Chapter 8: Trust Falls and Starbound

"You're a what now?"

Maya sat cross-legged on her bed, still wearing her uniform from dinner, a half-finished tracking potion forgotten on her desk. I'd just spent the last hour explaining everything—the stars, my mother, the Crown, even Caspian.

"A Star-touched," I repeated, pacing our room. "I can manipulate starlight directly, and apparently my blood is magic, and everyone either wants to use me or stop me, and your family has apparently been protecting mine for generations, and—"

"Lyra." Maya's voice was calm. "Breathe."

I stopped pacing. "You don't seem surprised."

"Well, the glowing eyes were kind of a tip-off." She grinned. "Plus, Sarah might have mentioned something about keeping an eye on you. Though she left out the part about the ancient celestial crown of destiny."

"So... you're not freaked out?"

"Are you kidding? This is amazing!" She jumped up and started rummaging through her trunk. "I have like, fifty potions I've been wanting to try with stellar energy, but harvested starlight is so hard to get, and—" She stopped, looking sheepish. "Sorry. Probably not the point."

I couldn't help but laugh. It felt good, normal, after everything that had happened.

"Actually," I said, pulling out my mother's journal, "that might be exactly the point. Look at this."

I showed her the newly revealed pages, pointing to a section about combining starblood with conventional magic.

"Holy crystallized constellations," Maya breathed. "Your mom was a genius. These formulas... they're not just about using stellar energy, they're about stabilizing it. Making it safe for non-Star-touched to handle."

"Which means?"

"Which means," she said, eyes shining, "we might be able to create protection charms against whatever the Council is planning. But we'd need—"

A knock at our door cut her off. We both froze.

"Miss Nightshade?" Professor Roth's voice. "A moment?"

I shoved the journal under my pillow as Maya opened the door. Professor Roth stood there, her flame-hair dimmed to embers.

"Both of you, come with me. Quickly."

Something in her tone stopped any questions. We followed her through the dark corridors, down stairs I'd never seen before, until we reached what looked like an abandoned classroom.

Inside, Caspian was waiting with a girl I recognized from Defensive Magic—tall, with silver-white hair similar to his.

"This is my sister, Aurora," he said.

I stared. "Like my mother?"

"Named after her, actually." The girl—Aurora—smiled. "Your mother was my godmother."

My head spun. "How many people are involved in this?"

"More than you know," Professor Roth said, sealing the door with a complex pattern of light. "And fewer than we need. The Council is moving faster than we expected. They're not waiting for the natural alignment anymore."

"What do you mean?" Maya asked.

Caspian pulled out a star chart. "They're using amplification crystals to speed up the stellar convergence. At this rate, the Crown will manifest in weeks, not months."

"But that's not possible," I said. "The stars can't just—"

I stopped as pain shot through my chest. The pendant burned hot, and suddenly I could feel it—feel the stars being pulled, forced, twisted out of their natural paths.

"They're doing it now," I gasped.

Aurora steadied me as my knees buckled. "This is why we need you. Only a Star-touched can counter their manipulation."

"How?"

"With this." Professor Roth revealed a small box. Inside was what looked like a piece of crystal, but it moved like liquid starlight. "Your mother's last creation. A star-core. Combined with your blood, it could disrupt their amplification array."

"But we have to act tonight," Caspian added. "Before they realize we have it."

Maya stepped forward. "I can help. My potions can stabilize the reaction."

"It's dangerous," Aurora warned. "If anything goes wrong..."

"I'm in," I said firmly. The stars were screaming in my blood, fighting against the unnatural movement. "What do we do?"

The next hour was a blur of preparation. Maya mixed potions with starblood samples Aurora had collected. Professor Roth and Caspian worked on protective wards. I studied the relevant pages in my mother's journal, trying to memorize the incantations.

Finally, everything was ready. The star-core floated in a mixture of Maya's stabilizing potion and my blood, glowing with intense silver light.

"The main amplification crystal is in the Celestial Focus chamber," Professor Roth explained. "Top of the central tower. Aurora and I will handle the guards. Caspian, you and Maya deal with the wards. Lyra..."

"I have to place the star-core," I finished.

"One problem," Maya said, looking out the window. "Vale never leaves the tower at night."

"Leave that to me," Aurora smiled, pulling out what looked like a normal student request form. "I just filed an urgent report about unusual stellar activity in the East Wing. She'll have to investigate."

Right on cue, we saw Vale's distinctive silhouette hurrying across the courtyard.

"Now," Caspian said.

We moved through the castle like shadows, using paths I never knew existed. Maya's potions kept us hidden, while Caspian and Aurora dealt with the magical security measures.

The Celestial Focus chamber was at the very top of the tower, directly under the open sky. The amplification crystal hung suspended in the center, surrounded by floating runes and pulsing with unnatural light.

"Hurry," Professor Roth whispered. "Vale won't be distracted for long."

I approached the crystal, star-core in hand. The closer I got, the more wrong everything felt. The stars overhead were practically screaming now.

Then I heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Company," Aurora hissed.

"Do it now!" Caspian urged.

I reached for the amplification crystal, ready to place the star-core—

"Stop!"

The voice froze me in place. Not with magic this time, but with shock.

Because I knew that voice.

I turned slowly, the star-core pulsing in my hands, and found myself staring at someone I never expected to see again.

"Mom?"