Page 22 of Starfall

Ari

W e’d been walking for what felt like weeks. My muscles were sore, and the stupid wool dress was heavy and uncomfortable. It weighed my steps and made trekking through the thick brush damn near impossible.

My mind continuously returned to my dream from two nights ago. Thankfully, the stranger hadn’t plagued my thoughts last night, but I still woke exhausted. Ironically, the fact that the strange apparition hadn’t appeared made me think of him now.

If you grant the boy’s wish, you condemn yourself. Unless you’re brave enough to fight…

Fight for what? He hadn’t deigned to answer that burning question.

If he wasn’t the Eternal, I wanted nothing to do with him. He had to be some wicked entity testing my faith, which I refused to allow.

Or, you just had a nightmare . That made far more sense. I wasn’t used to them, and the shock of it sent me spiraling. It had to be a side effect of being on Earth.

Liar , my thoughts screamed. Even they rebelled against the concept of our interaction being an illusion .

It was the second day lost in the woods on our way to Persh, and nighttime swiftly approached.

Elias didn’t seem all that worried, but he’d stop every now and again to scan the distance, a shrewd look creasing his brow. I began to recognize that expression, the one he made when he didn’t think I noticed. Panic.

“Are we lost?” I finally asked, sighing. I might be a star maiden, but my legs were burning from our trek. A warm bath and a cozy bed called my name. I’d give damn near anything to feel clean.

A gruff, “No,” was his reply.

Charming.

“Then why have I seen that tree three times?” I pointed to an oak, a distinguishable hollow in the trunk overflowing with a nest of baby bluebirds.

Elias rolled his eyes. “There’s more than one nest out here. We’re fine.”

I snagged his arm, forcing him to a stop.

A visible shudder vibrated down his frame, and my fingers flexed over his rippling muscles.

“Elias…it’s all right if we’re lost, just tell me,” I pleaded, panic churning in my belly at the notion of letting down Lily and my sisters.

I could help if we were lost—I’d climb a tree, perhaps. Gain a better vantage point.

“I would tell you if we were.” He angled himself so his broad chest was inches away as he stared down at me. The man was practically a giant; all brawn and thunderous steps.

“I don’t think you would,” I argued with a pacifying smile, my hand still wrapped around his arm. He hadn’t shaken it off. “Why is it so hard for you to admit it?”

He liked his role as the protector far too much. I’d seen it in the way he chose the safest resting spots, and how he hunted or scavenged for our food. Even how he ushered me close whenever a distant sound echoed in the woods.

Elias inched into my space, closing whatever gap remained between us. “I’ve been wandering these woods since I was a child,” he said indignantly. His gaze locked on my eyes, his own darkening. “Persh should be just an hour away. I promise we’re almost there.”

His words were clipped and short, much like his patience. I snorted at his state, noting how his hair stuck out like he’d run a nervous hand through it several times.

Eternal above. He was lost.

Lifting to my tiptoes, I brought my lips to his ear, smiling when he exhaled an audible breath. “You don’t have to know everything, Brute. I won’t look at you any differently if you did get us lost in the middle of nowhere.”

My lips grazed the shell of his ear when I pulled back, and a shudder of my own raced down my spine. I canted my head, unable to rid myself of the smirk Elias stared at, his full attention aimed at me making my heart skip a beat.

Somehow I ripped free of the trance and stepped backward, my cursed pulse racing once again. What I hadn’t accounted for was the very large root thrusting up from the soil.

My foot collided with the upturned root, knocking me off-balance. I yelped, the world tilting as I fell… But I never did. Two powerful arms winded around my middle, hauling me up and pressing me flush against the nearest tree.

“You all right?” Elias asked, hands gripping my waist, his fingers dipping into my curves.

“I—” All thoughts disappeared from my head. He was too close, and his hands…shit his hands were burning through my dress. I’d be surprised if it didn’t go up in flames.

“You have to be more careful,” Elias whispered, his hands moving to rest on either side of my face. The storm in his eyes had shifted. Changing into… something else . Something deeper.

Why couldn’t I get my mouth to work properly? Sometimes his very presence rendered me speechless, which wasn’t like me at all. His chest brushed against mine, my heart racing even faster. I felt his own heart thudding against me. It was equally as quick, if not more so.

“Thank you,” I said roughly, lowering my eyes. I flinched when I realized where my hands rested on his chest.

“You’re welcome, Ari.” Elias hadn’t moved. Barely even breathed.

I peered up again, the sounds of the forest vanishing. All I made out was the beating of my heart, and all I felt was his body pressed against mine.

Moments passed—hell, a whole eternity could’ve passed—before he spoke.

“Are you performing magic?” he asked softly, the question barely audible. I wasn’t certain he’d meant to say it out loud.

“Of course not.” I lifted my chin. My hands found the trunk behind me, pushing into the wood. My whole body trembled, and not with alarm. Touching him had been a mistake.

A low growl rumbled in his throat. “Liar.”

“Never.” Star maidens didn’t lie.

“You’re doing something ,” he murmured, his head tilting to the side, confusion muddling the yellow in his eyes. Slowly, his hands fell, dropping to his sides as he took a step back. He continued to gawk at me like I performed some sort of spell on him, a tinge of accusation narrowing his stare.

“I’m not doing anything, Elias.” I exhaled, the noise louder than intended. I silently used a foul curse word, my pulse refusing to slow.

Elias took a few more steps away before he twisted on his heel, giving me his back. Above the wind, I heard the grunt of a curse as he marched into the woods, fists forming at his sides.

Seriously ? He shoved me against a damned tree and asked if I enchanted him. Then he just left ?

“Wait!” I called, finally releasing myself from the oak and sprinting after. “What was that?”

That look . Fuck, that look wreaked havoc. I loathed and loved it equally, though I’d never admit it.

Elias didn’t cease his relentless pace. “It was nothing.”

His features had morphed into something unrecognizable, and my body responded, heating until it was almost painful. I couldn’t dismiss how he’d assessed me, his stare seeming to sear through my flesh.

“Obviously, it was something .” More than me simply getting on his nerves. My attention fell on his fists. “ Elias?”

“We’ll camp tonight and continue tomorrow,” he muttered, avoiding looking at me at all costs. The harsh tone caused my back to straighten.

“Why are you being such an ass?”

His shoulders visibly tensed. “I’m not.”

“You’re acting like a sullen child.”

Never mind the fact that he didn’t admit he got us lost. But I wasn’t about to bring that up.

“Ari, for the love of the Eternal, can you please just drop it?” He picked up his pace, heading toward a grouping of fallen trees. A small dip had formed below, making a cozy little place for travelers to rest their heads.

“Here.” He waved before us. “Sit, and I’ll get us dinner.” Elias headed in the opposite direction.

I turned to follow. “But?—”

“Stay,” he commanded, making my hackles rise. I wasn’t someone to command .

“Don’t order me around!” I snapped, picking up my hem. I took off, almost a foot away, when he turned.

All the air rushed from my lungs as I collided with him, but before I fell flat on my bottom, Elias grasped both arms, steadying me.

He shut his eyes as he touched my skin for the second time today.

If it wasn’t for the intense moment pulled taut between us, I would’ve felt embarrassed for nearly falling.

Twice . I was a star maiden for Eternal’s sake.

Balance shouldn’t be an issue—yet he had me feeling like I walked across a thin plank, each step sending me tilting.

“ Please , Ari. I need…I need some space.”

All the fight left me. He was being an ass, but the tautness of his jaw and the way he begged cut off my arguments. “Fine,” I conceded. “Just don’t go too far.”

“As if I could forget about the bond.” He released me, vanishing into the trees moments later and leaving me empty. A hollow ache took up space in my chest, throbbing like a wound.

I allowed a true curse to filter past my lips, savoring the way it sounded in the air. Maybe I’d take to the habit before my days on Earth were up. Elias brought it out in me, the arrogant man and his broody eyes driving me mad.

It wasn’t as if we’d known each other that long, and while the soul bond connected us, he acted as though I’d done him great harm. I understood very little of this world, especially Elias.

Walking over to our newest camp, I settled down, fluffing the damned woolen skirts around me while hugging my knees to my chest. At times like these, when it grew silent, my mind returned to my sisters.

To Lily. There was so much on my shoulders, and I feared everything —being here, on Earth, Elias, failing my family.

And then there was the man from my dream.

Everywhere we wandered, my skin prickled as if unseen eyes watched, burning holes into my skin.

I could still hear the echo of his laughter, even now.

If he was some powerful deity, then I didn’t doubt he watched me. If only I’d seen his face…but the bastard wanted to remain hidden until his chosen time. I dug my nails into the flesh of my palms and turned to the heavens with a glare.