Page 41 of Starfall

Ari

T he blond prick hadn’t even waited before attacking.

With the chocolate croissant in one hand and the cake in the other—I hadn’t been able to decide—I leaned forward, lips parting in shock.

Elias dodged the blow, but barely. Swerving to the blond’s right, he feigned a jab before striking his ribs and then landing a solid hit to his jaw. I expected Elias’s opponent to go down, but he barely budged.

The men circled, assessing each other, and I held my breath, watching the violence unfold.

They exchanged jab after jab, but through it all, Elias remained quicker and more nimble on his feet, which gave him an advantage.

I never thought I’d find such violence…attractive, but deep down, heat built in my lower belly.

Seeing the sweat glisten on Elias’s golden skin, his damp curls dropping into his determined eyes, those powerful hands clenched into fists?—

I hadn’t even realized I dropped both the croissant and cake until I tore my gaze away and caught my breath.

I think I know why people like those muscles of his .

Leaning deeper into my wooden seat, I tried to shove aside the conflicting memories that yesterday and the day before brought about. Elias had crossed a line—no, we both had—and while every cell in my mortal body begged to give in, Lily’s face swarmed my mind, and guilt doused the flames.

I had to leave the arena. Watching Elias like this, half-dressed and gleaming in sweat, would be my undoing.

Rising to my feet, I crept up the stairs and slipped to the left, heading to the main foyer.

Thankfully empty at this hour, I made the final journey up the spiraling stairs that led to the upper deck.

Grunts echoed from below, Elias and the blond still going at each other’s throats, but I couldn’t see him. I sighed with relief.

Alone on the luxurious upper deck, I wandered the halls, peeking into velvet-curtained rooms and running my hands across the plush lounges and high-backed chairs. On the other end of the space, behind the glass bar with its onyx top, I spotted a small hallway.

I shouldn’t go. I really shouldn’t go.

I peered over my shoulder. No one followed me. Elias was busy…

Before I changed my mind, I snuck down the narrow corridor, only a few doors in sight. Opening the nearest one, I peeked inside, finding a room designed in shades of red.

When a clatter sounded from the bar area, I lurched inside, hastily shutting the door behind me.

Back pressed against the wood, I eyed my new surroundings.

Another lounge, this one the shade of spilled wine, and a table and chair situated before a mirror.

A gas lamp hung from either side, illuminating the stunning terracotta tiled floors grouted with gold.

A changing room, by the looks of it. I recalled Liv mentioning a “blue room” Elias used. Maybe I’d find it further down the hall. Turning around, I twisted the knob…

Locked. The damned door had locked behind me.

Searching for some kind of switch, I let out a frightful sound when I found none. There weren’t any latches or switches, not even a keyhole.

I yanked on the door, panic making my breath quicken. I disliked small spaces, and if Darren caught me in here, I’d get Elias in trouble. I could handle the boss by myself, but I didn’t wish for Elias to have issues after?—

After I left .

My shoulders sagged. I would be gone soon. A distant memory held aloft in the sky. Unfeeling.

“I gave you that ring so you’d wear it, little star.”

I spun around, my hair whipping me in the face.

Leaning casually against the farthest wall stood my dark stranger.

“You.”

He grinned impishly. “Me.”

“What are you doing here?” I whisper-hissed, recklessly arguing with some sort of immortal being who could likely crush me with a flick of his wrist. I was going to be gone in mere days anyway, so what was the worst he could do to me?

Shoving up from the wall, he took his time to walk over, his height soon forcing me to crane my neck. Eternal, he was striking. Every single time I saw him, I had that wretched thought.

Those golden eyes that burned into me.

The sharp cheekbones and powerful jaw.

The perpetual smirk that I now saw brought out a dimple.

“You wandered far,” he mused, ignoring my question. “The soul bond will act out if you don’t go back,” he all but taunted, a glint in his eyes.

“Why are you here and not…not in my dreams?” Or a damned mirror, for that matter. Him in the flesh…it was too much. Too consuming and real .

“I told you we’d meet again soon,” he said, inching closer. Shit, I could feel his breath on my cheek. Cold and minty.

“Am I supposed to be impressed?” I asked, waving my hands in the air when the silence stretched. “You haunted my nightmares and gave me an enchanted ring. You still haven’t told me your name.”

I shouldn’t care to learn his name. I shouldn’t want anything to do with him. Yet…

“And why do you wish to know?” he questioned. “You see me as the villain, I’m sure. Why care to learn the name of your enemy?”

I considered, holding his trenchant stare. He seemed to see directly through me, the molten pools swirling with questions.

“I can tell you want me to trust you,” I began, looking up at his handsome face, studying the way his jaw feathered. “This is the start of that. A name.”

I didn’t have to go against my sisters, and I wouldn’t, but I should know what he intended aside from his usual ramblings about me “fighting by his side.” I had to play it smart; lure him in and learn how to defeat him.

Something flashed across his face. Surprise. Alarm. Relief .

His smirk fell as he ran his long, lean fingers through his white hair, the color like fresh snow. Glancing to the side, avoiding my eyes, he said, “Xavier. I used to be called Xavier.”

Xavier .

“Hmm. It fits you,” I replied. “It sounds pretentious.”

His ensuing laughter stunned me, the rumbling noise lighthearted and full of joy. It made me frown.

“I knew I liked you.” He tilted his head, still smiling, a genuine smile that brightened the room.

“You don’t know me,” I mumbled, my mouth suddenly dry.

When he started to inch forward, I backed up, moving until my back struck the wall. Towering over me, he placed his hands on either side of my face and stared down. My chest rose and fell heavily, his proximity making my stomach tie into knots.

“I know you crave sweets more than just about anyone I’ve ever met,” he whispered, lifting a hand.

He gently pushed aside a stray strand of hair, tucking it behind my ear.

I shivered. “I know you do the brave thing, even when you feel far from courageous. I know that when you love, you love completely, wholly, with everything in you.” His finger trailed down the apple of my cheek, lingering.

Goosebumps rose in his wake, and I remained frozen, caught like prey by his words, by his eyes, by how reverently he spoke of me.

“And I know you want to live and be in charge of your own destiny. That you’re terrified of completing the ritual.

” He sighed heavily. “You’d do it anyway, though, die for them, thinking it was the only way out. ”

My voice trembled as I asked, “And there’s another way?”

The man—no, Xavier —grasped my chin with his thumb and forefinger, holding me in place. It was a gentle touch, but the power he emanated slipped through his fingers, making my skin buzz.

“I’ve watched you for a year, Ari. At first, it was just to know if you were the right maiden I needed.

Then, it grew…selfish. I found myself waiting until the nights when you’d sneak to the balcony, the only place I could see you fully.

You’d stand there and look over the mortal realm with such longing in your eyes that it broke my heart.

Then, you’d smile for your sisters and pretend your feelings didn’t matter.

” The hand holding my chin tightened. “But they do. Your feelings do matter, and I am all too eager to tell you how to have everything you’ve ever wanted. ”

“Why me?” I asked, cursing how my lips trembled. He was too close, his power overwhelming everything.

He released my chin to graze the side of my cheek, the icy caress sending tingles down my spine. “Because you burn the brightest,” he replied simply.

“What does that even mean?”

A pounding came from beside me, the wall shaking with the resounding knock. “Ari! Are you in there?”

Elias.

“Seems like your Chosen is calling for you,” Xavier murmured, lowering himself to press his lips to my temple. I shuddered, despising how pleasant it felt.

Xavier took a step back, a somber smile replacing his dimpled smirk. “I’ll see you soon, Ari. Oh, and wear your ring,” he added, eyeing my trouser pocket with a lifted brow.

“Ari?” Elias’s voice shook the very wood separating us. I cursed and turned to the door. The handle still wouldn’t budge.

“I’m stuck!” I called out to Elias, chancing a peek over my shoulder. As expected, Xavier was gone.

“Hold on! And stand back.”

I did as he instructed, gasping when the door shuttered open with one powerful kick from Elias.

He stood there wearing his boxing shorts, sweat glistening on his brow.

My eyes fell to the rippling abdomen I hadn’t been able to see properly in the arena, tracing over every ridge of his stomach.

My throat constricted when I landed on the savory V at his hips, a soft trail of hair leading to?—

“Ari?” Elias entered the room, and I wished I could slap myself. I blamed Xavier. I blamed the fight in the ring. Hell, I even blamed the delectable pastries.

“Sorry, I, uh, went too far,” I muttered, my heart beating out of my chest. “I got lost.”

Elias held out his hand, his eyes narrowed while he scanned the room. I took the offering, plastering on a smile as he led me out and back to the arena.

I couldn’t help but feel as if invisible eyes followed me.