The Stardust Affair (Part II)

June's Story Tag

This is Part II in the series!

Read Part I

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Hallie Brynn

“Seven hells, Lucius!“ Tobias cried as he righted himself. The stardust travel made him feel like his insides might now be on the outside. “You’ve got to warn a fellow before you throw him through the aether!“

“Well, had you not been followed, we wouldn’t have had to waste the stardust on a detour!“ Lucius hit back, straightening his ratty black robes.

“Where are we?“ Tobias turned in a slow circle, surveying the moonlit forest around them, the jagged skyline of Greyfen’s Keep rising up against the starry sky. “Where’s Whiskerquick?“

“Up here!“ A squeak echoed down from a gnarled branch above, where Whiskerquick was hanging precariously by his tiny cape. “A little help, one of you?“

“He’s too high up!“ Tobias huffed, trying to jump for the branch—to no avail.

“Stop wasting your energy, boy,“ Lucius scoffed. He let out a low whistle and the branch started to move, lowering with a creaking groan toward the ground.

“Thank you, Banyan.“ Lucius bowed to the massive tree.

“You know this tree?“ Tobias raised an eyebrow.

“Of course I do,“ Lucius said matter-of-factly. “He’s my loyal guardian.“

Whiskerquick and Tobias shared a dubious glance, both wondering if the Stardust had done a number on their minds.

“Welcome to my humble abode.“ Lucius smiled with a theatrical gesture. Banyan moved his numerous branches as if untangling a wooden web to reveal a decrepit hut. “Let me just see what I’ve done with my key.“

As Lucius rummaged through the astonishing number of pockets on his sorcerer’s robes, Whiskerquick stood up on his hind legs, sniffing the air.

“What is it?“ asked Tobias.

“Lucius, were you expecting visitors?“ Whiskerquick asked, “I smell three humans, when clearly there are only two of you.“

Lucius, who was now trying to peel up a loose cobblestone from the path leading to his hut, groaned. “No, of course not. I was not expecting to come back here at all. Banyan, didn’t I hide a key under one of these loose cobbles?“

“Lucius Starbender?“ A low female voice floated through the forest from behind them, accompanied by soft footsteps. “Is that you?“

The hair on Tobias’s neck stood up. He felt the rush of bittersweet recognition as he turned slowly to face the woman who addressed the sorcerer. As a beam of moonlight caught her hooded face, his knees felt like they might give out beneath him. He would know those sharp eyes anywhere. They were not quite unlike his own. “Mother?“

Alexa D.B.

The woman froze as recognition struck her. She pulled back the cloak from her head, revealing locks of milky white hair. “Tobias. I didn’t expect to find you here,“ she said, eyes flicking between him and Lucius, clearly caught off guard. “This complicates things.“

Lucius stepped forward, his shadows coiling around him once more. “What do you want, Meredith?“

She drew a dagger from its sheath at her hip. “You stole a little something from our dear Lord Regent,“ she drawled, tossing the dagger into the air and catching it by the hilt. “And he is very insistent that we get it back. Since my son is here, I will make you a deal—hand over the stardust, and nobody gets hurt.“

“And if we don’t, madam?“ Whiskerquick stood at the ready—one paw firmly wrapped around the hilt of his rapier, his face hardened with unnerving resolve.

“Well then, let's hope my son is a fast runner.“

Meredith locked eyes with her son—a silent plea: Get the hell out of here.

Before he could heed his mother’s unspoken warning, roots erupted from the ground, ensnaring Meredith’s ankles and yanking her back against Banyan’s trunk. A cage of twisted branches coiled around her, locking her in place.

“Banyan! You amazing guardian, you!“ Lucius cheered. “How does it feel to be bested by a tree, Spy Mistress?“

Meredith writhed and snarled in a futile attempt to free herself from Banyan's hold.

Whiskerquick scaled the wizard’s robes and stood confidently on his shoulder. “Now it’s your turn to make a deal with us. You can surrender and come quietly, or I'll carve you up right now in front of your very own son. Which will it be?“

The Spy Mistress stilled. Which would she choose—duty or family? “Fine. I’ll go with you.“

Tamsin Gordon

“You will?“ Tobias asked, surprise coated with suspicion. She had never chosen him over business before, so why now?

“Also,“ Tobias muttered, spinning to face his mousy companion, his voice low enough for only Whiskerquick and Lucius to hear, “what the hell, Whiskers? Did you actually mean that? She's my mother. I know she’s awful, but carve her up? Seriously?“

Whiskerquick’s whiskers twitched. He shrugged and whispered, “Sorry, it's all I could think of….“

“I admit, surrendering so easily must seem out of character.“ Meredith paused. “But I know exactly what you're planning, and seeing Tobias here only confirms it. You know, Lucius, using my son isn't going to work. You need me.“

A slow, familiar grin inched across her face, one Tobias recognized all too well. It froze something deep in his chest. She was already scheming.

Lucius answered with a wry smile, sly as a hidden blade. And in that instant, Tobias saw it not as a quarrel, but a game. A long-played, silent duel between shadow and spell, where every word was a move, every glance a feint. His mother and the wizard were playing against each other, and it was him who they had placed on the board.

Not as a player.

A piece.

A pawn being played in the darkness.

Lucius had hired him under vague promises and veiled motives to steal the stardust, and to crack a vault hidden beneath layers of magic and secrecy and in return, he would pay him an absurd amount of money. But he’d never said whose vault it was… or what laid waiting inside.

Tobias had let that slide … until now. He turned to the sorcerer, voice edged with bitterness. “Lucius,“ he asked slowly, “just whose vault are we breaking into?“

The air thickened, the silence heavy with withheld truths.

Lucius didn’t answer right away.

He didn’t need to.

To be continued…

Part III

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