When the Stars Shine Again: Character Spotlight 3

Welcome to the last character spotlight for my soon-to-be-published novella, When the Stars Shine Again. Today I’ve got my probably-favorite character to write, Zandier. (Again. No last name. I always forgot most people have those.🤔😆)

Also. Due to Zandier being quite the quiet and unexpectedly spoiler-y character, I am sadly lacking in good quotes. Apologies.

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Appearance: Tall, with dark brown hair and sharp amber eyes.

Age: Twenty-one, maybe. Idk. I haven’t thought about it much. 😂

Introverted or Extraverted: A bit of a mix, but leans more introverted. His life isn’t exactly the type that benefits off of talking to many people. (*Realizes I really need to start writing some more extraverted characters*🤔)

Personality: Quiet, yet intense. Kind, level-headed, very protective, and quick to get flustered.

I… don’t remember how Zandier originally entered the story. I think it was because I had a random name sitting around, that made me think of a cool side character I could add. Welp, I ended up completely changing the character and the name didn’t fit, so that just changed everything. But I would never change Zandier back. He is exactly what this story—and Wren—needed.

I wrote a short scene with Zandier before I ever really knew who he was or what I was going to name him. But after that scene, I very adamantly knew I wanted his name to mean “protecter.” Protector fits almost every part of Zandier’s already-complicated character. It took quite awhile to find a name I liked, and even then, it just didn’t feel quite right. Then a friend suggested I added a fantasy element to the name, and Zandier was created.

Zandier is… a very hard character to talk about without spoilers. 😂 But he’s been so much fun to write, and has already grown so much—because yes, I’ve written some of his last scenes first. He’s insanely protective of anyone he cares about, and will do anything to see them kept safe. Some recent experiences of his have made him very skeptical, and while he may seem quick to believe in something, he will always have a bit of doubt hanging around the back of his mind. And the way the saddest circumstances make his caring heart shine through… ja, a few certain characters would lose a lot without him.

The boy blinked again, staring up at her with his huge, dark eyes. Then without warning his gaze shifted, lighting up again as it landed on something behind her.

“Ronan?”

Wren froze at the new, low voice. Drawing in a short breath, she slowly turned around. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t have much time before—” The young man in front of her stopped, his gaze locking with hers from under the heavy hood of his cloak. 

Wren pushed herself to her feet, her breath catching in her throat. 

The stranger stepped forward. “Who. Are. You?” He pulled off his hood, his dark eyes flashing as they locked with hers. “Ronan?” He turned sharply, searching the shadows around the column.  

Ronan squealed, scrambling around Wren and throwing himself at the young man. “You came back!”

Wren blinked, more startled by the little boy’s sudden lack of fear than the appearance of this stranger. 

The man scooped Ronan off the ground, settling him against his side as he turned back to Wren. “Who are you?” He repeated, searching her face in the dim light, his face plastered with suspicion. “What are you doing here?”

Wren stumbled back, the every word that had ever been written in the language of the elves fleeing her tongue. She stared mutely up at the young man, her heart trying to escape the alleyway without her.

Ronan curled up around the man’s side, whimpering slightly.

Wren shook her head, reaching towards the little boy. “I’m sorry…I-I didn’t mean to—”

The stranger’s gaze hardened in the dim light, and he stepped back, turning slightly to put himself between her and Ronan. 

Wren grimaced, mentally kicking herself. Why had she gone and opened everything up again? Why had she tried to help someone else?

Why hadn’t she realized it was all going to crash in upon her like it had so many times before?