Page 38 of Starborn Husbands

“Retrieve him and keep him. I’m staying right here with my family until the wedding.” Maybe after that too, but I don’t have the energy to say so. I let my head sink into the pillow, forcing my eyes to stay open.

“As I said, he’ll have his hands full, but he’s pretty fluent in Treyu, so I suspect I’ll be seeing you sooner rather than later.”

He says formal goodbyes to everyone and thankfully leaves. Joshie sits on the end of my bed. “What were you two talking about before that? Is Treyu having babies?”

“Treyu thinks he’s fine with everything and he’s extra delusional because he thinks I won’t make him talk about any of this. You have a little time before I pounce on you, son, but I won’t forget.”

I groan. “Sometimes bottling up your feelings is helpful.”

“Short-term, maybe. We will talk, young man. For now, rest.” He kisses my forehead. “I’ll be back to check on you later.”

He reaches for Trinket, but I stop him. “No, leave him.”

“You staying, Joshie?” Dad asks.

“Yeah. I’ll look after Trin.”

Dad leaves. Joshie curls around Trinket and closes his eyes. “You come here just to sleep?” I ask him.

“Yeah. Just wanted to be near you. That was awful today. I tried. I only made it to twenty before I had to leave. I’m sorry. You were so brave though, Trey. I hope I’m as brave as you are someday.”

I didn’t feel brave.

Gripping his hand, I squeeze tightly and flinch as pain flares up and down my arms. Fuck. There are welts there too. “Sleep then. I’m here. They can’t stop me from being an Orion, and I’ll always protect you.”

He nods, drifting off.

CHAPTERELEVEN

Atlanta

Entering the Nebuli as a fallen star isn’t just illegal, it’s poisonous. I don’t have the required vibration, but at least I still have the DNA of a star. I won’t last long, but I can enter without dying immediately as a human would. Gem can give me a little boost, and I take sips of him in the form of languid kisses that are sure to make Zhang’s head explode.

“I want this done quickly,” he says. “Treyu needs me.”

“Treyu said he’s staying with his family until the wedding,” Gem informs him.

“Like hell he is. Besides, that’s Treyu for ‘I dare you to come get me, Centaurus’,” Zhang says. His chest puffs up. He’s damn proud of himself for being able to decipher my sometimes idiot brother’s Morse code.

The cup is kept in one of the temples on the outskirts of the Nebuli. It’s carved in the shape of a lion that sits with its head up and forepaws extended in front. It isn’t heavily guarded because you have to have the right vibration to access entry, which is determined by energetic frequency. Few other than the king have that kind of access. Zhang and Gem have the right vibration, but only Zhang’s keyed into the lion-shaped temple.

Zhang leads us to an entrance around the back of the right paw and hesitates.

“I’m taking advantage of my station. This is wrong,” Zhang says for the twentieth time. We’ve been over this. I’m tired of talking him back into the plan. Thankfully, he doesn’t need to be this time, they’re just utterances. He slaps a hand to a specific area of the sandstone and the large blocks sink inward, opening a path for us.

Glowing white energy lights the hallway, and the walls are filled with hieroglyphics.

“You’re going to have to leave that here,” Zhang says, referring to the rifle in my hand, and removing his starblades from their sheathes. “I know it’s your version of a baby blanket, but this temple is sacred.”

“I’m not going anywhere unarmed, Centaurus.” What a fool if he does.

“You’re going to piss off the Gods.” He gets in my face, his barreled chest a hair away from mine.

“Pretty sure what I’m doing will piss off the Gods anyway.”

“Don’t you think it’s a little paranoid, toting a weapon everywhere with you?”

“Your taunts won’t work. Fuck the Gods if they want to disarm me.” I’ll feel better once I have access to my star. Since we fell, I haven’t spent a day without a weapon in my hand.