Page 21 of Starfall

Stealing a quick peek, I caught the brief second that her guard lowered, the silver of her irises turning dull and clouded.

She held her pain close to her chest, just like I did.

Yet there was another look that passed over her face, one that reeked of indecision, almost like she hid something more.

Lines cut across her brow, and she gnawed at the inside of her cheek, her lips parting every now and again before shutting.

I wouldn’t want to be pressured to talk, so I didn’t do the same to her.

“Sorry I snapped at you,” I said instead, my brusque tone causing her to flinch. I could be an ass, but I didn’t care for the emptiness smoothing her face into stone. “That was, uh, my father’s dagger, and I can be a little territorial over it.”

A flicker of life flashed in her eyes. “I can see that,” she said. “I won’t touch it again.”

I appreciated her understanding, but her lips were still turned down. She picked at a twig sticking to her dress. It was one of many.

I apologized. So why was she still giving me the cold shoulder? She wasn’t her typical self today. Not that I’d known her for long, but I had a decent idea of what to expect.

“You think you’ll be able to keep up with me today?” I made an exaggerated point to peer at her short frame; her legs would have to work twice as hard to match mine.

There .

Silver flames sparkled in her eyes.

I had the urge to smile triumphantly. I didn’t.

“Do you think you will be able to keep up with me ?” she asked, much to my relief. “I may be short—and new to this world—but I was the best fighter on Maldia. Not even Lily could compete with me.”

Instantly, her smile dipped.

“Lily?” I asked before I could stop myself. So much for not prying.

Ari’s throat bobbed, and she hastily glanced to the cave’s shadowed corner, lingering, as if she saw something there. All I glimpsed was the rocky wall. A shiver went through her before she continued.

“Lily. She was— is —my friend. My sister. She’s trapped with the others, unable to ascend because of my mistake.” Ari swallowed thickly, her hands turning into fists at her side.

I recognized guilt, and Ari held it in spades.

“What’s it like? Maldia?” I asked, deflecting.

Still, I wished to know her reply. While Ari’s existence proved the Eternal existed, I hadn’t thought I cared enough to know about his realm.

He’d been this fairytale that the naive believed in, a piece of hope to grasp when the world showed its ugliness. I didn’t like to admit I’d been wrong.

Ari finally met my stare, her features less taut, and the muscles in her shoulders drooping slightly. Progress .

“Maldia is…beautiful,” she said wistfully, her throat bobbing. “The buildings are made of smooth marble, and the winds carry the scent of jasmine.”

Ah . That was why she smelled of the flower. I sniffed the air, and sure enough, the breeze brought the delicate aroma to my nostrils.

“And the music”—Ari paused, tilting her head to the sky—“it’s the most exquisite thing you’ll ever hear, especially when the younger maidens play the harp.” Her eyes grew glassy as if she envisioned the harpists strumming their instruments right that minute in our humble cave.

“I never cared for music,” I admitted, turning the rabbit on the spit.

“Of course, you don’t,” she mocked, shaking her head. “I bet you don’t enjoy anything involving fun or smiling.”

I glowered. She raised a brow as if to say, See ?

“I like being in the ring, and…” I hesitated, searching for something else to add. Grace’s face popped into my thoughts. “I liked spending time with her, Grace, even if we didn’t get to see each other much.” I finally said her name out loud. Bitterness coated my tongue.

“She must be something,” Ari said, eyes narrowing skeptically.

“She is. Grace is gentle and kind. Always laughing.” My grin spread. “Some people have that quality about them, you know? Where everyone in the room can’t help but gravitate toward them. And she was like that. Special.”

Ari scoffed. “Well, she sounds perfect…” I didn’t miss the sarcasm lacing her biting tone.

“She is perfect, and when you meet her?—”

“The rabbit’s done,” Ari interrupted. I shut my mouth. “Don’t burn our breakfast.” Shooting to her feet, she marched toward the mouth of the cave, sparing a quick glance at the shadows darkening the corner. “I’ll be right back,” she called over her shoulder, leaving me puzzled by her hasty retreat.

I remembered then why Ari utterly vexed me.

I didn’t mind the trek through the woods. It cleared my head. Helped me focus on the actual mission at hand.

The winds smelled of the earth, and they brushed damp strands of hair from my temples. Even in the chilled air, a fine sheen of sweat coated my brow. I maintained a relentless pace.

Ari didn’t seem bothered by the exertion. She kept up with me, and, for once, remained silent. We walked like this for hours—quiet and lost in our own thoughts. It was surprisingly…comfortable.

The leftover rabbit made for a decent lunch, which we ate beside a gurgling river. While she stared at its bubbling surface with apprehension, she eased close enough to dip her fingers into the river. I swore she whispered to it, like an old friend.

The myths about the water sprites were numerous, leaving some children too afraid to swim because of the tales.

But even in the stories, they were harmless, their slim, translucent bodies made to absorb toxins and purify the water so mortals could safely drink.

One boy from my village claimed a sprite had saved him from drowning.

There were a few stories like his; the mystical beings rescuing mortals on the verge of death.

Those who were believers of the Eternal would sometimes leave small gifts on the banks of rivers and lakes for the sprites in thanks.

I found myself wondering if I’d ever get the chance to see one for myself.

They hadn’t saved us from the river yesterday, which would have been helpful.

It still made me question what other magic I had spurned simply because I never beheld it with my own eyes.

I would’ve laughed at myself for thinking such things days ago.

As we wandered, I noticed ravens, those with violet eyes, the supposed messengers of the Eternal.

I didn’t know much about them other than the gossip about a raven appearing during battles or negotiations with the realm on the line.

Whatever messages they carried had allegedly changed the course of our history.

And the woods… I took stock of the trees and the flowers that bloomed all around us, musing if the forest nymphs had a hand in their creation. I regarded the wild forest as if it shone in a new light. And maybe it did—my eyes had been shut all these years.

Regardless, I still didn’t believe the Eternal was some merciful entity worthy of reverence—trusting in the Eternal after witnessing Ari’s distress was enough to dissuade me from devotion. The bastard didn’t even have the guts to show himself and help one of his creations.

Let alone answer your desperate plea.

He appeared in the flesh once thousands of years ago, and the ancient texts all depicted him in a different light.

Some say he was handsome, others, plain and somber.

The single thing the texts agreed upon was that he descended from the sky on a cloud of silver, gifting the world rain during a drought that nearly wiped away the eastern lands of Alderon.

Since then, there’d been no trace of him aside from the gossip of his creations performing his supposed deeds.

A lazy prick, if I was honest.

By the end of the day, Ari’s demeanor shifted. She’d grown wary, her attention continuously drifting to the branches like the trees possessed eyes. When I asked her if something was wrong, she merely shook her head.

Stubborn. She was consistent in that respect.

The fifth time she paused to glance at the trees, I noticed a golden-eyed raven staring back, its head cocked as it assessed her.

“I’ve never seen a raven with that eye color,” I remarked.

“It’s…unusual.” Ari cringed when the creature expanded its mighty wings and took off for the skies. “Their eyes are violet if they belong to the Eternal, and while I’ve seen common ravens with black eyes, they’ve never been gold . I saw a golden-eyed raven at your home, too.”

Her nose wrinkled, and she bit the inside of her cheek. Something concerned her… Just like it had this morning in the cave.

That concern drove me to her side, my feet having a mind of their own. She said nothing when the back of my hand brushed hers, though a prickling sensation spread up my arm from the graze. It was a pleasant feeling, and before long, it moved to reach my chest.

Too much .

Hastily, I yanked my arm out of reach, dismissing the confusion twisting Ari’s features. Her magic had to be potent for such a simple gesture to cause me to lose my breath. For my heart to race like it had.

When dusk approached, I secured us another cave. Slightly larger than the last, this one left plenty of room for us to sprawl out on opposite sides of the fire.

Ari shut her eyes the second she lay upon the rocky ground.

Her chest rose and fell unevenly, but she was far from asleep.

Across the fire, I studied her, our forced proximity spurning this burgeoning fascination.

Ari’s lashes dusted her cheeks, which were rosy from the heat of the flames.

My muscles tensed when she frowned, moving her hands to her chin and curling them into fists. The knuckles were white.

I opened my mouth several times, only to shut it with a huff. She had her secrets, and I had mine. This new fascination of mine couldn’t get in the way of Grace. Ari, while obnoxiously attractive, wasn’t my friend. She was duty-bound to help me.

I blamed my uncharacteristic behavior on shock.

Hours later, she finally succumbed to sleep.

She appeared so tranquil in her slumber, her face free of the worry lines that marred her brow earlier.

Ari was like me in many respects, I realized, hiding her worries with quips or smiles.

Well, I usually chose scowls in place of niceties, but that wasn’t the point.

There was more beneath the exterior than one might think, and like an artist observing his subject, I couldn’t look away.

I thought of last night. I had nothing better to do, and the cursed images refused to part ways.

If I loved Grace, why had my body reacted like that?

It never had before. Not even when the other fighters under Darren’s employ forced me to accompany them to scandalous taverns where the men and women wore next to nothing, all eager to cozy up to us.

We had shared the flowing alcohol, but even with the drink in my system and the sensuous hands grazing my body, I hadn’t felt a damned thing .

I flipped onto my other side, away from the fire and away from Ari.

She wasn’t the girl I loved, and if I wasn’t with Grace, I feared what I’d become. The person I might turn into. An unfeeling bastard who died alone. And I’d been alone for so long…

With my eyes closed, I imagined Grace wrapping her delicate hands around my waist and leaning her head against my chest. “You’re the only thing that feels real,” she once told me. “The only thing in my life that’s just mine.”

I’d run my fingers through her hair, gently gripping the strands in my fist. Slowly, I brought her head back so I could stare into her eyes, which were full of mischief. “You’re mine as well, Grace. The sun in my skies.”

She had smiled then, as bright as the golden star I’d compared her to. “Good,” she said. “I like being your only light. Only me.”

Soon, she’d be back in my arms, and all would be as it should.

I didn’t find sleep until the early morning hours.