Cameo wrapped her arms around Julian’s neck. “Did Miss Nora tell you to come see me?”

He grinned at her. “What makes you think I came here to see you? You’re boring.”

She sighed dramatically, her eyes lifting to the ceiling. Even at nine years old, the little faedra girl still couldn’t roll her eyes correctly. “What. Ever.” she said, making him chuckle.

“Cam, be nice,” Ava admonished gently. She walked past Julian and went to hug Ynda. 

“Yeah, be nice,” Julian said with mock hurt. “You made me sad by being so mean.”

Cameo held his face with both hands, bringing the tip of her nose to his as she squeezed his cheeks. “You’re just a crybaby.”

“You’re a meanie head,” he said, his words forced through pinched lips. 

She let his face go and he put her down. 

“But to answer your question, yes, she did. She said you had something for me.”

She held out her hand and he took it, following her down the tunnels away from Ynda’s residence. He waved back at the two women as the little girl led him along through the intricate cave system.

“I saw Felix,” she said after a minute. “He looked upset about something.”

Julian had to bite his lip to prevent from smiling, even though the child wasn’t looking at him. “He’s trying to hide from someone who isn't here.”

“Miss Mercy?”

It amazed him how incredibly perceptive the young girl was of the world and the people around her. He wasn’t sure if it was because she was a faedra, or if she just came by it naturally.

“Yes,” he finally said. “Miss Mercy. Ryu told me she was out on a job, though. I thought she was your babysitter?”

“She’s taking some cubs to a training camp in the Underworld,” she said, leading him around a corner and deeper into the mountain. “She’s supposed to be back in a few days.” She glanced up at him, a gleam in her eye.

His eyes widened and he smiled. “Supposed to be, huh?”

“Mhm.” She mirrored his smile and they both put a finger to their lips, laughing at their shared secret.

They were almost to her family’s cavern when she asked, “How come Tan isn’t here?”

He glanced down at her. “Why would he be?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know, I just thought he’d want to come with you this time.”

“Tanya did ask if they could come join me but I told her no. Besides, someone needs to watch Sunny while I’m gone.”

Her entire face lit up at the mention of his dog and she almost started bouncing as they walked. “How is my puppy dog?” she asked excitedly. “Is he big now? Does he remember me? I bet he does! You should have brought him with you instead of Felix.”

He laughed as they turned into the cavern, the barrier rising almost automatically behind them. “First off, Princess, Sun is my puppy dog, and yeah, he’s huge. He was giving sprites a ride on his back a few nights ago.”

Her mouth opened wide with amazement. “He did?”

He nodded. “He’s incredibly gentle with them, just like you thought he’d be. He’s gentle with all the fae, actually. There are some mythics he doesn’t like.” His eyebrow ticked. “Well, there are some Divine and humans he doesn’t like either, but he’s much more amiable around the fae.”

“Well, yeah, it’s ‘cause they saved him and he knows that.” A moment later, they arrived at her room and she released his hand. He surreptitiously wiped his palm on his jeans, removing the sweat that had accumulated during the trek. He glanced around the decorated cavern, taking in all the new toys and the large bed that had appeared since he had visited last. He frowned, realizing that the last time he had been here, the family was still in the process of moving out of Helman Hall and into Kanaki Valley.

Finn and Ava were experiencing issues in trying to find somewhere to live in the Divine Realms, issues they expected but still found frustrating. Even though Ryu told them they didn’t have to move out, Ava insisted. There were too many memories there, she said.

“Noah is still here,” she had said, her gray eyes dark with sadness.

Cameo came up to him, the box in her little hands, her eyes set on his face, her expression serious. “You need to sit down, Uncle.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said, obeying her directions. He crossed his legs and she sat directly in front of him, the box in her lap. When she spoke, he had to remember he was dealing with a child, even though the words and tone she used were that of a woman.

“Julian, no one else is allowed to read the words that are carved into the box,” she said.

“Ryu read them.”

She shook her head. “He read the words that were on the front.” She turned the box around, revealing the scrollwork on the back. His eyes went wide and his breath hitched in his throat. 

“That’s…”

“Sterjnasang,” she nodded. “But it’s different, isn’t it?”

“It is,” he said softly. “I know this writing.” He reached out a hand to trace the symbols but she stopped him.

“You can’t touch it yet, Uncle,” she said, gently pushing his hand away.

“Why not?”

“Because you have to make the promise first.”

“What promise?”

She frowned at him. “I thought you said Ryu read the words on the front?”

“He did, but he couldn’t translate all of it.”

She sighed, her eyes turning up to the ceiling. “Of course he couldn’t,” she muttered. She tilted the box and pointed at two symbols Ryu said could mean either “celestial light” or “star birth.” When he mentioned that, the little girl grinned. “He was close. In part, it says one born of celestial power must vow protection of the keepers of the stars, and of the one who wields the greatest of these.”

Julian paled, his hand clenching reflexively as Ren’s voice echoed through time.

Our duty is to the stars…we protect their secrets and in return, they share their power.

Cameo’s brow furrowed and she tilted her head. “Uncle? Are you okay?”

He swallowed, his chest beginning to burn. “I’m…fine,” he managed through a constricted throat. “You’re sure that’s what it says?”

She nodded slowly, her eyes glued to his face. 

I broke my vow before I could ever make it… His head began to swim. He lowered it into his hands, his breath coming in gulps. I couldn’t protect him…the one I knew who could wield their power, I couldn’t protect him!

“Uncle Julian?” Cameo’s small hand reached over, taking his hand away from his face. He looked up at her, panic in his eyes.

“I couldn’t protect him!” he blurted out without thinking. “I can’t make a promise when it’s already broken…”

“Uncle,” she said, confusion in her face. “What are you talking about?”

“Ren,” he croaked, leaning back on his hands. “Ren is a celestial elf, a race charged with the protection of the stars and their power. I couldn’t…I couldn’t…he fell and I…”

“Yes, you did,” she said, still not understanding. “He wouldn’t have survived the fall if you hadn’t.”

He stared at her, uncomprehending. “What?”

“You don’t remember?”

He shook his head. “I was hit by a boulder when I fell…my wing…it…” He gulped. “I blacked out and—”

“You blacked out because you used energy you hadn’t touched before.”

He froze. 

“You’re the only descendant of Ynda’s people to be found in these Realms,” she said. When he started to argue, she held up a small hand. “Genetically, you aren’t a god, or an Immortal. Not really. Not in the way we know them to be here.”

His eyes fell to the box in her lap.

“We all inherit different things from our parents when we are created,” she said. “For humans, it’s biological traits. For us, it’s both biology and magic. However, in rare instances, something gets mixed up and what we get is unexpected and unique. I’m a faedra born of an angel and a demon, something that is unheard of to begin with.”

“And me?”

“All that you are came directly from Hawk’s line, from Ynda’s people. Your father might be able to manipulate celestial energy, but he cannot use it like you can.” Her brow furrowed. “But it’s more than that. Much, much more. Something I can’t completely comprehend.”

He wasn’t even going to bother to ask how a child her age knew such large and complicated words. Tristan already had a complex vocabulary by the time he was four. 

He swallowed and took a deep breath. “So,” he began slowly, quietly. “You’re saying I used pure star magic to keep Ren from dying that day? To save him?”

She nodded. “You cocooned him in a cloud of stardust.” She closed her eyes, thinking a moment before reopening them to look at a spot above his head. “Galactic Cloud, I think you called it.”

He jolted, his eyes wide. “How the hell…?”

“The trees told me.”

He stared, blinking once, slowly. “Of course they did,” he said.

“You did what you were supposed to do, you protected the star bearer you’re bound to, which means you can—”

“Wait, how do you know Ren’s my—”

“Interrupt me one more time, Julian Frae, and I will slap you.”

He swallowed and nodded in contrition. Lesson number one: Don’t piss off the faedra.

She took a deep breath, waited a second for him to ask another question, nodded once, and continued. “Because you successfully, if unconsciously, protected your mate, you can make the vow with a clear mind and soul. It serves as proof you can be trusted with the Godheart.”

“It also means,” Julian added, running a hand through his hair. “That what Hawk said is true, that I’m the last real star child in these Realms.”

She nodded. “And as I’m sure you already know, the only one that can read these final words is a child born of celestial power.”

He swallowed hard, his eyes falling to the box. “A Wanderer.”

-*-