All the Stars Between Us

The Twins

In the weeks since Never had bonded with their axe, they had been wreaking havoc.

Caspienne banged on the door to their room again. "Never, if you don't come out here and face me like a warrior, I'm going to break the handle off your axe and make you eat it," she yelled.

She felt a cold prickling, the gooseflesh on her hand rose, and her coffee cup was no longer in her hand, but on the floor, in pieces.

She sighed, whipped out a star, and walked into their room. She pondered the rumpled white sheets and the gray knit blanket tossed off the bed with mock thoughtfulness, and then moved over to the neutral painting on the opposite wall. She put her star to it, and started pushing down before she finally felt a icy breeze from behind her.

"Never, I can't see or hear you, remember? Come back to your body and then we'll talk."

She could almost feel the familiar scowl, before she heard a creak from inside the cupboard, and Never walked out. They staggered, and stood still for a moment, moving parts of their body around. They poked their arm slowly.

Caspienne's eyes flickered to the simple bracelet on their wrist, flinching as Never knocked into a wall, banging the garment along with them.

"Never, you really need to be more careful with that. I know you don't particularly care about the rest of
us, but it won't be too great for you either if someone takes your body, or you phase.

That charm is, quite literally, what's going to keep you alive if you ever decide to spirit-walk amongst hostiles."

Never ignored her advice, instead gesturing to her painting with narrowed eyes. "There was no need to threaten my painting," they rolled their eyes.

Caspienne looked at them in annoyance. "Never, I need that staff back, Linh needs to train. This isn't funny."

Never laughed. "Take it, then, if you can find it. I don't particularly care."

They leaned forwards, their breath just tickling Caspienne's ear. "And from where I'm standing, it's pretty funny."

Caspienne gritted her teeth and snatched the staff, turned on her heel and walked out.

➵➵➵➵ ✵☽✵ ➵➵➵➵

"They're insufferable and selfish to the point where I don't know why they were chosen!"

Caspienne's voice rung out in the spacious living room, and Thalia motioned for her to be quiet.

"Cas, I know it's a bit much to accept right now, but we have to-"

"A bit much? A bit much would be the next port being closed so we can't replenish the wine. They think everything's a game, how are they supposed to make the decisions they're going to have to?"

Thalia sighed. "Cas, give them a break, they haven't even started training yet."

She scoffed. "Yes, because that's really going to help. They probably won't even pitch up. Actually, you know what? I don't trust either of those twins. A smile is always worse than anger."

"Caspienne, be quiet."

"Be quiet? I'm a Wielder, Thalia, same as you. What makes you think-"

Thalia cut her off with a meaningful glance over the other woman's shoulder.

Caspienne glanced back, and saw Never crouching in the shadows.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Never had already gone, their eyes flashing with anger.