Page 20 of Starfall

Elias

I woke up to an empty cave.

With a groan, I pushed to my feet. My muscles trembled as I took the first step, a reminder that today’s hike would be highly unpleasant. It was almost as if I’d plummeted from a train and into an icy river.

Oh, wait . I had.

Now, where the hell was Ari?

I made for the cave opening—nearly making it out into the early morning light—before I realized I didn’t have a stitch of clothing on.

Another fun treat.

I’d spent the night, naked, pressed against a fabled star maiden.

She hadn’t been shy exposing herself to me, a near stranger, but I certainly had been on edge.

My nerves electrified when she’d pushed her softness into my chest, trusting me to warm her.

I loathed how my body had reacted, my cock rising to attention at the worst possible time.

In the months since Grace left me for her rich fiancé, I hadn’t experienced the ability or desire to…

rise to the occasion with any other woman.

But Ari had performed some sort of witchcraft, wreaking havoc on my body.

It was a shock that I could fall asleep at all.

I ran a hand through my unkempt hair, trying to rid the image of her naked form from my mind. How her generous curves begged for my hands to grasp them, her luscious thighs taunting me to grip them and splay her open?—

Fuck.

I was doing the opposite of not thinking of her.

It has to be because of what she is , I thought. Magical. Alluring in a way I wasn’t used to. Otherwise, I likely wouldn’t have approached her; she wasn’t my type. Not with her smart mouth that drove me mad, or the way she poked and prodded at every opportunity. Yet…

Something about exchanging jabs with her sent a thrill through me—as unwanted as it was.

Scanning the cave, I found my clothes laid out beside the smoldering fire.

Finding the material dry, I sighed in relief; Ari must’ve left them there.

Once properly dressed, I yanked on my boots and hurried out into the brisk morning air.

She couldn’t have gone far with the soul bond, though my mind raced to every possible conclusion.

All ended with her bleeding or near death—a thought that had my heart racing.

Bears and wolves roamed these parts, and they were none too shy around humans.

“Ari!” I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted her name. It surprised me how anxious I sounded, but she was clueless in regard to the mortal realm, and I wouldn’t put it past her to walk right up to a bear and try to pet it and make it a cup of bitter tea.

A couple of blue jays and a single golden-eyed raven scattered from the branches and took to the skies at the rumbling sound of my voice, Ari’s name echoing like a taunt.

“Ari, where the hell are you?” I skimmed the dense woods, the golden rays of a fresh day illuminating the lush green leaves.

Rustling sounded to my left. My hand went to where Father’s blade should have rested, but the sheath lay empty. My breath hitched.

I was about to head back to the cave and search for it, when Ari emerged from the trees, the light igniting her silver hair and brushing her pale skin in a hazy yellow glow.

A limp rabbit swung from her left fist, her right boasting a crudely carved spear.

She smiled when her eyes landed on me, probably taking in how rigidly I stood.

And dammit, that knowing grin of hers made my lips twitch.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I caught us breakfast. He was outside the cave, making all kinds of a ruckus.

” Ari lifted her prize, the white rabbit stained in red.

A few droplets trickled to the dirt and splashed at her feet.

“Little fella kind of reminds me of you,” she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“And how is that?” I swallowed a full smile threatening to break free.

“I mean, the ears, for one thing. And the crooked teeth! You’re practically twins!”

I couldn’t help but release the snort I fought to hold off. A snort that turned into laughter. It wasn’t her terrible joke that did me in; it was how pleased she appeared, her cheeks rosy and eyes glimmering with wicked delight.

I hadn’t laughed in months. Not the genuine kind.

Ari captured her bottom lip between her teeth, drawing my attention. Her lips were plush, her bottom one slightly bigger than the top, making it seem as if she were always pouting. Heat coiled in my chest, my laughter dying in my throat.

Lust. Eternal being. Magical . I had to repeat these words so my stubborn brain understood.

Tearing my eyes away, I focused on the woods just over her shoulder. “Your hunting skills are great, but your jokes need work,” I said, clearing my throat. A lump formed. “They’re absolutely awful.”

Ari shoved past me and into the cave. “Don’t be sullen because you wouldn’t know a proper joke if it smacked you across the face.

” She dropped to her knees and began preparing the rabbit for skinning, her movements careful and practiced.

Her features pinched for the briefest of moments, the muscles in her neck tensing.

I frowned, but as if sensing my eyes, she forced herself to relax.

“I’m plenty funny,” I argued, studying her. She’d frozen up for a reason, however briefly, and the need to know why consumed me. First, I just needed to get her to talk to me without avoiding my eyes, which she seemed content to do now. “Ari? Are you all right?—”

I stilled when I glimpsed the dagger in her hands .

My father’s blade.

“Where did you get that?” My concern turned sour. “You had no right!” I snapped, my sudden anger casting a film of red over my vision. It was my most prized possession. What if she had lost it or?—

“I’m sorry,” Ari said, her voice quivering slightly. “I saw it beside your clothes and thought it would come in handy.” She rose quickly, wiping her blood-streaked hands across her dress. The sight of blood covering my mother’s gown added fuel to the flames.

I’d spent most of the fourteen years blocking out memories of the past and doing it quite successfully. In the span of two days, my hard work had been ruined. Somehow, she brought the past and present together, and I’d been thinking about my father more than I had in ages.

I gave Ari my back. The prickle of unwanted tears threatened to be released, my father’s face at the forefront of my mind.

He’d given me that blade days preceding the attack.

Mother burned the rest of his items, unable to see them without her heart breaking.

It was all I had left of the man. A blade he used to hunt for food, but never to harm.

I wish he’d had it on him when they attacked and ruined our lives.

My throat constricted. I didn’t cry , and I certainly didn’t show weakness in front of a stranger.

I had to be more careful. The time without Grace had made me vulnerable.

While the moments we spent together had been rare, she’d distracted me from the darkest of my thoughts.

She took everything away, only thinking of the future.

When I’d told Grace about that bloody night when I was nine, she’d listened quietly, the pain in her eyes matching my own. After it was over, she guided me onto the bed and made me forget my own name, her body relaying the affection she felt that words couldn’t.

Soon , I promised myself. You’ll see her again soon .

“I-I’m sorry,” Ari repeated, and I could hear faint steps behind me.

“I’m fine,” I insisted, turning around. Ari stood a foot away, her neck craning to meet my stare, which I knew to be searing. My grief was mine and mine alone.

Whenever I felt like this, I’d train at Darren’s, lashing out at an unlucky punching bag. Sometimes I’d work off my wrath until dawn, and even then, the shadows of regret hovered over me like a storm cloud.

Without the opportunity to release my rage, I channeled it all into my gaze, which Ari met head-on.

Instead of running, instead of lowering her head, she boldly stepped closer.

Icy fingers grazed my heated skin, and I glanced down, watching as she turned my palm face up.

With a tenderness that shocked me, she placed the dagger in my grasp, pausing just before releasing me.

The phantom touch of her was like a gentle breath whispering on my palm, the skin tingling pleasantly. Ari moved to the fire, the absence of her eyes allowing me a moment to inspect the blade. I turned it over, noting that it had been freshly polished. It had to be her doing.

“I can skin the rabbit,” I grated out, fracturing the tension. “You killed it, after all. It’s only fair.”

Ari silently shifted aside to give me room and added more kindling to the weak flames.

I sensed her focus trained on me as I finished readying our breakfast, though I didn’t dare look until I completed my task. If pity shone in her eyes, I’d lose what little calm I held.

“It’s not going to be a fun hike,” I said, my attention on the flames. The quiet, which I usually craved, suddenly made my skin itch. “It’ll be another day’s journey, maybe more, depending on how fast we move.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ari lift an unbothered shoulder. “When does the championship begin?”

“Darren will hold the fight in ten days. That’s the first round. The championship will be on the final night of the Aura Festival.” Thirteen days from now.

“That’s the last night I’m able to complete the ritual,” she murmured, her voice somber. “We’ll have to time this perfectly.”

I didn’t respond. If we didn’t get this right, I’d lose the future I coveted, and Ari would lose her sisters. I couldn’t fathom the pressure she shouldered, knowing that their very lives depended on her succeeding. I’d been too consumed by myself. Too selfish—as usual.