CHAPTER FIFTEEN

My surroundings shifted in the blink of an eye.

Gone was my doppelganger, the maiden, and gone was the starry sky and the endless expanse of yellow meadow. In its place, I found myself standing in the middle of a room. The room was mostly empty except for the three-foot, round, crystal-clear pool of water that was sunk into the floor, at the center of the room. Around me, the walls were covered with detailed murals depicting constellations and galaxies, while the ceiling was painted a deep, midnight blue, and speckled with countless stars. A large, luminous star was painted directly overhead, lighting the entire room around me in rays of white light. As I stood there, I could faintly hear the soft melody of distant chimes, which made zero sense because nothing around me could have made such a sound. Stranger still, was the scent of lavender and jasmine that seemed to be wafting in from an open window and yet, there were no windows in the room.

“Kate?”

Luke’s concerned voice broke through the surprise still gripping my mind and snapped me back to reality. I wheeled around, finding him standing in front of the opposite wall and staring at me with worry in his eyes. Beside him sat Valerian, who appeared to be frozen in time, his mouth hanging open in apparent surprise as he stared at something only he could see. Magnus stood next to Valerian, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as they locked onto me.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice shaky as I turned my gaze to Luke.

“I don’t know,” he answered on a shrug. “Right after you and I entered this room, you just... froze.”

“Froze?” I repeated, shaking my head, because that made no sense at all. But nothing made any sense in this stupid castle and that was the currency of this place.

Luke nodded. “I couldn’t get a response from you,” he explained as he took a few steps closer to me and studied me for another second or so. “How do you feel?”

“I’m fine,” I answered, but I hesitated for a second while I tried to make sense of what in the hell had just happened. Then my gaze landed on Valerian and the bizarre and frozen expression on his face. “What happened to him?”

Luke turned around and shrugged. “That’s how Magnus and I found him—stuck there like someone froze him in time.”

“Do you think that’s what happened?” I asked, looking back up at Luke again. “That someone froze him?”

Luke breathed in deeply and I could see his dislike for Valerian in his expression. “My guess would be that this room, along with all the rooms inside the castle, are magicked to ensure that only the right people have access to them.”

I tilted my head to the side as I thought about it. After thinking about it for a moment or two, I figured that line of reasoning made the most sense. Then I brought my attention back to Valerian’s fixed expression and I frowned. “Is he okay?”

Luke shrugged again. “I don’t know and honestly, I don’t care.”

“Luke,” I started as I looked back at him.

“The only thing I care about at the moment,” Luke interrupted, his jaw tight and his eyes even tighter, “is you.”

“Well, I’m fine.”

“As far as you know, what happened when you walked into the room?” Luke asked as he took another step closer to me, his growing concern mirrored in his eyes.

Figuring he was asking me why I’d zoned out as soon as we crossed the threshold, I started sharing the details of my encounter with the maiden. “And the weirdest part was that the maiden looked just like me,” I finished.

“That is strange,” Luke said as he shook his head and looked at Magnus, who just simply stared back at him with his dumb, Magnus-vacant expression. “Because neither Magnus nor I experienced anything like that.”

“Right—as soon as I stepped foot into this room, you and Magnus disappeared and I was all by myself,” I continued.

Luke nodded. “That must have been because you were meant to walk this path alone.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “You were meant to meet the maiden on your own.”

That did make the most sense. Figuring we could now put that story aside for the moment, I returned my attention to Valerian.

“What do we do about him?” I asked, pointing at his motionless form.

Luke breathed in deeply and then sighed just as deeply. “Maybe we should just leave him here.”

I frowned at him. “We can’t do that, and you know it.”

He shrugged like he wasn’t convinced we couldn’t do that. But there was no way I was just going to leave Valerian here to die a long, slow, miserable death. Regardless, nothing explained why he was currently stuck in a freeze-frame. And judging by the way his mouth was slightly open, it looked like he’d been in the process of saying something. I walked over to him, then crouched down on my haunches to study him.

The first thing I noticed was how the air hung thick with stillness around him, almost as if time, itself, were holding its breath. Valerian sat cross-legged, his posture unnaturally perfect, almost as if he were a statue placed there. His back was straight, and his head was tilted slightly upwards like he was looking up at something—something he found surprising, based on his slightly wide eyes and open mouth.

That was when I noticed that directly above Valerians’s head, painted on the wall, was a keyhole, its edges lined with intricate designs that seemed to shimmer faintly in the light. The keyhole itself was surrounded by a circular pattern of symbols and runes, each one glowing softly. The instant my eyes landed on the painting of the keyhole, a weight settled into my hand. Glancing down, I opened my fingers to discover a heavy, metal skeleton key nestled in my palm. It was the key Valerian had stolen from me earlier, the one he’d used to unlock this room.

Without a word, I leaned over, inserting the key into the painted keyhole before I twisted it to the right. Almost immediately, Valerian snapped out of his stupor, shaking his head as he blinked up at me. The expression of recognition appeared on his face, and he offered me an amused smile.

“Starling!” His grin was wide.

“Dickhead,” I responded.

The amused expression didn’t leave his mouth. “Well, clearly I shouldn’t go putting keys into doors that aren’t meant for me,” he said as I yanked the key back out of the painted keyhole and found Valerian was still his animated self. Before I could say another word though, Luke yanked Valerian to his feet and Magnus raised his sword, ready to behead the pain in the ass.

“Put the sword down, Magnus!” I commanded a split second before Luke echoed my words. Luckily, the brute listened and, with a whispered word of obvious irritation, he dropped the sword, so the tip was now resting on the floor.

“I do appreciate that,” Valerian started as he nodded to the much bigger man. “As I was rather fond of my own neck.”

“What happened to you?” I asked him, while I put the key into my pocket and Valerian’s gaze followed.

Valerian shrugged. “I cannot say I know for certain. ”

“Try your best to explain,” I insisted with a glower.

He tilted his head to the side and shrugged. “I unlocked the door, stepped into the room and then found myself in the delightful company of Tweedle Dee—” he stopped and looked over at Luke who was glaring back at him. “And Tweedle Dum,” he paused again to look at Magnus.

“I do not know these Tweedles you speak of,” Magnus growled, clearly annoyed. “My name is Magnus Stormrider.”

“Always this charming, is he?” Valerian asked me, still smirking like all of this was a big misunderstanding and the joke was on us.

“That’s about right,” I agreed, as I wondered why no one who entered the room of The Star saw anything like the things I’d seen.

“No more talking,” Luke almost interrupted as he yanked Valerian forward and Magnus lifted him off his feet before he carried him the rest of the way to the doorway. Luke then reached out and opened the door and once the four of us stepped into the hallway, the door automatically shut itself behind us.

“Hey, when am I gonna get to join the superhero ranks, uh?” Rocco suddenly announced from where he’d been leaning against the wall, just beside the door. “I could be Goatman!”

“That’s the dumbest name I eva heard,” Yolanda said as Rocco trotted over to nip at my leg.

“Hey, ya hear me, boss?”

“Yes, I heard you and no, we aren’t having this conversation right now!”

“Ya ain’t even a man, so how ya gonna be ‘goatman’?” Yolanda pointed out, sounding like she was trying to stifle a laugh.

“Aw, jeez, why ya always gotta focus on the small details, huh, rubber neck?” He stomped a hoof to emphasize his frustration. “Heya, boss—”

“—No, Rocco, just no.”

“Are you talking to the goat again?” my mother asked, her brow furrowing as she pushed against the wall in order to help herself stand up. Even so, she still wobbled—looking like a newly born giraffe.

“Yep,” I replied, not interested in getting into any details with her either.

“Will I get to understand him now that I have my own powers?” Mom asked, a glimpse of hope shining in her heavily made-up eyes.

“That ain’t the way it works, liver lips,” the goat answered, craning his neck to look up at her. “I’m all fer them with the advanced powers,” he further explained, nodding for emphasis, “so only the truly gifted can talk with Goatman, capiche?”

“Kate?” Mom asked, tapping her foot impatiently.

“Yeah, you’ll probably be able to understand him at some point,” I responded as Rocco bleated something at me—something that didn’t sound very nice. But I couldn’t say I was concerned with any of them at the moment. Instead, I was trying to figure out what we were going to do with Valerian—and further, what was there to be done about Valerian? I mean, as far as I understood it, he had magic so it wasn’t like we could keep him against his will.

No one said anything as we started down the hallway. I just followed Luke and Magnus as the latter carried Valerian down the stairs. Meanwhile, my mother, Rocco and Yolanda followed after me. As soon as we hit the first floor, Luke directed Magnus into the living room, and the rest of us followed wordlessly. Magnus carried Valerian to the far corner of the living room and then Luke gave Magnus instructions to make sure Valerian didn’t budge. Magnus responded by nodding as he pulled out his massive sword and silently gestured to Valerian: I will cut your head off if you so much as flinch.

My mother, meanwhile, sidled up next to Magnus, leaning against him as she looked up at him and batted her very fake eyelashes. “So, when can we sneak away for some… playtime (at which point she winked a few times), handsome?” she cooed. “I had this dream last night where you were inside me, telling me all about the warriors you’ve slayed...”

“Ugh, Granny needs ta put a lid on it,” Rocco grumbled, shaking his head as he made a barfing sort of sound and walked away from the two of them. Meanwhile, Magnus just remained silent, his gaze still fixed on Valerian. And his gaze was a murderous one.

Luke then stepped back and held out his hands before him as he started chanting words I either couldn’t fully hear or understand. The lights in the room started to flicker and all of a sudden, the room thrummed with an arcane energy that hadn’t been there before. But back to Luke—his posture was straight and commanding, every movement he made slow and deliberate. He kept his arms extended, his fingers splayed as he continued to chant in a low, resonant voice. The words, heavy with power, filled the room and seemed to make the air hum. As Luke spoke, wisps of shimmering light began to gather around his hands, coalescing into vibrant streams of energy. He pulled his arms back and then opened his fingers wide as he directed the energy toward the far corner of the room.

In response, the streams of light twisted and intertwined, forming the outlines of long, cylindrical bars. The bars of light began to solidify into glowing, silver-like structures that pulsed with a rhythmic light as they joined and crisscrossed, weaving through one another. Valerian, meanwhile, stood in the corner of the room, his lips curled in an amused grin as he watched Luke work—his expression one of curiosity, but not concern. As the bars began to form around him, he simply threw his head back and chuckled loudly like the joke was on us because nothing could keep him prisoner. And that realization might have been closer to the truth than I was comfortable with.

Regardless, Luke’s chanting grew louder, more forceful as he began to trace complex symbols in the air, each one hanging for a moment before sinking into the structure of the cell. The bars now shimmered with layers of protective spells, each designed to contain the vampire securely. With a final, commanding word, Luke thrust his hands downward, and the cell completed itself, the bars locking into place with a resonant chiming sound that echoed through the room. The glow from the cell dimmed to a steady, ominous light, illuminating Valerian’s slightly impressed expression.

He reached out to touch the bars, but recoiled when they seared his fingers, leaving trails of smoke.

“Nicely done, Wizard,” he said before giving Luke a smile.

Luke lowered his hands, his breathing heavy, but his gaze unwavering. The room settled into a tense silence, the only sound the faint hum of the enchanted cell. Luke then stepped back, satisfied with his work, but he kept his eyes on the vampire, clearly ready for any sign of resistance.

“If you are waiting for me to attempt an escape, I assure you I will not,” Valerian continued.

“You’ll find no escape from this prison,” Luke responded, his voice steady. “This cell is bound by ancient magic.”

Valerian looked at the bars in front of him. “And so it is. ”

Then, turning to face me, Luke said, “Kate, I need to speak with you.”

“Okay,” I answered, thinking that I also needed to speak to him. He took the steps separating us, then gripping me by the elbow, led me into the kitchen. “What are you planning to do with Valerian?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “I mean—he has magic, so are you sure he’s even going to stay put in that cell?”

“Believe me, Kate, I’m aware that he has powers,” Luke sighed, rubbing his temples like this was giving him the mother of all headaches. “I just don’t know the extent of his powers.” He paused to breathe out a deep sigh. “But that cage I just created is very strong and I don’t imagine he’ll be able to break free of it.”

“In case you forgot, I’m a vampire and thus, I can hear you!” Valerian called out, his voice carrying from the living room. It was tinged with amusement. “In case you further forgot, a vampire is a creature with the keenest hearing and we are quite adept at eavesdropping.”

“Ugh,” Luke grumbled, shaking his head like he hadn’t taken that much into consideration .

“I should like to have a word with the two of you!” Valerian continued.

Luke didn’t say anything right away, he just shook his head like he was fresh out of patience.

“We should listen to what he has to say,” I started.

“Why?” Luke demanded, glaring at me.

I shrugged. “Because maybe it will… I don’t know, help the situation?”

“Quite right! It will help the situation!” Valerian called out.

“Do you wish for me to lop the enemy’s head off?!” Magnus yelled.

“NO!” Luke and I both yelled back at the same time. Then Luke shook his head and started for the living room, with me right beside him. As soon as Valerian saw us, he smirked.

“Thanks to my expert vampire auditory abilities,” Valerian continued, “I’ve been following your little chat about what you imagine you should do with me?” Luke breathed in deeply, like he didn’t have time for this. “And I have a modest proposal for you,” Valerian finished.

“We are not interested in making deals with our enemy,” Luke spat back, visible anger seething from his eyes but there was something else there, as well—hatred maybe?

“Am I really your enemy, though?” Valerian mused, flashing a disarming smile as he wrapped his hands around the bars and they zapped him, making him take a step back before he wiped his hands on his robe. And, yes, he was still wearing my ridiculous pink robe. As soon as I had a spare second, I was going to Amazon Prime him some clothes.

“Absolutely,” Luke snapped, “and do not, for one minute, think we’ve forgotten.”

“Let him speak, Luke,” I interjected, turning to face him. “We need all the information we can get.”

“Fine,” Luke grumbled, crossing his arms as he looked at Valerian with a frown. “Speak.”

“Thank you,” Valerian answered and then he stood up tall and straight before folding his hands behind his back like he was about to address Parliament. “I find myself between the proverbial rock and hard place,” he began, pacing one direction for two steps before he turned around and paced back two steps. “I certainly don’t relish the thought of being stuck here with your odious company,” he continued as he looked from Luke to Magnus and then at me. When his eyes settled on me, he smiled. “Present Daughter of the Moon company excluded, of course.” Then he took a deep breath and returned his gaze to Luke. “However, my point is that my options are limited.”

“Limited? How?” Luke scoffed.

“Well, I can hardly go back to the Dark Coven now, can I?” Valerian asked.

“We should send him back to Ezra,” Magnus said.

I gave him a look, but he just shrugged it off.

“Go on,” Luke said to Valerian. “Make your point.”

“My point is—that if ‘I can’t beat them, I should join them’—I believe that is the quote, yes?”

“Join us?” Luke scoffed.

“That’s right,” Valerian answered, his smile just as acerbic as Luke’s.

Luke’s expression dropped right off his mouth as he took a step closer to Valerian and narrowed his eyes. “And why in the world would I ever allow that?”

“Simple,” Valerian answered on a shrug. “I am no longer the leader of the Dark Coven, am I?”

“No,” Luke answered .

Valerian nodded. “That much is decidedly clear since Blackthorn, my former second-in-command, tried to kill me.”

“He succeeded in killing you,” Luke corrected.

Valerian waved him away with an unconcerned hand. “Semantics. The point is—I cannot go home again. Now, it is very true that I don’t give a stuff about whatever mission you’re on.” He stared down at his fingers as he then began picking at his fingernails. “My interests have but one focus.”

“And that is?” Luke pressed.

Valerian looked up at him and his eyes were suddenly narrowed and deadly. “Avenging myself upon Blackthorn.”

“And why would I care about that?” Luke asked.

“You most certainly should care,” Valerian answered, and it struck me as interesting that the man who was imprisoned seemed cool, calm and in control while Luke looked like he was so angry, I almost expected steam to come out of his ears. “You should care because we are technically now on the same side, my good sir, the same team, as it were.” He looked up from inspecting his fingernails and gave Luke a wide grin. “For different reasons though, of course. ”

“Really?” Luke laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “You think the fact that you’ve been ousted from the Dark Coven is a good enough reason for me to trust you?”

“Trust me?” Valerian laughed, before he began shaking his head. “No, I did not advise that.” Then he nonchalantly shook his head. “But allow me to fight alongside you? Yes.”

“Unbelievable,” Luke said.

“What does it matter to you why I am on your side?” Valerian continued, cocking his head curiously as he studied Luke. “The important thing is that I am.”

“He has a point,” I said as I faced Luke who gave me a look that said exactly what he thought of Valerian, his comment, and my defending said comment and man.

“You can’t be serious?” Luke asked, turning to me.

“Actually, I think it makes a lot of sense,” I admitted, ignoring Magnus’s grumbling about chopping heads off.

“Then you are just as delirious as he is,” Luke answered as he motioned to Valerian.

“Wait,” I urged before Luke could protest more. “The maiden in the room of The Star said Valerian isn’t as he seems,” I argued. “What was more—the lesson of The Star was one of hope. ”

“So what?” Luke demanded.

“So, I never lost hope that Valerian had changed,” I answered. “And that was the lesson the moon or the maiden or Artemis or whoever is behind all of this wanted me to learn. Not to give up hope. So, if we are observing that lesson, Luke, we shouldn’t be giving up now either.”

“Well said, little starling,” the pain in the ass called out.

“We’re not discussing this right now,” Luke warned, but I pressed on.

“Valerian had plenty of chances to hurt me or escape, but he didn’t. Why?” I asked, looking directly at Valerian.

“Because, my dear, I have nowhere to go,” he answered, his eyes locking on mine.

“See, Luke?” I insisted as I nodded, figuring that was the exact answer Valerian would give me. “He’s not our enemy—maybe he used to be, but he isn’t anymore.”

“You can believe whatever you choose to believe,” Luke said through gritted teeth. “But he stays in the cage. If he breaks out, Magnus won’t hesitate to behead him.”

“An excellent reason for me to resist the urge to break out,” Valerian agreed, smirking at Magnus, who simply nodded while tightening his grip on his weapon.