Celeste's POV
My legs gave out the moment we stopped tumbling through the portal.
I collapsed onto a floor that looked like frozen starlight—completely transparent, with galaxies spinning beneath my hands and knees. When I looked up, my breath caught in my throat.
We were inside a palace that shouldn't exist. Walls made of crystallized light stretched upward impossibly high. Stars floated through the air like fireflies. Architecture defied every law of physics I'd ever studied—staircases spiraling into nothing, doorways hanging in midair, entire sections of the building just floating with no support.
"Where... where am I?" I whispered.
"The Celestial Sanctum." Orion's voice was cold again, that warmth I'd felt through the bond completely locked away. "Home to the Celestial Knights and gateway to the Star Courts."
He stood several feet away from me, his silver eyes carefully avoiding mine. His jaw was clenched so tight I could see a muscle twitching. Through the golden thread still connecting us, I felt what he was fighting—panic, fear, and underneath it all, anger at himself.
He didn't want this bond any more than I did.
"Commander." The purple-haired woman—Nyx—landed beside him gracefully. "We need to discuss what happens next. The Court will hear about this within hours."
"I know." Orion's hand rested on his sword hilt. "Secure the perimeter. No one enters or leaves without my authorization."
"You're buying time," Nyx said quietly. "But time for what? You can't hide a soul-bond. The Court will sense it the moment any of us report in."
"Then we don't report in. Not yet."
Nyx's eyes widened. "That's desertion, Commander. You're asking us to commit treason."
"I'm asking you to trust me." Orion finally looked at her. "Can you do that?"
After a long moment, Nyx sighed. "You're going to get us all executed." But she nodded and moved away, barking orders at the other knights.
Orion turned his attention back to me, and I felt his emotions flicker through the bond—concern mixed with resentment. He was worried about me but angry that he cared.
"Can you stand?" he asked.
I tried. My legs shook, but I managed to get to my feet. The constellation marks on my skin were still glowing faintly, pulsing with silver light.
"What are these?" I touched one of the marks on my arm.
"Constellation marks. They appear on those born with celestial blood." His voice was flat, emotionless. "Which shouldn't be possible for a mortal."
"My father always said my mother died when I was born," I said quietly. "He never talked about her. Never even told me her name. Was she... was she one of you? A celestial?"
"That's the only explanation that makes sense." Orion crossed his arms. "But celestials and mortals producing children is forbidden. Has been for over five hundred years. If your mother was celestial, she broke one of our most sacred laws."
"So I'm illegal?" I laughed bitterly. "Perfect. That fits with how my life has been going."
Through the bond, I felt something from Orion—a flicker of sympathy quickly smothered.
"You need rest," he said instead. "Nyx will show you to quarters. Tomorrow we'll figure out—"
"Figure out how to kill me without killing yourself?" I interrupted.
His silver eyes flashed. "I'm not going to kill you."
"But your friends want to."
"They follow orders. My orders. And I'm ordering them to stand down." He stepped closer, and the bond between us hummed with energy. "But understand this—I didn't ask for this connection. I don't want it. For three hundred years, I've been free from emotions, from weakness, from caring about anything except my duty. You've destroyed that in a single night."
His words stung, but I lifted my chin. "I didn't ask for this either. I just wanted to stop hurting. I wanted power to protect myself. I never asked to be bound to some ice-cold warrior who clearly hates me."
"I don't hate you." The words came out softer than I expected. Through the bond, I felt the truth of them. "I don't know what I feel about you. That's the problem."
We stared at each other, the golden thread pulsing between us.
Before either of us could speak, Nyx appeared in the doorway. "Commander, we have a situation."
Orion tensed. "What kind of situation?"
"Three members of the Celestial Court just arrived at the outer gates. They're demanding entry." Nyx's face was grim. "They said they detected a forbidden soul-bond forming and they're here to investigate."
My stomach dropped. "How did they know already?"
"Soul-bonds create a massive energy signature," Orion explained. "Every celestial within a hundred miles would have felt it." He cursed under his breath. "I was hoping we'd have more time."
"What do we do?" I asked.
Orion's mind was racing—I could feel it through the bond. He was weighing options, calculating risks, trying to find a solution that wouldn't end with both of us dead.
"Can you lie?" he asked me suddenly.
I blinked. "What?"
"Can you lie convincingly? Keep your emotions hidden even when you're terrified?"
Through the bond, he felt my confusion, my fear. "I... I don't know. Maybe? I've been pretending to be okay my whole life. Does that count?"
A ghost of a smile flickered across his face. "That'll have to do." He turned to Nyx. "Bring them to the formal receiving chamber. Tell them the Commander will see them shortly."
"Orion, what are you planning?" Nyx asked warily.
"We're going to tell them the truth." He looked at me. "Just not all of it."
"That's a terrible plan," Nyx said flatly.
"Do you have a better one?"
She scowled. "No."
"Then get moving." After Nyx left, Orion grabbed my arm. "Listen carefully. When they question you, stick as close to the truth as possible. You came to the ruins to make a wish. The convergence answered. I arrived to investigate the disturbance. The bond formed accidentally when our powers connected."
"That's what happened," I pointed out.
"Exactly. We just leave out the part where you wished for revenge and called down enough power to tear a hole between realms." His grip tightened. "And whatever you do, don't mention Lord Cassius Void. If they know he's involved, they'll assume you're working with him."
"But I'm not! I don't even know who that is!"
"I know. But they won't believe you. Soul-bonds are supposed to be impossible now. The fact that one formed means someone with immense power wanted it to happen. They'll assume you're part of a conspiracy."
My head spun with information. "This is insane."
"Welcome to celestial politics." He released my arm. "One more thing—the Court members will try to read your emotions, your intentions. The bond connects us, which means they might be able to sense me through you. So you need to stay calm. If you panic, I panic, and they'll know something's wrong."
"How am I supposed to stay calm when we're about to be interrogated by celestial judges who want to execute me?"
Through the bond, I felt his answer before he spoke it.
"Because I won't let them hurt you."
The certainty in his voice, in his emotions, shocked us both.
He'd known me for less than an hour. We were bound by accident. He'd told me himself he didn't want this connection.
But he meant it. He would protect me.
Even if it cost him everything.
"Why?" I whispered. "Why would you risk that for someone you just met?"
Orion's expression shuttered closed. "I don't know. The bond, probably. It's making me irrational."
But through our connection, I felt the lie.
It wasn't just the bond.
Something about me—about who I was, what I represented—called to something deep inside him. Something that had been buried for three hundred years under ice and duty.
Before I could question him further, Nyx appeared again. "They're waiting, Commander. And they're getting impatient."
Orion straightened, his face becoming a cold mask. "Let's go." He looked at me. "Stay close. Don't speak unless spoken to. And remember—you're not a threat. You're just a confused mortal girl who accidentally stumbled into power she doesn't understand."
"I am a confused mortal girl who accidentally stumbled into power I don't understand," I muttered.
"Then this should be easy." His tone was dry.
We followed Nyx through impossible hallways that seemed to shift and change as we walked. Other celestial beings passed us, all of them stopping to stare at me with various expressions—curiosity, disgust, fear.
I kept my head high and my face blank, even though my heart was pounding.
Finally, we entered a massive chamber with a ceiling that looked like the night sky. Three figures stood in the center, all wearing elaborate robes and radiating power that made my skin prickle.
The one in the middle—a tall woman with white hair and eyes like burning suns—smiled coldly when she saw us.
"Commander Orion Silvanus." Her voice echoed through the chamber. "It's been a long time since you've directly violated celestial law. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten how."
Orion bowed slightly, his face expressionless. "High Justicar Lyra. What brings the Court to my Sanctum uninvited?"
"You know exactly what brings us." Her burning eyes fixed on me. "A soul-bond between a celestial and a mortal. Forbidden for over five hundred years. And yet here you stand, golden thread connecting you to this... creature."
She said "creature" like I was something disgusting.
Orion's hand moved to his sword. "Careful how you speak about her."
"Oh?" Lyra's smile widened. "The bond has its hooks in you already. How fascinating." She stepped closer to me. "Tell me, little mortal. Who taught you the forbidden magic to force a soul-bond? Who do you work for?"
"No one," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I don't work for anyone. I didn't even know this was possible."
"Lies." The Justicar raised her hand, and pressure slammed into my chest like a physical weight. "I can feel the deception in you."
Through the bond, Orion's rage flared hot. But he kept his face calm.
"She's not lying," he said. "The bond formed accidentally during the Celestial Convergence. I was investigating a disturbance at the Constellation Ruins when—"
"When a mortal girl happened to be performing forbidden rituals at the exact right moment?" Lyra's voice dripped with disbelief. "How remarkably convenient."
The other two Court members moved to flank us. One—a man with blue skin and crystalline eyes—spoke: "Commander, you're asking us to believe this was purely coincidental?"
"I'm telling you what happened," Orion replied coolly.
"Then you won't mind if we examine the girl's memories," Lyra said. "To verify your story."
Horror shot through me. "My memories?"
"A simple procedure. We'll look through your thoughts, see the truth of how this bond formed." Lyra's smile was predatory. "Unless you have something to hide?"
I looked at Orion in panic. If they saw my memories, they'd see everything—my wish for revenge, the power I'd called down, the rage and pain that fueled it.
They'd see I was exactly what they feared.
Through the bond, I felt Orion calculating, planning.
Then he did something that shocked everyone in the room.
He stepped between me and the Justicar.
"No," he said quietly. "You're not touching her."
Silence fell like a hammer.
Lyra's eyes widened. "Commander, you're refusing a direct order from the Celestial Court?"
"I'm protecting someone under my authority." Orion's voice was steel. "She's in my Sanctum. That makes her my responsibility. And I don't allow anyone to invade the minds of those under my protection."
"Even if it means hiding a traitor?" the blue-skinned man asked.
"She's not a traitor. She's a victim of circumstance."
Lyra's expression hardened. "Commander Orion Silvanus, by order of the Celestial Court, you are to stand aside and allow us to complete our investigation. If you refuse, you will be charged with treason."
The tension in the room was suffocating.
Through our bond, I felt Orion's resolve crystallize.
He was going to refuse.
He was going to commit treason.
For me.
"Orion, don't—" I started.
"Stand aside, Commander," Lyra commanded. "This is your last chance."
Orion's hand moved to his sword.
"No."
The single word echoed through the chamber.
And then the floor beneath us exploded.
Dark creatures—the same Void Hunters from the ruins—burst through the crystallized floor in a wave of gnashing teeth and corrupted starlight. They poured into the chamber like a black tide, targeting everyone indiscriminately.
The Court members immediately began fighting them off, but more kept coming.
"How did they get past the wards?" Nyx shouted, her spear appearing in her hand.
"They didn't break through," Orion said grimly, his sword igniting with white fire. "Someone let them in. Someone who's already inside the Sanctum."
His eyes met mine through the chaos.
We had a traitor among the Celestial Knights.
And they'd just given Lord Cassius Void an open door into the most secure location in the celestial realm.