Chapter 42: Breakfast 2.

Silence lingered through the cave for so long that Star began to feel his heart hammering against his throat.

Druid’s sudden silence, coupled with the introspective look that had settled over his face, did little to ease his mounting anxiety. Even little Jeremy, Jesper, and Kessarah were staring at him now, their eyes sharpened with surprise and uncertainty.

’Did I make a mistake telling them what happened to me?’ The thought spiralled through Star’s mind. ’Perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut and gone along with Sarah and Zuru’s cover story. Damn it!’

Sarah and Zuru were equally shocked, but their shock was tinged with shame. After all, Star had practically exposed their lies.

Although his honesty was commendable, Sarah couldn’t help feeling that he had been rather abrupt about it. After all, her trust in these people had already been shaken by their deception and their decision to chain Star up. She wasn’t entirely certain she could fault them for being cautious, but neither could she pretend that their actions had inspired confidence.

However, Kezara finally broke the silence.

"My mother once used to say, ’If there isn’t enough good in you, then you don’t have enough tools to balance out evil when it comes.’" she began, her voice gentle but assured. "The statement is straightforward and rather self-explanatory. And I think it gives us a clear picture of who Star is. Someone with enough good in him to keep the evil at bay."

’Hmm.’ Star looked up at her, and even when their eyes met, she didn’t look away this time. Instead, she offered him a warm smile, a small gesture that somehow meant far more than she could have known. It reminded Star of why he had liked her so much back then.

Sarah surreptitiously glanced between Kezara and Star, and something twisted unpleasantly in her stomach.

She knew Kezara had done nothing wrong, and there was every reason to be grateful for her support. Still, Sarah found herself studying the other girl a little too closely.

Perhaps it was the softness of her voice, the lovely face, those icy-green eyes, or the meticulously cared-for hair.

’Ugh.’ Whatever it was, she suddenly found herself paying far more attention to Kezara than she had any intention of doing.

Finally, Druid let out a long exhale. He looked at Star before lowering his head again.

"The truth is, I was confused, angry, lost, and frightened all at once." His fingers tapped idly against the stone surface. "We grew up with one lesson constantly hammered into our heads: slay demons before they eat you. And as the Crown Prince of the Diconoc Kingdom, I’m expected to lead by example. I can’t afford to make decisions based solely on friendship, especially when an entire kingdom might pay the price for my mistakes."

He paused, making Star swallow nervously. Sarah, meanwhile, subtly straightened in her seat, prepared to intervene if things took a turn for the worse.

But then he smiled.

"Well, Kezara here helped me remember something."

He placed his hand atop Kezara’s.

Kezara returned his smile, though hers seemed a little forced.

"A demon is someone who cares for nothing but satisfying its taste for blood," Druid continued. "And that, my friend, isn’t who Star is." He shook his head. "It never was."

Jeremy released a breath and nodded, his expression thoughtful. Jesper followed suit, though his agreement was more restrained.

Star remained speechless. Perhaps it was easier for them to accept him because they hadn’t witnessed his demonic state, but he was certain they had encountered demons before. It shouldn’t have taken much imagination for them to understand what he could become, yet here they were, choosing to trust him anyway.

"I can’t believe Dante would do something like this," Druid continued. "And then lie about it to cover his own arse. Now I understand why he suspended the I.Vs. He must have aligned himself with this world-ending bastards who wants humanity gone."

Star frowned. "Hang on... He suspended the Illustrious Vanguard?"

"It pained me a lot, too," Jesper said, his voice deeper than one might expect from a thirteen-year-old. "I always wanted to be one."

Star gritted his teeth. ’So that’s why no help came when Skarthrax was attacking. The I.V. always senses danger from afar and appears without hesitation. Oh, Dante, what’s your plan?’

He raised his head. "This is why you’re here, isn’t it? To defend your borders?"

"Father says the Accord is strong, that dragon scales are impenetrable." Druid bit his lip before looking at Star. "I don’t doubt him. I’m simply being reasonable. The Dragon King is gone, no offence, but I refuse to leave my kingdom vulnerable simply because everyone insists it’s already protected."

Sarah studied Druid with renewed respect. It took courage to question the assurances of a king, especially when doing so meant risking his own safety. And rather than hide behind his father’s authority, Druid had chosen to act. She couldn’t help admiring the responsibility he had taken upon himself, even if his methods had left much to be desired.

"I stationed other people at various locations, with the strongest ones guarding the most vulnerable places. Then I... we took this place, the most dangerous area of them all," Druid finished, his voice firm with conviction.

Star nodded, though even that simple gesture could hardly express how proud and relieved he felt. He was especially glad to hear that Druid shared his suspicions about Dante meddling with the Accord. After all, something as dark and dangerous as Skarthrax had walked right through it as though it were nothing more than a fancy curtain.

"I’m guessing your father isn’t very supportive of you doing this."

"Father doesn’t know," Druid snorted, gesturing around the cave. "That’s why we’re hiding."

"Yeah," Star mused. "I thought you guys were actually Royal Raiders."

They all laughed.

"Yeah, that’s fair," Druid admitted amid the laughter. "We do look rather suspicious when you think about it."

"Rather suspicious?" Star echoed. "You drugged me, locked me in a chair, and left me wondering whether I’d be sold to some wealthy noble with a peculiar interest in cursed princes."

Druid grimaced. "When you put it like that, it sounds considerably worse."

"It was considerably worse."

"All right, all right." Druid raised both hands in surrender. "I’ll admit the execution could have been better." He breathed out. "Regardless, I just want to be here to eliminate any threat before it becomes a real problem. If it’s too strong for us to handle, though, we’ll delay it long enough for Father to be notified."

"A good survival instinct," Star commended.

Druid chuckled proudly.

Jesper cleared his throat before looking up at Star.

"So, what actually brought you here?" he asked. "I mean, you guys can’t have come all this way just to heal and eat."

Zuru looked up at him and immediately lowered the chicken wing he had been preparing to demolish, as though the question was personally meant for him.

Star chuckled. He had observed enough to realise that Jesper wasn’t much of a talker. If he chose to ask a question, there was probably a good reason behind it.

He exhaled. "Dante will never stop looking for me, and you know that. This kingdom, however, is the best place to hide."

The four exchanged incredulous glances.

"This kingdom?" Kezara asked. "It’s practically an open book. Gossip and rumours spread everywhere. No one in their right mind would come here to hide."

Star smiled. "You just said it."

Druid nodded thoughtfully. "That makes it the last place anyone would think to search for someone who’s hiding, doesn’t it?"

"There you go," Star said with a snicker. "Besides, I need to get stronger and learn to control myself better."

"I can help you with that," Kezara chimed in. "I’ve made some friends at the Monastery of Stillwater, and they’re affiliated with an academy that teaches self-mastery. Who better to learn from than monks who’ve spent their lives mastering their minds and bodies?"

Star’s face lit up. "You’d really help me with that?"

"Of course," Kezara replied with a smile. Seeing his happiness made something inside her soften.

Sarah suddenly chuckled, a little too loudly.

"He also said he’d teach me how to use my Aspects, didn’t you, Star?"

The smile on Star’s face faltered. "Yes... I did."

"See?" Sarah blurted, looking directly at Kezara. "He likes doing things for me, sometimes more than I do for him."

Star raised a brow. "I... I do?"

"Of course."

Kezara forced a chuckle. "Oh!" she murmured. A vein throbbed at the side of her neck, but she managed to suppress her irritation and quickly changed the subject.

"You haven’t unlocked your Aspects yet?"

"No... not yet. I wasn’t lucky enough to attend one of those schools."

Jesper shrugged. "Well, you can train with us. We use training to pass the time here."

"Yes, of course!" Sarah readily accepted. "Now Star can show me how to use my powers properly. Honestly, I know he’ll make a good teacher."

Kezara’s irritation rose another notch at Jesper’s offer, and Sarah’s immediate acceptance nearly pushed her over the edge. Her smile remained in place, but the way she set down her cutlery was a little more deliberate than necessary.

Sarah noticed it, but she enjoyed it, probably more than the food.

Star was the only one who seemed to understand what was brewing beneath the table. He had no intention of letting it ruin the morning, though, so he pretended not to notice.

"Training is the main reason I’m here, Druid, and I’d really appreciate it if your father didn’t find out I’m staying in his kingdom."

"I won’t tell him. You have my word."

Star nodded appreciatively.

"But why the sudden desire to become stronger?" Druid asked. "I understand wanting better control over yourself, but why power?"

Star exhaled slowly. His earlier cheerfulness faded as he lowered his gaze to the table, suddenly finding it difficult to meet Druid’s eyes. For a moment, he seemed to struggle with the words, as though saying them aloud would make the danger awaiting him all the more real.

"My mother, Druid," he murmured. "She’s alive."

Little Jeremy’s eyes widened. "Let me guess... your uncle has her?"

Star nodded. "I intend to save her. Only this time." His jaw tightened as he lifted his gaze. "I’m taking the war to him."

Everyone stared at him, caught between disbelief and alarm. Druid’s lips parted as though he wanted to ask something, but no words came. Jesper straightened in his seat, while Jeremy’s eyes widened. Even Kezara’s usual composure slipped, her hand hovering above her plate.

For a moment, even the air seemed stunned. Yet the words travelled all the same, carried beyond the cave, through the woods, and into the ears of someone lurking among the trees.

She smiled. "Bravery. One of the reasons I adore him," she giggled childishly.

But then her expression darkened. "Perhaps I really did give you too little credit. I thought you’d spill everything the moment you told them you were a demon. But you didn’t. You didn’t tell them that the demon inside you was him, hell, you never even told them how you keep him locked inside you."

Her eyes reddened.

"I need that information."

She tilted her head, angrily.

"I need..."

"Vehitoshi."