Page 39 of Frozen Star (Star Touched: Fae Bound #7)

Eros sets the repaired bow down, his eyes sliding toward me with clear reluctance.

“Let’s get this over with, Winter Prince,” he says, and then he pulls a gold-tipped arrow out of what looks like thin air and draws it across his wrist with practiced ease, barely wincing as blood wells from the cut.

Golden blood.

Ichor. The blood of the gods.

Uncertainty knots in my stomach, but Sapphire squeezes my hand, grounding me. Her touch is a lifeline, her warmth seeping into my skin, anchoring me to a reality I never want to leave.

“Go on,” she murmurs, her eyes steady and strong. “I’m here.”

“Just don’t go anywhere after this is over.” My heart beats faster, and as I gaze down into those beautiful blue eyes, I’m suddenly more scared than ever that making any changes to the bond will strip away the few parts of me that still exist.

After all, any changes I’ve made to the core of who I am haven’t gone very well these past few months.

I can still hear myself after the deal with the dryad—the way I spoke to Sapphire, my words tearing through her soul—and I can’t bear the thought of doing something like that to her again.

It wouldn’t just destroy her—it would destroy me, too.

If I’m destroyed, well… I got a pretty good idea of what that would look like when I almost lost myself to my magic in the Night Court’s tower.

“Riven.” She squeezes my hand again, and from the worry etched across her face, I know she can feel my fear. “You worded the deal perfectly. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be more than okay, because when this is over, we’re going to be better than ever.”

“Better than ever,” I repeat, as if saying it can make it true. And then, since it might be the last time I’ll say it to her while feeling it with every piece of my soul, I add, “I love you.”

Her eyes shine with unshed tears, determination and devotion blazing in their depths. “I love you more than anyone else in the world,” she replies. “And that’s never, ever going to change. I swear it.”

I swallow, my chest aching, every nerve in my body alive with longing, fear, and hope. But before I can respond, she turns my hand over and traces those eight letters that mean everything onto my palm.

I LOVE YOU

Each stroke comforts me, every touch of her fingertips anchoring me to her, calming my heartbeat until it matches hers.

Finally, when my hands are steady enough to trace the words on her palm in return, I do it slowly, savoring it, each letter filled with every ounce of the devotion I feel for her.

I pour all my hopes, fears, and love into those eight letters, silently promising that nothing will stand between us again.

After another kiss that she ends far too soon, I turn to Eros, forcing myself to take the final step that will either save us or ruin us.

The god examines his wrist, golden ichor dripping from the wound, shimmering as it trails down his skin. “Three swallows will suffice,” he says, extending his arm to me.

I nod and take his wrist in my hand. The ichor smells like lightning and honey, of power more ancient than even the oldest fae can comprehend.

Knowing I might break again if I hesitate, I bring his wrist to my lips and drink.

The first swallow burns my throat and spreads like wildfire through my chest, frost and flame warring within me.

The second is worse. My vision whites out, and I nearly lose my footing as divine power surges through my body.

It’s agony and euphoria intertwined, tearing me apart and stitching me back together at the same time.

The third, on the other hand, brings clarity.

Something shifts deep inside me, a realignment that makes me shudder from head to toe.

The hunger that’s been clawing at me through the bond transforms into a powerful, resonant warmth.

The ragged edges smooth, and the frantic urgency calms, leaving behind a bond so deep, pure, and powerful that my entire body feels alight from it.

The bond is still there, but now, it feels right. Balanced. Perfect. The way it was always meant to be.

Finally, when the magic of Eros’s blood locks into place, I look at Sapphire.

What I find there is hope, joy, and a warmth so pure it leaves me breathless. Because I still feel that surge of love, that bone-deep recognition. But it’s no longer the only thing I feel. Instead, it’s everything beautiful, strong, and unbreakable that’s ever existed between us.

“Did it work?” Her voice is cautious yet hopeful, her eyes wide with the kind of vulnerability that makes me want to pull her into my arms and never let go.

“Yes,” I breathe, astonished by how clearly I feel myself again, free from the shackles that darkened everything I cared about other than her. “It worked.”

Her eyes glisten with relieved tears, and she nods, smiling softly. “I told you it would.”

She looks the same—beautiful and fierce, with water swirling beneath her skin—but I can see her now. Truly see her, without the filter of obsession and devotion obscuring my vision.

And somehow, impossibly, I love her more for it. Because now, I love her freely.

Eros steps back, flexing his fingers as the wound finishes healing. “Our deal is fulfilled,” he says, firm but weary. “It’s time for the two of you to leave my garden before you break anything else.”

“Gladly,” I reply. “But let’s not do this again anytime soon.”

The god gives me a dismissive glance. “Trust me—the feeling is mutual.”

Sapphire steps closer to me, although she remains focused on Eros.

“Despite the unfortunate way we came to be here, we appreciate what you’ve done to help us,” she says, as calm and diplomatic as royalty.

Now that the war is over and we’ll have a chance to spend time in our kingdoms, she’s going to be an incredible princess. The citizens will love her, just like I do.

Well, almost as much as I do. Anything else is an impossible bar to meet.

Eros arches an eyebrow. “Don’t make a habit of destroying divine weapons to get what you want,” he warns us. “Not all gods are as accommodating as I am.”

“We’ll keep that in mind,” I say dryly, taking Sapphire’s hand. It feels different now—a choice rather than a necessity, but just as grounding.

“Go.” Eros waves her gratitude away and turns his attention to the bow, running his fingers over its smooth, repaired surface. “And if you decide to shatter anything else divine, pick on another god. Might I suggest Apollo’s lyre? He’s annoyingly cheerful and deserves it.”

“Noted.” I smirk. “Apollo’s lyre, Poseidon’s trident, Hermes’s winged sandals… should we make a prioritized list, or go alphabetically?”

“Don’t make me like you, Winter Prince.” Eros scowls and makes a shooing motion with his hand. “Go.”

Not wanting to push my luck, I pull on Sapphire’s hand, and we walk away from Eros without a second glance.

The garden path seems different now. The statues of ruined lovers no longer feel like prophecies of a doomed future. Instead, they’re just sad reminders of what could have been if we didn’t fix what was broken.

Ghost and Nebula wait where we left them, standing sentinel at the garden’s entrance, and they pad forward to greet us. Ghost butts his head against my chest, a low rumble of satisfaction vibrating through him.

“They approve.” Sapphire smiles, running her fingers through Nebula’s spotted fur.

“Of course they do,” I reply, scratching behind Ghost’s ears. “They’ve likely known for weeks that something was wrong.”

Ghost nuzzles me, as if confirming I’m right, and I hop onto his back. Sapphire does the same with Nebula, all perfect fae beauty and grace. I love her so much, but now, that love doesn’t hurt or feel like it might disappear if I let her out of my sight.

Now, it feels stable and grounded. It’s no longer the storm, but the calm in the center of it.

Together, we cross through the archway and enter the jungle beyond. The moment we’re clear of the garden’s boundaries, the air feels fresher. Lighter. Or maybe that’s just me, freed from the weight of a bond that was consuming my soul.

I pull Ghost to a halt, turning to face Sapphire. “Wait.”

She stops Nebula, looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and concern. “What is it?”

I dismount in one fluid motion, crossing the space between us in three quick strides. Her eyes widen as I reach for her, helping her down from Nebula’s back, and I can tell by the way she tenses that she’s bracing herself for anything.

I take her face in my hands, her skin warm against my perpetually cool fingers, her water responding to my ice with the dance of elements that’s existed between us since the first time I touched her at that stream.

“I need to know that we’re still us,” I say, and she smiles—a real smile, not the careful one she’s been giving me since our victory at the Night Court, when I admitted I was losing myself to the bond.

“There’s only one way to find out,” she replies, her voice soft and inviting as she rises on her toes to close the gap between us.

Our lips meet, and it’s nothing like the desperate, consuming kisses of recent weeks.

This is something purer and truer. It’s slow, deep, and perfect—a kiss filled with a lifetime’s worth of promises.

I still feel the passion, the desire, and the bone-deep connection that’s been forged through frost, heartbreak, and darkness, but now there’s also the steadfast clarity of two souls choosing each other freely.

I pull her closer, one hand tangling in her hair as the other wraps around her waist, her body fitting against mine as if created for that purpose alone.

Through our newly balanced bond, I feel her joy, her relief, and her love.

They’re distinct from my own emotions, but they harmonize perfectly.

My heart pounds harder, longing tightening in my chest as I deepen the kiss, pouring every ounce of devotion I have into the steady connection we now share.