Quote image editor
“I studied the stars. 'They're not- they're not stars at all.' 'No,' Rhys came up behind me at the rail. 'Our ancestors thought they were, but... They're just spirits, on a yearly migration to somewhere. Why they pick this day to appear here, no one knows.' I felt his eyes upon me, and tore my gaze from the shooting stars. Light and shadow passed over his face. The cheers and music of the city far, far below were barely audible over the crowd gathered at the House. 'There must be hundreds of them,' I managed to say, dragging my stare back to the stars whizzing past. 'Thousands,' he said. 'They'll keep coming until dawn. Or, I hope they will. There were less and less of them the last time I witnessed Starfall.' Before Amarantha had locked him away. 'What's happening to them?' I looked in time to see him shrug. Something twanged in my chest. 'I wish I knew. But they keep coming back despite it.' 'Why?' 'Why does anything cling to something? Maybe they love wherever they're going so much that it's worth it. Maybe they'll keep coming back, until there's only one star left. Maybe that one star will make the trip forever, out of the hope that someday- if it keeps coming back often enough- another star will find it again.' I frowned at the wine in my hand. 'That's... a very sad thought.' 'Indeed.' Rhys rested his forearms on the balcony edge, close enough for my fingers to touch if I dared. A calm, full silence enveloped us. Too many words- I still had too many words in me.” — Sarah J. Maas