The Lores of Lyra - Shattered Star [Book II]

Chapter One

“Joshua?” she called. He didn’t turn around, but stiffened when her voice reached him. Walking slowly closer Vega saw his shoulders rise with every breath he took.

“Joshua?” she repeated in a lower voice as she came up next to him. He glanced at her but remained quiet.

“Talk to me? Please?” she begged. A heavy sigh broke from him, and he ran a hand through his hair.

“I saw what they did, I felt it! And I need to do something,” he confessed. Vega looked at him. His shoulders had hunched down, and he was looking at the ground.

“I know, I feel the same, but frustration won’t get us anywhere,” she said softly. He just looked at her with no words. Vega felt desperation from somewhere inside and reached out to him.

“It’s just. What the hell does that ‘start’ means?” he asked almost sounding angry, making her retract her hand.

“It could be anything really,” she answered quietly, even though she knew that the question was rhetorical and not directed towards her.

They had turned it over amongst them a bunch of times already. The start… and the more time that had passed, the foolish had the ideas turned out to be.

Everything from time travels to journeys on the outside of Astron’s borders had been suggested and dismissed. Personally, Vega liked the idea of visiting other places, but Garnet had told them that it would be impossible for the Black Holes to escape through the layers of spells that coveted the land.

This meant that the danger could be nearer than they thought. However, Yildun was protected. Every night Vega had been up in the highest tower of the temple to sense the darkness and nothing had come up, which was a good thing. However, the thought that the rest of the astronian people was in danger was agonizing. Their only consolation was the fact that the people didn’t know about the danger they were in.

“We should get back to work,” Joshua said softly and turned to leave.

As she watched his back retreating, she despised her split personality. One thing was for her to suffer through it, but why did he have to be cursed too? It wasn’t fair to either of them and even though Annabell’s memories revealed nothing to her about the two of them, the hurt in his eyes whenever he looked at her when he thought she didn’t notice, was evidence enough.

Sighing loudly, she kicked a stone that lay on the grass. So much pain, yet for no reason at all.

Vega decided to walk back in. Garnet and Joshua was once again in front of the star scope, flipping through books that contained over a thousand years of wisdom.

Settling back on the floor she looked over the page and wished that along with her recently gained powers was the answer to this.

“I was thinking something,” Joshua said. Vega listened with half an ear while trying to focus on the words on the page. Silence erupted through the room, and a prickling feeling spread over her body. Looking up she saw the two men watching her.

“Huh?” she questioned. Not having paid attention to what was being said.

“You could try,” Joshua suggested.

Vega fought the bubble of laughter that threatened to erupt from her throat.

“What are you talking about? I can’t read stars,” she objected.

“I know you’ve never have been taught it, but maybe if you’d look in the star scope, then maybe we could get a step closer,” Garnet interrupted.

Vega looked between the two of them. A hope was shimmering in their eyes, and she hated the fact that she might have to disappoint them. Hope was all they had at this point and their gradually lack thereof had been tempting to succumb likewise to.