The remnants of my star dust shimmered around me as I took my corporeal form, landing in the heart of Mayurial. I took in a deep breath as my eyes fluttered closed, taking a quick moment to allow the smells of pine trees and mountains to infiltrate my being. It’s been a long time.
Whispers and shocked gasps were heard throughout the streets, chatters of an abomination sent to rain hell on this city begun; rolling through Mayurial like a domino effect. It was always like this. Every time.
Releasing a frustrated sigh, I opened my eyes to the sight of thousands of townsfolk gawking at me. They had never seen someone with golden eyes that sparkled so bright. Much like a star. Funny that, because that’s exactly what I am. Ophiuchus. The thirteenth sign of the zodiac. The one they all forgot about. Except for her. My love. She never forgot me. Or the others. The ones that track us down, insisting on keeping us apart the one night we can be together.
One night. Every century. Star-crossed lovers destined to watch from afar, never to be close.
The last time we met, it was a colossal mess. They had won. Succeeded in keeping us apart. Not tonight. I’m not playing their games. They will not win.
I feel the burn in my eyes as I activate my power, a blanket of gold shimmering across the whole city, falling onto the civilians. In a handful of seconds, their bodies crumpled to the floor, the call of a star’s power too great as they succumbed to a deep slumber.
This wouldn’t affect the others. They were immune to this type of attack. But it was a sure way of calling the rats out to play, allowing me to hand pick them one-by-one. I didn’t have time to waste. I needed to see her before the madness of our separation drew me to complete insanity. Goddess knows I was on the brink of it already.
I raised my hands to the sides, calling upon my star serpents as they slithered out from me. Twelve of them. One for each of the zodiac signs. My brothers and sisters. The ones that hide me. Keep my existence away from the world.
“Find them. Send their forms to the skies. Bring me evidence,” I murmured to my pets as, one by one, they slithered off into the night.
I felt my nose flatten into slits as my tongue lengthened out, forking at the end. The smells and taste of the night amplified. Ah. That’s better.
Tracing my tongue against my sharp teeth, the arousing smell of crackling fire and cinnamon infiltrated my senses. I cocked my head, gathering another taste of her addictive scent. There you are, my love.
I scoured buildings, trudged through the back streets of Mayurial before entering the thick forest. A bolt of excitement raced through me, my skin flaring with golden scales at the prospect of finding her.
But I wasn’t a fool. This chase was never easy.
Glancing to the right, the red eyes of my serpent caught my eye. I wonder who the first victim is this time. Probably Pisces.
The serpent slithered up, carrying a bull’s horn in its mouth. Interesting. Taurus is usually too stubborn to go down without a fight. Maybe he’d worked himself to the bone and didn’t feel like engaging.
“Thank you my precious,” I purred, caressing its form. A jolt of electricity coursed through my body as an extension of myself came home. A slice of my power returned to me.
I continued on through the woods, the air thickening with her scent. I’m close.
I spun around, a snap of a twig indicating an unwelcome presence. A centaur. The wild one.
“Brother,” I greeted him, biding my time until my creature finished the job. I could feel its presence nearby.
“Ophiuchus,” he nodded, “Can’t we skip this whole love-sick routine and head to the bar? It’s been six-thousand years of this shit. Don’t you want to just live it up instead of going through all this? I miss the old days. Remember when we’d party until dawn? We’re overdue for a good time.” He grinned as though he had no care in the world. I guess I’d be the same if I had the luxury of gracing this realm whenever I could. But no. I was cursed. The black sheep in the family.
I raised my eyebrows in disbelief, crossing my arms.
Sagittarius opened his mouth in what I can imagine was another pitch for me to join him in a night of debauchery. Before he could speak, red eyes flashed behind him, a jaw big enough to fit his head launched towards his back leg and sunk its poisonous teeth into the skin.
He released a screech of agony, his body immediately dissolving into star dust. His hind leg remained; the only evidence he was here this night.
I turned on my heels and continued to walk as I received power boost after power boost from my pets as they returned my siblings to me one-by-one. Scales laid to the side. Libra. A crab claw. Cancer. A lion’s tail. Leo. It went on and on until a few remained; Gemini, Scorpius and Virgo.
“You know I’ve always admired your dedication and loyalty, Ophi,” a sweet, feminine voice sounded from the trees. This one was always the hardest to eradicate.
Dainty pink flowers fell from the trees, giving her hiding spot away. I looked up, spotting Virgo sitting casually on a branch, swinging her legs innocently while she read her book. No doubt another romance with a guaranteed happy ending.
“I wish I could find the kind of love you two have. Oh to be loved so fiercely,” she sighed dreamily.
I felt my mouth soften into a smile. I really do adore her pure heart. “What happened to Juriah? I’ve been watching you two. It seems like there is something there?” I humoured her as I willed the snake in the tree to wait. I wanted more time with her.
Her downcast expression broke my heart. “He made fun of my earth magic. He told me that I wasn’t a suitable partner for him when all I could make was pretty little flowers,” she sniffed. “Stupid fire signs thinking they’re superior to the rest of us.”
“Your flowers are beautiful little one. Don’t listen to him. He doesn’t deserve you,” I replied in a soothing tone.
Her back shot up straight, eyes wide as she realised what she’d said in her emotional state. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she dismissed defensively. Her walls were back up. Typical.
With a nod, my pet slithered towards her, curling around Virgo’s arm, resting its head lovingly on her. I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at the display. They were an extension of myself, after all. We all knew I adored her the most.
“Hello precious,” she cooed, stroking the serpent lovingly. “I’ve missed you little one. Are you here to take me back home? I won’t waste your time. Ophi deserves to be with his love.” Oh my selfless little one.
Her eyes lifted to focus on mine. “I love you, brother. Be careful with Scorpius, he’s on a self-sabotaging rampage.”
I lifted my brow in question.
“He fell in love,” she supplied.
Ah. Say no more.
“Until we meet again, brother,” Virgo’s pained whisper carried on the wind as her body disintegrated. Despite my serpents power returning to me, I felt a peace of my heart wither away with her. She deserved better than to be entwined with their games.
My love? Her tormented voice reached out to me telepathically. Are you there?
A calm wave washed over me as I basked in the unique sound that was her. This life, this existence … it wasn’t fair.
I’m here, sweetheart, I sent back, hoping to soothe her angst. I won’t be long, two left to go.
Gemini is here, her anxious whisper filled my mind. Hurry.
This wasn’t good. Fastening my pace, I took off into a sprint with one thought running through my mind: I need to protect her.
Rushing through the forest at lightening speed, the taste of cinnamon and crackling fire grew intoxicatingly stronger. I was drunk on the smell of her.
A flash of movement caught my eye. But I wasn’t quick enough. The pincer swiped across my ankles, causing me to tumble to the ground. On instinct alone, my serpents launched out of my body to protect me. Creating a barrier between Scorpius and me.
Launching myself back to my feet, I noticed my brother had only partially shifted. Apart from his pincers and the segmented, curved tail that had every creature in his parameters hackles raised, his form was human. Which means his emotions were running high and he didn’t trust himself in his full shifted form.
Thanks to Virgo, I could use his emotions to my advantage.
My pets slithered around his body, removing the barrier they had created between us. I didn’t have to tell them how this needed to be played out. They knew the score.
I tilted my head, watching him. Assessing. “Is that really the way you should welcome your brother?” I asked coolly.
His tail thumped on the ground, swaying side to side in agitation. This girl must have gotten under his thick skin. Letting out a condescending laugh, I intentionally threw salt into the wound, “She’s really done a number on you, huh?” I goaded.
Nostrils flared, fists tightened. “Don’t you dare speak of her,” he growled possessively.
“Oh?” I responded with false innocence. “But you pushed her away? Acted like a selfish ass until she couldn’t take any more. Let her play into your narrative that everyone leaves you and no one will ever love you. All because you couldn’t handle your feelings. Sounds like you don’t deserve to speak of her, either.” Given his past patterns, I was hedging my bets that this was how he ended up in this position.
My words had their desired effect, as his tail swooped forward in an attempt to connect with my form. But I was faster, as I disintegrated into star dust, my corporeal form re-emerged a healthy distance behind him.
I couldn’t keep this up for much longer. I needed all of my power for her.
With a final verbal punch that I knew would distract him, I huffed out a mocking laugh. He spun around fast, uncontained rage dripping from him.
“When are you going to realise that you are the problem, brother? Not her. Not the others before her or our parents lack of affection as we grew up. This is on you.” I let my words sink in, his body started to shake. A Scorpius explosion looming in t-minus-one-minute. “Stop self-sabotaging and allow someone in. Let them see you for all that you are. You’d be surprised to find they may just want to hang around. But if you don’t? You will constantly repeat this cycle. And the only person you will be hurting in the end is yourself.”
The moment my words were out of my mouth, his body launched towards mine. My serpents wrapped themselves around him, sinking their teeth into his torso. I watched on as my poor, tormented brother disintegrated before my eyes.
When will he ever learn? I sighed, shaking my head, sad at the thought of what it would be like to live in his mind. To think the way he does.
A frightened scream nearby caused the hairs on the back of my neck to rise. I raced towards her, brushing through the last of the thick forest before entering a daisy-filled meadow.
My heart desperately pounded in my chest at the sight before me.
My love with her hands tied behind her back. Tears streaking down her face as the Jekyll-and-Hyde twins cackled in glee, dancing around her. Taunting her.
My pets aggressively launched forward, weaving their way between the twins, creating a protective circle around her. Their hisses a direct threat they couldn’t ignore as they stepped back to distance themselves.
“Brother!” They yelled excitedly, seemingly unperturbed. Either that or they were playing me. I could never quite tell.
I sauntered forward, keeping my eyes off the beautiful pale pink ones that were pleadingly staring at me. The urge to rush toward her and sweep away the gorgeous black curls falling across her face was too much. But I needed to play their game. Otherwise they would only make it worse for her.
“Gem,” I nodded at one, before doing the same to the other, “Ini. Just another quiet night, ladies?”
Ini’s sadistic grin lit up her face as Gem’s eyes filled with glee, “We were keeping Ophelie company. Some light entertainment before you arrived!” Ini gestured towards my lover as I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. This is what they call light entertainment?
“Very sweet of you, sisters. I’m afraid that’s all the entertainment we will require. I’m here now,” I kept my voice even. Years of experience with these two had sharpened my ability to suppress the burning rage in me. I learnt pretty quickly the more ammunition I gave them, the more it fed their sadistic side.
“Oh!” Gem bounced, clapping her hands together in excitement. “But the party hasn’t even begun! We were saving the best for when you arrived, you see.” She lifted her hands, calling upon the wind as it swirled around their bodies. Ophelie released a disturbing sob.
This needed to end. Fast.
I side-eyed two of my serpents as they slithered their way behind the twins, ready to strike.
“How considerate of you,” I drawled. “But this won’t be necessary.”
In perfect synchronicity, the pair propped a hand on their cocked hip and tilted their heads to the same side, perplexed. “What do you mean it won’t be necessary?” their shrieks were so loud that the miners living within the mountains could hear them.
I raised my eyebrows in dismissal, “I won’t repeat myself again.”
Their hands lifted with the intention of firing an offensive attack. They didn’t get very far as my snakes had launched themselves at their heads, engulfing their forms in their entirety. Thank the Goddess for that.
I launched towards Ophelie, hurriedly untying her hands before gathering her shaking body in my lap.
“My love. Ophelie. Oh, sweetheart I am so sorry,” I whispered gently as my hands traced over her body, checking for any signs of harm. Thankfully, apart from the chaffing from the rope on her wrists, there were none.
“Ophiuchus,” she sighed in deep longing, my touch calming her quivering body.
I raised my hands to cup her jaw, tilting her head up until our eyes could meet, hurriedly wiping away her tears. Her doe eyes pierced the very core of my soul, the love swarming in them filled my body with warmth and adoration.
It had been two centuries since I was able to touch her. Feel her. Just be with her.
I couldn’t wait any longer.
My mouth latched onto hers in a gentle kiss. The pressure increasing as I conveyed the depths of my love for her. The reason for my existence.
She pulled away, hands clasping my own, “I can’t do this any more, darling. It’s tearing me apart. I’m barely existing here,” the deep despair in her voice broke my heart.
“Please. Don’t. Don’t do this. I need you,” I breathed in anguish.
“And I need you, Ophiuchus. But not like this. It shouldn’t have to be like this. Stumbling around, waiting for one night every century to be able to hold you in my arms … It’s torture,” her voice cracked.
I combed my fingers through her hair, trying to placate her as I grappled with the right words to say. Times were tough for her, yes, but she has never said she wanted this to end.
“I’m working on a solution. One more century, my love. Please,” I begged.
She shook her head, disentangling her body from mine as she stood, looking down on me. “I love you, Ophiuchus. With everything that I am. Maybe in another life, our story could be different.”
“No,” I yelled, stumbling to my feet and clasping her hands in my own. “No. I refuse to believe this is the end. It can’t be the end.” My hands shook in her own as my mind scrambled to work out what I should do.
“Ophiuchus,” she said with determination. “Darling, you can’t regenerate my body. You need to let my form disintegrate with yours tonight. We will find each other in another life.”
“You can’t guarantee that we will find each other in another life. Who knows what this curse—our curse—will do. I won’t take that chance. Not with you. Never with you.”
She may hate me for this, but I had to do what was necessary to keep us alive.
With a new resolve, I placed my hands on her chest, the power of my stars pouring out of my corporeal form into hers. I could barely hear her screams as she begged me not to do this, watching on as my body slowly disintegrated before her eyes.
“I will find a way to break this curse. I will never give up on us. Hold on for me, darling.”
As my star dust travelled up my torso, I knew the time for words was almost over.
“I love you,” I whispered as I returned to the skies, engulfed in blackness.
I watched from above as my love’s glowing form radiated in the field, my power gifting her another century in this realm. Away from me. So close … yet so far.
I would wait for her, as I always do.
Until we could be together once more.
When the stars aligned.
H. J. Bogue
Hannah is a writer from Perth, Western Australia. After years of dreaming of writing her own fantasy books, she hung up her corporate shoes and jumped into the world of writing. A self-proclaimed “Romantasy” addict, you'll often find her head buried in a book, doing yoga, sipping on coffee and hanging out with her puppy Walter.
Her debut novel Pawns of Salistya is now available.
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