I took the necklace off when I returned to the room of people, none of them spoke as I set it down on the kitchen table, letting my fingers linger on the stone. With a deep sigh I pulled away from it, and looked at Beckett. He was looking at me a bit strangely, looking between me and the stone.

"I tried to give her the necklace back, but she didn't want it." I explained, and Beckett took it, admiring it.

"It's not hers, it's Nova's. Ember borrowed it the night we went to the nightclub, but it's Nova's." Oh. That's why she wouldn't want it. Suddenly, I didn't even want to look at it.

"Oh just do it!" Juniper shrieked, and I flinched. It was then that I noticed they weren't comfortably sitting at the table, no...they stood in a line staring at me.

"What-" Juniper was basically jumping out of her skin, clasping her hands tightly. Theodore, Jaxon, Arden, and the warlocks all smiled at me widely. When I turned back to Beckett I could see why, and my heart stopped.

Beckett knelt before me, his sage green power glowing in an outstretched palm. My heart thudded in my throat, and I stared at him open-mouthed for a long moment. His lips were stretched into a large grin, and his eyes sparkled with all of the love in the world.

"Astra Barlowe," he began, his voice wavering with excitement. It was silly, so random and unexpected–but I smiled. Juniper gave an excited screech, and she clung to Theodore's arm–his cheeks tinted at the action. From the corner of my eye I saw Ember's dark hair and clothes appeared in the doorway, when I looked at her my heart twinged at her sad expression. But I was drawn back to Beckett, his voice filling the room once more.

"I never thought I'd be the kind of guy who would get down on one knee, I used to laugh at romance or acts of love. Look at me now," I laughed and so did our audience. "Now I know what you're thinking, now's not the time. I get it, but Astra you're made from the Stars, life will never be normal...so please allow me this bit of common moment. Astra, you're everything good in this world. I love everything about you, and I love that you made me a guy who wants to get down on one knee in front of a crowd." Arden gave a whistle, and Beckett's pale cheeks reddened a bit–but he didn't stop.

"I don't know what tomorrow holds, or next week, or next year. And I know, we're so young, but it doesn't have to be today or tomorrow that you grant me the honor. All I know is I want to make the promise that we will do this life together, you and me. Always." His eyes twinkled, and for a moment I thought of the first time I'd seen him. A cold hearted boy whose eyes struck fear into my heart, made my body shocked with electricity that begged me to run...who became my love.

I dropped down before him, stooping to his level, and held his face in both of my hands. I stepped into his mind, felt all of the love he felt for me, and whispered into his soul. 'Yes', I told him. His lips met mine in a relieved kiss, I could feel his smile beneath my own. Beckett's presence entered my own mind, both of us being DreamWalkers, it smelled like books and clean linen.

'You have no idea how much I love you, Astra.' He told me, the voice in my head husky with emotion.

'If it's half as much as I love you, then it's more than enough.' His eyes rimmed with silver then, but started laughing with overwhelming joy. 'Forever', I told him.

'Forever', he swore back, before pulling me to my feet. "She said yes!" Beckett exclaimed and everyone erupted into hoots and cheers. Fabian and Lendon raised their hands, miniature fireworks erupting from their hands and raining them down on us. The orb of power he had held swirled and encased my hand, wrapping around my finger until it became whole–an aquamarine stone sat on my finger. The same silvery blue of the eyes I'd fallen in love with, my tears came without warning.

Beckett pulled me into his arms, kissing the top of my head fervently. From over his shoulder I saw Ember, just as she turned to leave the room once more.

*****

"What is this place?" I asked Fabian, who had taken all of us up a large tower to the very top.

"An astronomy tower," he said as he opened the door. The room was large, and lacked a ceiling. The walls were covered in art of moon phases, of old astronomers, and prophecies. "The Eclipse is upon us, and we need to figure out which of us will be accepting this gift." Where the ceiling should have been was a large circular piece of glass, almost like a large magnifying glass, below it was where the person would endure the Solar Eclipse.

"Maybe it's Theo, he's the king after all." Juniper offered, peeking up at the Goldenboy sweetly. I wondered if there was something there–but my thoughts were interrupted by Fabian.

"This person has to already have some form of magick." So a warlock, or a person like Beckett and I.

"What do you think, Star-girl? Think the Sun will smile upon you as well?" Lendon asked, a smile playing in his electric eyes.

I laughed, "maybe-"

"So are you going to kill her?" A blunt question, flinching, I found Ember staring at me from where she stood. Before that I hadn't known she was there.

Would I? Could I? Nova..."Not unless it comes to that." I said finally, but Ember's mouth turned downwards. As she left I followed her again, questions bubbling in my mind. I know she had been held captive, but the change was so drastic. What had happened to her down there?

"Please stop following me," Ember said after I had finally reached her, my hand hovering in mid air just above her shoulder.

"Em...what's going on?" My voice sounded so small, and I recoiled when she whirled around to face me. It was anger on Ember's face, her eyes burning with it. An angry Ember was not one I saw often, and I felt the sting erupting all over me.

"You're what's wrong!" Ember hissed at me, gritting her teeth into a snarl. I took a step back, shaking my head.

"What're you talking about? Ember, I'm still me. We were joking-", I didn't actually think the Sun would choose me. "I was lucky enough to get the Stars, I don't believe the Sun would pick me–".

Ember laughed, it was cold and hoarse. She crossed her arms, rolling her arms at me. "Oh please, if anyone is going to wield that power it'll be you. Because you want it, deep down." I glared at her, my shock melting into anger. I know she'd been through a lot, but she kept saying these things that weren't even true.

"If I have that power I could protect our people-"

"Our?" Ember spat, rolling her eyes once more. "There's nothing 'our' about it, Astra. You're not even from here, everything special about you was gifted to you on a whim out of desperation. You don't deserve the power you've been given-"

I yelled back before I could stop it, "I didn't ask for any of this and you know it! I protect these people because I care about you all!"

Ember laughed, her eyes darkening with the sound. "You don't protect anyone. How many people have died despite your 'protection'. You're not some savior, you're power hungry–just like everyone else."

I flinched, her words a punch to the gut. "No-"

"It's almost like you enjoy killing now, you'd really kill Nova? Someone who saved your life from infection?" I blinked.

"No, I don't enjoy killing but she took you-"

"Just admit it, Astra. You like the power, you enjoy hurting people-"

"No! I kill when it's necessary-"

"Kind of like you killed Alatar?" I stopped. My hand slashed across her cheek before I could even think about what I was doing, how it was wrong. I gasped as she recoiled, but she was smiling smugly as she held her cheek–eyes meeting mine once more.

"Ember-" I tried to apologize, but she stepped away.

"See? Told you, you like hurting people." Then Ember left, and this time...I didn't follow her.