Page 42 of Frozen Star (Star Touched: Fae Bound #7)

My cheeks flush, and I suddenly can’t bring myself meet the gazes of anyone else at the table.

Ruby leans forward, thankfully bringing the attention away from me. “Did this mysterious pilot happen to have wild, dark hair that moved with a breeze that wasn’t there?” she asks. “Dressed in sleek black clothing that looked both modern and timeless?”

“Yes,” I confirm. “And her eyes?—”

“Shifted like storm clouds,” Riven finishes. “Gray one moment and electric blue the next.”

Ruby exchanges a significant look with Amber and Damien, then returns her focus to me and Riven. “Well, that settles it then,” she says. “You were flown to Italy by Tempest herself.”

Connor leans back in his seat, studying us with sharp eyes. “If Tempest is already making herself known, I think it’s safe to think that somewhere out there is a girl who has no idea she’s about to be star touched by the storm goddess.”

“Her life is about to get a lot more complicated,” Ruby says.

“Like ours did,” Amber adds with a wry smile, reaching for Damien’s hand. “Although I can’t say I regret it.”

“None of us do,” Ruby agrees, and I find myself nodding along with them.

Because despite the danger, the chaos, and the total upheaval of my previously normal life, I wouldn’t trade my new reality for anything. Not when it’s brought me my soulmate, knowledge of my true heritage, and now, allies who understand what I’m going through.

I take a moment to breathe, absorbing where I am and who I’m with.

A penthouse in Manhattan, surrounded by supernatural royalty—the vampire king, the alpha of North America’s most powerful shifter pack, two other star touched warriors, and my impossibly beautiful, endearingly insufferable, deeply loving Winter Prince.

And somehow, I belong here, too.

Three months ago, I was Sapphire Hayes, a bartender in Maine who was trying and repeatedly failing to break up with my toxic ex.

Now I’m Princess Sapphire Hayes Fairmont Solandriel Draevor of the Summer and Winter Courts, daughter of the Vampire King and Summer Queen, wife of the Winter Prince, and the chosen warrior of Celeste, helping to decide the fate of the supernatural world.

The realization hits me with such force that my water magic responds, rippling beneath my skin before I can control it.

Riven’s fingers brush mine under the table, cold with his frost. “Everything okay?” he asks, his eyes shining with concern as he studies me.

I nod, centering myself. “All good. Just... taking it all in.”

“It gets easier,” Amber offers with a bright smile. “The moments of ‘how is this my life now’ will eventually become less frequent.”

“But they never go away completely,” Ruby adds, flashing a wolf-like grin.

It’s official—I’m definitely going to like both of them.

We stay there past midnight, sharing our pasts and discussing the future.

There’s still so much to cover, but given how long it took me, Ruby, and Amber to complete our own separate challenges, we think—or at least hope—we’ll have time for Tempest’s star touched warrior to complete hers before we face off against Ambrogio and the Blood Coven.

Finally, Damien rises to his feet, signaling an end to the evening.

“We’ve made strong progress for tonight,” he announces, glancing around the table with an approving nod. “We have much to plan and consider. But right now, I’d like a moment with my daughter.”

The word sends a jolt through me. It’s a mixture of surprise, uncertainty, and something dangerously close to hope, and it’s only settled by the grounding touch of Riven’s fingers under the table.

I meet his gaze with a small nod, letting him know I’m okay with this.

Seemingly satisfied with my reaction, he stands, taking a moment to gaze out at the park spread below us. When he turns back to me, his expression is open and calm, filled with reassurance.

“I’ll see you at our suite later,” he says in that quiet voice that makes it feel like he’s sharing a secret meant only for me. “Take your time.”

“Are you sure?” I search his face, still amazed by the changes in him since Eros balanced our bond.

Before, he could barely stand to be in a different room from me. Now, he trusts me enough to know I don’t need constant protection. He understands that some conversations—like this one—belong to me alone.

And suddenly, it strikes me that this is what a healthy relationship feels like. Support without suffocation, freedom without fear, trust without conditions, and love without obsession.

“I’m sure.” He leans down and presses a kiss to my temple, lingering just a heartbeat longer than necessary, making heat bloom in every possible place in my body. “And when you’re ready,” he murmurs, sending sparks down my spine, “our continued initiation ceremony awaits.”

Cheeks flushing, I glance around, noticing Ruby’s knowing smile.

She arches an eyebrow in playful amusement, clearly entertained by the exchange she definitely overheard.

“What’s your number? We should get together,” she says, bringing out her phone in an appreciated effort to change the subject. “Just me, you, and Amber. Compare notes on how the goddesses operate. Mine was my best friend for years, so I have a lot to share.”

“You were best friends with a goddess?” I ask, curious about how on earth that could happen.

“It’s a story best shared over a few drinks,” she says with another knowing smile. “So… your number?”

“Right. Of course,” I say, and when I rattle off the digits, I’m surprised by how much I’m looking forward to spending time with her and Amber, despite the grief clinging to me like a shadow I’ll never outrun after watching Zoey fly away with Aerix.

“Tomorrow night?” Amber asks, her bright energy just enough to stop me from spiraling again into the pain of having lost my best friend. “We can show you around the city—the supernatural version, of course. Just not the subway. I’ve had some less than stellar experiences on the subway.”

“That sounds great.” I shake myself out of it and smile, curious about what traumatized a star touched warrior so much that she avoids something as human as the subway.

We all walk together to the elevator, but Riven pauses at the threshold, turning back to meet Damien’s gaze.

The air between them hums, filling with tension as they assess each other. Not with hostility, but with a mutual understanding of what’s at stake.

“She matters to both of us,” Damien says, his voice low but carrying through the room.

“She does.” Riven nods once, his love rushing to me through the bond. “Just make sure she’s back with me before sunrise. Because while I suppose I’ll make an exception for you, I’ve never been good at sharing, especially when it comes to my Starlight.”

His silver gaze remains locked on mine until the elevator doors slide shut, leaving the penthouse silent and charged.

Damien moves to stand before the wall of windows, his silhouette sharp against the glittering Manhattan skyline extended beyond the park. “Come here,” he says, gesturing for me to join him. “Look at the city.”

I step beside him, and we stand in silence, two reflections side by side in the glass. The same blue eyes and the same way we hold ourselves, whether I’ve embraced the vampire side of myself yet or not.

“I’ve protected my clan in this city for centuries, watching it grow into what it is today,” he finally says. “I thought it was my greatest legacy.” His focus turns to me then, the hard lines of his face softening. “But it turns out I was wrong.”