(Starla)
The feast had ended hours ago, but my mind refused to quiet. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Runa’s possessive touch on Azkan’s arm. Every time I tried to drift off, I heard his rigid voice.
"I don’t know what you are, Starla, but I am going to find out."
I lay in the slight darkness of my small chamber. The candle had burnt out in the candelabra. Doodles curled against my side, softly purring in its sleep.
The fire had burned low, slowly cackling in the fireplace.
And I was simply lying there, pretending to be something I was not.
I closed my eyes and tried to force myself to sleep. Just a few hours. That was all I needed.
A knock at my door made me jolt upright.
"Starla." Runa’s harsh voice, so different from the one she used with Azkan.
"I know you are awake. Open the door. I need to speak with you." Another loud bang. Even the dead must have awakened in their graves, let alone a sleeping person.
Doodles growled at the intrusion, his hackles rising. His sleep had been disturbed. I stroked his fur, trying to calm him.
"It’s all right. Go back to sleep."
She was not going to hurt me.
"Then why is she banging at your door in the middle of the night? Do you owe her money?" My mind sarcastically replied.
With a sigh, I rose from the bed, pulling the blanket off. My bare feet were cold against the stone floor as I crossed to the door and pulled it open.
Runa stood in the corridor, her black hair gleaming in the torchlight. She had changed out of her armour into a flowing night robe of deep crimson. She looked like something out of a dream, hypnotically beautiful and equal measures dangerous. The kind of beastwoman the beastmen waged wars for.
"I thought we should talk." She meant business. "Woman to woman."
"At this hour?" I asked, rubbing my eyes as if she had woken me from a deep slumber.
"The best time for honesty." She glanced at me as if I was the doormat and stepped past me into the room, like she owned the place.
Great, should I offer her slippers or will that be too much?
Her cunning eyes swept over the small space. "Hmm, so you have already settled in?"
I closed the door and turned to face her, crossing my arms over my chest. "What do you want, Runa?"
She laughed bitterly and turned to face me. "Straight to the point. I like that. I want to know what you are doing here."
"I am here to help Aksel."
"No." She shook her head slowly. "You are here for something else. I can feel it. Why would a human guide care for Beastman?" She stepped closer, and I caught her floral scent. "You are hiding something, and your energy is just strange. Muddled. Like you are wearing a mask over what you really are."
My heart stuttered. She could sense it. This wasn’t good; my cover could be blown.
"I don’t know what you are talking about or what you are getting at. Human guides have different energy signatures than beast folks."
"Of course you don’t." Runa circled me, her movements fluid and predatory. "Let me tell you something, little human. I have been Azkan’s guide for over a century. I have watched over him, protected him, loved him. And in all that time, he has never looked at anyone the way he looked at you today."
I felt my cheeks flush.
She stopped in front of me, her eyes boring into mine. "He looked at you like you are a puzzle he can’t solve. He doesn’t trust you and he never will." Her smile sharpened. "And that is exactly why I am warning you."
"Warning me?" Was he a blizzard I needed a warning about?
"Stay away from him." Her voice dropped, every lingering bit of sweetness gone. "He belongs to this Stronghold, to his duty, to his brother. And most importantly, he belongs to me."
I met her gaze, forcing myself not to look away. "I have no interest in him. He already has you. Why so insecure? I am hardly here, three days."
She glared at me. "I am not insecure, only setting a boundary. The one you shouldn’t cross." She stepped back, her smile returning. "And don’t dream too much about Aksel. If he returns to his human form, he will hate you more than Azkan." An evil and yet satisfying smile crossed her full lips. "I am glad we spoke and now understand each other."
She sauntered over to the door, pausing with her hand on the frame.
"One more thing, Starla." She glanced over her shoulder. "If you hurt him, if you hurt either of them. I will make sure you regret it." Her gaze darkened. "And I don’t mean death. Death would be too kind."
Right, more death threats. Did all of them have it as their Moto to give death threats?
She left before I could respond.
I stood there in the darkness, my heart pounding. Doodles jumped off the bed and softly rubbed against my ankles.
She doesn’t know what, but she knows something is wrong.
Women like her stop at nothing to protect what they think is theirs.
I didn’t sleep after that, as if I was deep in slumber land before.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Runa’s threats echoed in my ears. And beneath it all, the quiet, persistent ache of my dying energy.
"You can’t do this. You can’t save Aksel. You can’t fool them forever," my brain, as usual, being the pessimist.
"But I have to try or die trying."
With that, I got up, took out my mom’s violin, adjusted it on my shoulder and began to softly play with the bow. The music was always my go-to whenever I was stressed or sad.
My mom had taught me to play the violin, and it always calmed me down. Tonight was no different.