known we would make that spell, or even that we did."
"Could she have suggested it to you?" I asked. "Maybe planted it into your subconscious?"
"No, she told me about her visions, but never that one."
"And the pact was only made between you, Astra's mother and my mother?" I persisted.
"Yes, just the three of us."
"Do you have any other children?"
"No, just Clare. And yes, her name really is Clare. There's no star connection, believe me. That was just a silly thing. I'm surprised your mothers went ahead with the idea. I thought it was just a silly thing and assumed we all outgrew it."
"My mother only has three daughters," said Astra, frowning. "And as far as we know, your mother only had you, Stella. Maybe it is one of the four of us, or five, if we include Clare. The spell might still cover her, even if she doesn't have a star name."
"It was just a silly spell," insisted Ariadne, laughing. "It was never designed to do anything more than ensure that you girls would grow closer to each other and stronger together. That didn't work out because we eventually all went our separate ways; but look at you now! You all work together. It was never meant to be any kind of prophecy. I think you're looking at this all wrong." She handed Astra the notebook with a shake of her hand that caused her bracelets to chime.
Astra dropped the notebook onto the table with a sigh. Leaning back into her chair, she sounded defeated as she said, "She could be right. Maybe we're looking in the wrong place. We immediately thought the star sister prophecy meant us, but maybe it refers to someone else."
"There could be another set of star sisters? Not us?" Relief flooded me. The idea of being responsible for so much power was incomprehensible. Unlike my foes, I wasn't power hungry. I had enough magic. Not enough power that I could do whatever the hell I liked, no matter what Astra said, but enough magic of my own. Even as I thought it, I realised how different magic and power were. Some wanted it all. I just wanted to control whatever gifts I had. That meant my magic and any decisions about my life. Having more power was another thing. Even if it made my life easier in some respects, did I want more power just so I could have a simpler love life? The downfalls of such an acquisition of magic and power would surely be high.
"Maybe. Maybe it doesn't even have anything to do with our star names. Maybe it's something else altogether," said Clare.
"Then how in hell do we find them? Her?" I knew it was pointless to ask. Astra didn't have any more ideas than I did, but at least, we were in the room with the one witch who might have been able to help us.
"Tell me more about this so-called superwitch prophecy," said Ariadne. "Maybe I can decipher some hidden meaning, or discover something else without being specific. Sometimes, she wrote in riddles. My mother really was the most difficult woman."
"You think there's a chance this could be real then?" I asked, noting the doubt in her voice.
"I don't know," she sighed, "but sometimes, my mother wasn't as direct as she could have been. Plus, she never told me about it. I'm sure I would remember if she did. I'm somewhat curious why she never mentioned it."
Astra darted a hopeful glance in my direction. "Do you think there's a reason why she didn’t?" she asked.
Ariadne shrugged. "You brought me all this way. Let's find out."
Chapter Five
"I've definitely never seen this before." Ariadne pushed the book away and shook her head. "It's my mother's, all right; but... she never mentioned it, not once, not at all. It's just so strange."
"Maybe your mother forgot," I suggested, glad to have something to focus on, and some kind of purpose. Étoile was wise to assign me a job. At least, I wasn't thinking about Auberon Morgan and what he might be doing to the prisoners I was forced to leave behind.
"Maybe. She was a little scatterbrained. Towards the end, she was barely there at
"Could she have suggested it to you?" I asked. "Maybe planted it into your subconscious?"
"No, she told me about her visions, but never that one."
"And the pact was only made between you, Astra's mother and my mother?" I persisted.
"Yes, just the three of us."
"Do you have any other children?"
"No, just Clare. And yes, her name really is Clare. There's no star connection, believe me. That was just a silly thing. I'm surprised your mothers went ahead with the idea. I thought it was just a silly thing and assumed we all outgrew it."
"My mother only has three daughters," said Astra, frowning. "And as far as we know, your mother only had you, Stella. Maybe it is one of the four of us, or five, if we include Clare. The spell might still cover her, even if she doesn't have a star name."
"It was just a silly spell," insisted Ariadne, laughing. "It was never designed to do anything more than ensure that you girls would grow closer to each other and stronger together. That didn't work out because we eventually all went our separate ways; but look at you now! You all work together. It was never meant to be any kind of prophecy. I think you're looking at this all wrong." She handed Astra the notebook with a shake of her hand that caused her bracelets to chime.
Astra dropped the notebook onto the table with a sigh. Leaning back into her chair, she sounded defeated as she said, "She could be right. Maybe we're looking in the wrong place. We immediately thought the star sister prophecy meant us, but maybe it refers to someone else."
"There could be another set of star sisters? Not us?" Relief flooded me. The idea of being responsible for so much power was incomprehensible. Unlike my foes, I wasn't power hungry. I had enough magic. Not enough power that I could do whatever the hell I liked, no matter what Astra said, but enough magic of my own. Even as I thought it, I realised how different magic and power were. Some wanted it all. I just wanted to control whatever gifts I had. That meant my magic and any decisions about my life. Having more power was another thing. Even if it made my life easier in some respects, did I want more power just so I could have a simpler love life? The downfalls of such an acquisition of magic and power would surely be high.
"Maybe. Maybe it doesn't even have anything to do with our star names. Maybe it's something else altogether," said Clare.
"Then how in hell do we find them? Her?" I knew it was pointless to ask. Astra didn't have any more ideas than I did, but at least, we were in the room with the one witch who might have been able to help us.
"Tell me more about this so-called superwitch prophecy," said Ariadne. "Maybe I can decipher some hidden meaning, or discover something else without being specific. Sometimes, she wrote in riddles. My mother really was the most difficult woman."
"You think there's a chance this could be real then?" I asked, noting the doubt in her voice.
"I don't know," she sighed, "but sometimes, my mother wasn't as direct as she could have been. Plus, she never told me about it. I'm sure I would remember if she did. I'm somewhat curious why she never mentioned it."
Astra darted a hopeful glance in my direction. "Do you think there's a reason why she didn’t?" she asked.
Ariadne shrugged. "You brought me all this way. Let's find out."
Chapter Five
"I've definitely never seen this before." Ariadne pushed the book away and shook her head. "It's my mother's, all right; but... she never mentioned it, not once, not at all. It's just so strange."
"Maybe your mother forgot," I suggested, glad to have something to focus on, and some kind of purpose. Étoile was wise to assign me a job. At least, I wasn't thinking about Auberon Morgan and what he might be doing to the prisoners I was forced to leave behind.
"Maybe. She was a little scatterbrained. Towards the end, she was barely there at
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