in my Paxan History class. What was Kratvach like before the Gatál?"

"Our land was a haven for anyone fleeing from Gatál oppression. We were fair rulers. Unlike other districts, no one ever starved because we didn't overtax the villagers. We shared wealth and knowledge rather than hoarding it for ourselves. Everyone had work and a decent, if modest, home. Children had places to play and learn."

A pang of regret writhed inside my stomach like a snake. I'd read how the Gatál had destroyed the entire village, killing every person, animal, and plant until only dust and rubble had remained.

"You said that I had no weaknesses." Peter gave a wry chuckle. "One day a Wraith attacked the castle, and it was my duty to defend it. I failed, and the dark spirit destroyed my father in a way worse than death."

"Worse?"

"The enemy took control of his body and captured his soul. Now he's naught but a vessel in Lord Darius' possession, used to convert people to the darkness." He stared at the stars. "All because I couldn't face the truth: he was neither dead nor alive, and I couldn't bring myself to kill him."

I gave his forearm a gentle squeeze. "And your mother?"

Peter sighed and gripped the wooden banister. "It's a long story. She's out of the picture. All I have now is my sister, Seraphina."

"Like me," I whispered. I could write a book on complicated families. "Bragda is my only family, too."

With a forced smile, Peter shrugged off his solemn mien. "There are plenty of good memories, though. My father was a brilliant scientist. He was the one who taught me all about the stars."

"Can you show me?"

Peter covered my hand with his and traced a constellation. "That's Asteria. The Starfish. She watches over the sailors at night and guides them."

"I've heard about her," I replied, my tone laced with excitement. "The tip is the Star of the East."

"Follow her, and you'll never get lost."

To my pleasant surprise, a gentle heat spread from his manual receptors to mine, enveloping me in its embrace. I nestled against his chest to stave off the cold.

Peter continued to show me the star-studded sky in every detail, shifting among all the telescopes and pointing out several constellations. Just as we were going to explore the sky through the last telescope, I caught sight of another door bolted with bars and chains and stared at it with a puzzled expression.

Peter chuckled. "Ah, yes, the forbidden door."

"What could be so important? It just leads straight down."