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Chapter 52 - Toven
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2022-11-24 14:15:51Related chapters
Circle of the Stars Chapter 53 - Hollyn
I came back to myself in the dark. A soft beam of light came from the side of the room. It was also fully black outside. Rain still beat against the wall of windows, but it was softer. Slower.As if the weather had learned my mood, read my memories, it commiserated with me. It wept as I had wept that day. No tears had washed me clean. Nothing but the love from the man, the men, I'd crashed into. Barreled into their lives as if I were a gale, and they were the innocent trees of my forest.I was in the giant bed. Alone. Were all beds this comfy?"Hello?"The room was empty except for me. The bathroom light was on. Tears filled my eyes as I thought of Thane doing that so I wouldn't wake in the complete black. He'd watched out for me ever since that first night.Hello? I called out with my mind.Three knocks sounded on the bedroom door."Who is it?" I asked, even knowing who stood outside. My men. The knob turned, but the door didn't move. "Thane, sweet girl. Tag and Tove
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Circle of the Stars Chapter 54 - Thane
I curled my arms around her tighter. She'd not waited, not faltered in her movements to hug me. To touch me. That, more than any words she could've said, showed me that she didn't hold me responsible for the pain I'd brought her. She'd touched each of us. Touched our hearts. Our lives. I just hoped we could be just as good for her. We sat there in a huddle on my bed. Everyone lost in their own thoughts. The weighty silence wasn't uncomfortable or awkward. If anything, I felt like it had been a long time in coming. From a young age, my brothers and I worked to stay busy. To keep our minds distracted. Our bodies occupied so the loss didn't swamp us. Our mother and sister had been the lights of our lives. They had been our people. When they'd been taken from us, ripped callously from our lives, we'd been left adrift in the raging waters of a tempestuous storm. No anchor. No port. Nothing. "Well, isn't this a touching little scene?" a man's voice came from the doorway. We
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Circle of the Stars Chapter 55 - Hollyn
I blinked as I tried to figure out what was happening. My father was in the room. He'd just shoved his magic into my body, causing me the most horrific pain I'd ever experienced-which he said wasn't supposed to hurt, and now he wants to train me to take down his brother. Could my life get any weirder?"If you're so strong and powerful, why don't you just take him out?" Tove asked. "Why do you need the help from a daughter you refuse to acknowledge?"I jolted back at the stab of a different kind of pain. I'd never known my father. My mother had only mentioned him a couple of times as I was growing up. She'd always been kind when she mentioned him. Never a bad word to say about who he was. Over the years, bringing him up had caused her great pain and heartache. Since he wasn't there, and I had been, I'd learned to keep my mouth shut. She was mine. Not his. I would protect her to the best of my ability. We'd had each other. We hadn't needed anyone else. Until I'd killed her. I w
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Circle of the Stars Chapter 56 - Hollyn
"Finally," Sidney said as I moved into the living room. "I didn't realize someone raised in the forest would take so long getting dressed. We've already wasted so much time." He dusted his hands off. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes. With a big push of his palms to the outer sides of the room, all the furniture slid silently to the walls. Even the rug that covered most of the hardwood floors rolled itself up and leaned itself in the corner. He opened his eyes again, a bright smile on his face. He nodded. "Excellent. Now, let's begin." He shoved his palms in my direction. Some of the markings on his chest glowed softly. I raised my arms as I tried to brace myself for the pain he'd inflicted earlier. I clenched my eyes closed, held my breath. When nothing happened, I peeked around my arms. He was glaring at me like I was the village idiot.That title had never been bestowed on me, thankfully. But Zee and I had gotten along. If I'd had any friend in the Village, it
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Circle of the Stars Chapter 57 - Hollyn
I looked around. This wasn't like the other places I'd been. Those dark holes had been fathomless voids. Nothing could touch me there. No nightmares. No fantasies.No. This time it was different.I blinked a few times, tried to make sense of what I was seeing. As my surroundings came into focus, I could tell it wasn't dark at all. It was full of light. An odd blue-tinged white that was both comforting and energizing. Trickles of power soaked into my body as rivulets ran over my skin. I inhaled and the air smelled of hope and bright summer mornings. I lay in that comfort for moments on end. "You must be waking now, lass. No time to dally or dawdle," a husky feminine voice said. I opened my eyes again and looked around. Outlined in a silvery glow, a dark haired, fair skinned woman stood off to my right. Her even and pleasant features reminded me of my mother although they looked nothing alike. I sat up, felt whatever I was laying on dip and sway under my weight. I spread
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Circle of the Stars Chapter 58 - Thane
"Then try it again, damn it." I was this close to beating Sidney senseless. The man was worse than useless. We all knelt around Stretch's limp body on the living room floor. She'd been out for almost an hour. Guide Extraordinaire was doing nothing to bring his daughter back. He was about to get chucked off our penthouse roof. He mumbled some more words under his breath. Laid his hands against Stretch's belly. Her limbs danced and twitched as the power shot through her. "Her face! It got that eyebrow thing," Tove shouted. "Do it again.""What eyebrow thing?" Tag asked as he got down in Stretch's face. "I didn't see anything happen.""That thing she does when she's annoyed or trying to ignore us. The eyebrow thing." He wiggled his own eyebrows. Tag and I looked at each other."I don't know what you're talking about," Tag said. He clenched his hands into fists as he pounded them into the floor. "Sweetcheeks, come back to me. You have to come back now. We told you we love
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Circle of the Stars Chapter 59 - Hollyn
I winced as the burning and tugging in my belly raged to new levels. I looked down at my belly, sure I'd find blood or fire. There was nothing. Just the same smooth skin I always saw. "What was that?" I asked Ari. She didn't answer. I looked up. Gone were the mists and the summer air. I was standing in the living room. My spirit twitching deep inside me at the anguish that soaked the room.Looking over, I found my men. They knelt around an empty spot on the floor. Tove was curled in on himself. His head buried under his arms, his face obscured against the floor. He looked like he was barely breathing. Thane looked as if his heart had been shredded inside his chest. His expression was hollow and empty. Like someone had taken a giant spoon and scooped out his insides, and left only the dregs of his soul behind. And Tag-my Grumpy-was rocking himself. His hands gripped his hair, pulling at it. I couldn't be sure, but it sounded like he was talking to himself. Angry muttering
Last Updated : 2022-11-24Circle of the Stars Chapter 60 - Toven
I woke with a start. Jackknifing straight up in bed, it took me a couple seconds to figure out where I was. Where she was. Right before my heart tripped over into triple time, I saw her. One of my brothers had covered her with a blanket, but she was still right beside me. Where I had left her. My brothers had left at some point during the night. I blew out a big breath as my body relaxed. When we had lost our mom and sister, it had been the worst day of my-our-life. Or so I'd thought. Finding out Hols had been kidnapped felt like that scar had been roasted in huge flames and then left to die a slow torturous death. Last night though...I'd never experienced that kind of pain. That level of loss. Not only had the joy been torn from my life, it left a hole that would only fill with hate, anger, and pain. For the brief moments that we had grieved her, our sweet girl, my life had stopped. My heart along with it. I lay back down as I pondered the new reality that Hollyn Elaine Pa
Last Updated : 2022-11-24
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Circle of the Stars Chapter 138 - Epilogue II
Eleven Months Later"Give me my babies, Grumpy. I carried them. I get to hold them." I held out my arms. My tired and noodley arms. I didn't care if I could barely hold them up. I was going to snuggle with my three girls until we all fell asleep anyways. He slid the one wrapped in purple into my arms. "So bossy, cheeks." He kissed my sweaty brow. "I love it. But I'm still the boss." My daughter's blonde hair and dark purple eyes were a startling combination. Her dusky skin made her even more exotic looking. I blew a raspberry at him. "That's what you think. We've got you outnumbered now."Tove carried over the little girl snuggled in pink. "Yes, you do. We're all going to be wrapped around your fingers. Hell, I already am and I have no problem admitting it." With her citrine eyes and black hair, she was just as pretty as her sister. Thane smiled. He laid the little bundle of yellow on my chest. "I'm right there with you. They're perfect, Stretch. Just like you." Little Miss Sun
Circle of the Stars Chapter 137 - Epilogue
One month laterI looked at the little computer screen. Squinted. When that didn't help, I rubbed my eyes. Blinked. Looked at the screen again. "Are you sure?" I asked. The nice dragon smiled at me. "Very sure, my lady."I grimaced at the name. But no matter how many times I told people not to call me that, they continued to do so anyways. I shook my head. "I still don't believe you.""Cheeks, you're pregnant. You can't tell me all the crazy mood swings and eating us out of house and home has been lost on you," Grumpy snapped at me. His face was basically plastered to the little screen. I glared at the back of his head. "If that's so, maybe I should go live with Drace and Finn. They won't bitch at me."He turned with a snarl. "Try it and see what happens."The dragon healer chuckled, the sound a little uncomfortable. "Perhaps we could all calm down. New mothers, especially dragon carriers, need to be calm and happy." I raised my eyebrows in victory at Grumpy. "Yeah. No m
Circle of the Stars Chapter 136 - Hollyn
"Where is she? Where's my granddaughter? Hollyn, he was lying. He was lying, baby!" Ari raced up. Tears and fear soaked her voice. "I would never do that. Not ever. You're mine. Just as your mother was mine. I don't trade one for the other. I'd never do that." I looked up at Tove, his blue green eyes smiling down at me. "Think I should talk to her?"He nodded. "You know you want to. I can tell." He gave me a cheeky wink. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Watch it, mister."He smacked his lips to mine. "You just smashed Merlin into light particles. I'm pretty sure you can handle a discussion with your Grams."I smiled hugely. I had smashed Merlin into light particles. His bitchass was no more. My eyes widened. "Shit!" I pushed Tove off me. "We've got to get out of here. Merlin's gone. The Valley could collapse at any second."Ari crushed me into her body. "He was lying. He was lying. I swear to you he was lying." She kept saying the same thing over and over again, her eyes wi
Circle of the Stars Chapter 135 - Toven
I still rushed forward. I would do whatever was necessary to help her win this. To get her back. To bring her home. Literally blind, I plowed into someone. She gave a hoarse oomph as we smashed to the ground and rolled. "Batman," she whispered. Then she settled her lips on mine. Two more heavy bodies crushed down on us. She inhaled sharply. "Can't...breathe."With a grunt, I forced myself to my hands and knees. Made a cage of protection over her. My brothers rolled off to the sides. "Sorry!" Tag said as he popped back up."Damnit, Tag," Thane snarled. "You good, sweet girl?" I whispered. She nodded. "As long as you're all here, I'm better than good."Soon, she was in our arms in another Hollyn burrito.
Circle of the Stars Chapter 134 - Hollyn
I saw his smug stupid face as he smiled up at me.He raised a hand. The energy crackled like pale pink lightning in his palm. His lips moved. The stores of my magic that had been topped off with Chaos' boost bubbled and writhed as I filled them with starshine. There were no longer any stars in my bright Autumn sky. None. Save for one. The sun. Using a thread of Chaos' magic, I linked up to the shining orb that rested high above our globe's heavens. The power shivered and danced through me. An unbreakable link that let me see far beyond what my eyes were capable of. The hint of pink shot from Merlin's hand, straight at me. I steadied myself. Prayed that my magic would hold me true. That I wasn't going to be the reason everyone in my life, in this fucking Valley, died. Just as the spinning, crackling sphere of pure energy neared me, it burst into a rainbow of motes. I hurtled towards the earth and an idea began to form. I had no idea if it would work, but I was out
Circle of the Stars Chapter 133 - Toven
He dies. Right now. I was torn between screaming in victory and yelling at my girl until I ruined my voice forever. Either way, I was out of time. As we raced up the final small hill, I saw her dart down from her spot in the sky. We thrust through the line of Wardens as she angled herself like an arrow at the man who had caused all of this. "You shouldn't have told me my men were dead." Her voice was in my head, but I could also hear it as if she'd whispered it to me. Shit. I poured on the speed.
Circle of the Stars Chapter 132 - Hollyn
I gritted my teeth. Tried to convince myself it was a lie. He wrapped a hand in my hair, yanked my head back. With his free hand, he displayed another screen of some kind. "Watch, pet. Watch with me as you realize your doom." A picture wobbled and then steadied in front of me."My daughter, Hollyn's mother, crying out for me," Ari said as she turned to look at someone.Grumpy. She was with Grumpy. They were both wearing the clothes we'd arrived in. The backdrop of the picture showed the hollowed out remains of the Village. Body and pieces of creatures dotted the ground."She's gone. You said yourself that she was gone. Cheeks told us." Grumpy squeezed her arm. Ari's gaze darted over his shoulder, back to his face. Her blue eyes were wide, scared. She shook her head. "You don't understand.""NO!" I screamed and thrashed against his hold. My heart stuttered in my chest. "No!" She was just like everyone else. Only using me for my power. For what I could give her. She wanted
Circle of the Stars Chapter 131 - Tagan
I sliced through the last zombie that stood in front of me. Wiped a hand over my brow. I hadn't thought there were that many people in here the last time. But I guess if Merlin could raise one, he could raise all the dead people here. Time wouldn't really be a factor. Ari yanked her sword back, spit on the corpse that still twitched at her feet. "And stop touching my shoes!" She hacked off the creature's hand. I snorted, causing her to look up at me. A blush rose over her cheeks. "Sorry. That wasn't very goddess-like."I shrugged it away. "Honestly, I liked it better than the goddessy parts you usually show. A bit more real."She smiled as she looked around the Village. Dead bodies littered the ground like trash in an abandoned alley. "Where is everyone else?" She looked at me. I pointed to the right. "Apparently there were a lot coming in from the standing stones. I'm guessing these were the old Villagers?" I shrugged. Oh well. They'd deserved to die for treating my Sweet
Circle of the Stars Chapter 130 - Hollyn
I bent my knees to keep my balance as I soared on Drace's back. I hadn't really been thinking about anything but destroying Merlin when I launched myself towards the sky. Luckily, my bestie had my back. Although...I think I might have been able to fly for a little bit there. I focused as huge, gleaming balls of pure energy were launched into the sky. He's throwing magical grenades, I announced to the dragons. Hold on, Mistress, Drace said. She started dipping and dodging, weaving and winding in the sky as she tried to miss being hit with the missiles of unadulterated power. I lost my balance and landed on my ass between her spikes. Luckily, they felt like feathers instead of the sharp knives of Thane's scales the first time I'd hit those. I clenched my hand around the one directly in front of me as I held on for dear life. I'm going to swoop down and let you off. You're nothing up here but an easy target, corcra. Just make sure you stay alive down there until I can come and
