Ariete’s name was on the tip of her tongue. She could not stay here, could not fall into this pit and remain trapped for an eternity until she lost her mind and her soul ripped apart, her body wasting away. She could not do that to Enzo or Merissa, Isra or Leo. She sobbed thinking of her family—her pride as she had come to call them.
But before her lips could scream Ariete’s name, she heard the slow clip of footsteps on dusted sand, the crowd still around her, and finally saw across the mouth of the cave, Ariete’s hungry, red smile.
He crouched by the edge of the pit, observed her, then tutted.
“Darling, darling Moon. Look at the mess you have caused.”
Elara forced herself not to sob. She would not give any more tears to this god. She focused on biting the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood. This didn’t feel like a dream anymore. The stakes were too high. She knew that if she fell, she would not wake again, would not escape this nightmare.
“Was this all real?” she whispered, her arms beginning to shake from holding herself against the precipice. “Do their souls live here?”
Ariete inclined his head. “Yes and no. Yes, in a sense that a part of them always will remain here. No, in the sense that I do not govern Death. I do not own them.”
“And the tarot reading? The past? Was that real too?”
Ariete nodded. “I told you there was much to your story you didn’t know.” His smile twisted, becoming cruel. “And many secrets that only you and I share.”
“Lies,” Elara hissed, gasping as one of her hands slipped on the dagger’s handle. “Enzo, orthe Sun, would have known. I would have told him.”
Ariete chuckled. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself, then of course darling. He kneweverything.”
He dusted his hands off, making to stand.
“Wait!” Elara strangled out.
Ariete paused, turning. She heard one of the creatures below shuffling and gulped.
“You’re in quite the predicament,Elara. Within a few minutes, that arm will tire, and you will fall into a trancehole from which you’ll never return. Your precious Sun will waste away in the dreamlands, descending into agony and madness as you yourself wander my nightmares, unable to live or die. Now,” he said, leaning further forward over the pit, “do you want to revisit my bargain?”
Elara let out a frustrated sob, the only one she allowed herself in front of the Star.
She didn’t answer—couldn’t. How could she form a bargain with this Star, the one who had killed her parents, her best friend—tried to kill her soulmate?
She could not be bound to him; she knew better.
“Suit yourself.” Ariete shrugged, standing as he smirked. “My beasts will be very happy with your decision.”
He turned and began to walk away. Elara felt sweat slide onto her palm, her grip on her dagger loosening. Her little finger slipped as she cursed, looking back down to the darkness. More than one set of red eyes stared back, beckoning and hungry.
“Oh gods,” she whimpered as another finger slipped.
She couldn’t do it; shewouldn’t.
Think, Elara, think. She tried desperately to call on her shadows again. There was a cold emptiness inside, one that had been filled with reassurance and warmth before.
Her middle finger slipped as Ariete’s figure became smaller, a ringleader in a top hat getting further and further away.
“Forgive me, Enzo, for what I’m about to do,” she whispered, closing her eyes, and as her grip finally slid, Elara shrieked, “Ariete, I call your favour!”
She screamed as the darkness lunged beneath her before a hand clasped around hers, the cool, buzzing force of it gripping her too tightly.
Ariete’s smile was all teeth as he held her, still dangling from the precipice.
“Give me Enzo’s tether, and I will pay you,” she sobbed, heart still thundering at the abyss that had nearly claimed her. Her arm felt wrenched out of its socket as Ariete maintained his grip.
“Your blood for his tether,” Ariete murmured, pulling her an inch higher.
“No,” Elara spat. “Not that, anything but that.”
