Page 58 of Starfall

Elias

I kept as much distance from Ari as possible. I had to, or I feared what I would do in her presence. I envisioned whisking her into some dark alleyway on the walk over to the arena and kissing her senseless. Among other things. And there were so many, many other things I pictured.

Last night had been a beautiful ruination. Now, all I craved was more, more, more .

As we walked through the marketplace with its shouting vendors and bustling crowds, Ari slipped her hand in mine and squeezed.

My heart rate thudded, and a smile crept to my lips.

I couldn’t recall the last time I’d felt that light.

I didn’t let her go until we arrived at Darren’s.

Not even when I bought her three pastries and a slice of her new favorite, red velvet cake.

Inside the arena, Ari observed me train from the stands, her eyes examining my every move. The urge to impress her consumed me, and I put on a bloody show. My opponents might not have appreciated their broken noses and swollen lips, but Ari cheered, her face alight with pride.

Was that how it was supposed to be? Being with someone who appreciated you for who you were and didn’t pick and choose the parts they liked?

I was probably a bastard for taking her the way I had last night, but she was her own woman, and she’d begged me to be myself. To not hide behind a facade.

The question now was what to do next.

Ari continued to insist we finish and fulfill the wish, but she also held faith in Xavier . Even his name raised my hackles. I didn’t trust the prick. He probably planned to use her somehow, but I’d be ready when, or if, he showed. Which I suspected he’d do.

There was no way he’d gone through all the trouble of making sure Ari completed her mission if he hadn’t expected to be there at the end. Creatures like him enjoyed toying with their prey, and I doubted he would miss his chance to see what his trickery had accomplished.

Ari might believe what tonight held in store for her—but I had the gut feeling that nothing was as it seemed.

Selfishly, I prayed the end result would mean more time with her.

Lost in thought, images of Ari’s naked body writhing beneath me, I dodged a punch too slowly. The fist struck me in the jaw.

“Focus!” Darren shouted from the second level. Exasperation pinched his cheeks, and his suit was unusually wrinkled. “Your opponent tonight might actually beat you.”

I scrubbed a hand over my face. Zade Griffin . The Executioner of the North would saunter into this room in three hours. He was tough, which went without question. If anyone could beat me, it would be him.

Wyatt, my fighting partner, aimed for my ribs next. His blow landed with a distinct crack . Fuck. I grimaced, stabbing pain radiating across my torso.

“Block, block, block!” Darren screamed, his command echoing with each strike.

My arms raised, and I took each blow with gritted teeth.

I’d beaten Wyatt dozens of times before, so I shouldn’t be having this much of a problem.

‘ Shouldn’t’ being the key word. With effort, I shoved last night from my thoughts and threw myself into training, thankfully falling into a familiar rhythm.

By the end of the session, I’d knocked Wyatt on his back with a quick jab to the face. He’d have a black eye tomorrow .

“For Eternal’s sake, boy! Just give it a rest.” Darren waved the onlookers away, clearly not satisfied with my performance, even though I’d won. “You better not come into this arena tonight like some half-trained child. I have a lot riding on you.”

So did Ari?—

But winning also meant I’d be in the Bleeding Hearts’ Tent. With Grace.

After seeing her dismiss me without so much as a lingering glance, something had clicked into place. I’d felt like I woke from a long sleep, and while a normal person would probably feel heartbroken, I’d already punished myself for months .

Her dismissal had been the confirmation I didn’t want to see before.

Grace had desired fame and riches. “You have the chance to be known throughout Alderon,” she’d said after I’d defeated Roscoe Evans from Malvar months ago.

Her pert nose had wrinkled with excitement as she crawled up my body back at my apartment, my black shirt barely covering her body.

She knew exactly how to persuade me. “Imagine all the parties we’d be invited to.

All the doors that would open for us. Everyone will want a piece of you, and there’s nothing better than becoming a legend.

” That night, I promised I’d make that dream a reality if only to see her face brighten with that same joy.

Standing in the arena where the second half of my life began, the memory left me feeling hollow.

I should’ve wanted that dream, but it hadn’t been mine originally. In fact, I couldn’t recall the last time I’d wanted something just for me.

Maybe that could be my wish—even if the Eternal wouldn’t grant it.

Screw it . I could make it happen all on my own.

An hour later, I stood in the blue room, readying myself for the fight by staring at myself in the mirror, my eyes full of loathing. It was my typical routine.

Ari was stationed across the hall with Liv, using the server’s changing rooms to get herself ready. I had the itching need to check on her, to not only see if she was prepared to visit my opponent, but to see her .

At a quarter to ten, a knock rattled my door.

“Get ready, big man!”

I huffed at the sound of Liv’s chipper voice. She threw open the door with all the dramatics I’d grown to expect from her. She was a performer herself, after all. Liv sold the most exclusive bottles in the lounge, and it wasn’t simply because the patrons were thirsty.

“You really shouldn’t just walk in?—”

My words died in my throat.

Ari stood in the center of the threshold, a long black gown hugging her curves.

The plunging neckline ran to her belly button, her moon-kissed skin glowing with whatever shimmering powder Liv had applied.

A gleaming diamond sat at her throat, the gem catching the gas lamp’s flickering light, the stone’s radiance matching its wearer.

It had to be on loan from Liv, but damn, did the gem appear like the real deal.

Ari shifted nervously in place, her hands running down the slinky material that should’ve been illegal to wear. Her movement revealed an indecent slit exposing her right leg, and heat warmed my cheeks as I followed it up up up .

I swallowed thickly, the blush spreading down to my neck. I could practically feel Liv’s triumphant smile, but my attention was aimed at Ari alone. I forced myself to take in her face.

That was almost worse.

Liv painted her eyes in thick charcoal, highlighting the brilliant silver. My stare fell, my insides warming at the sight of her deep red lip stain—so many dirty thoughts ran through my head, and I had to shift to the side so Liv didn’t see just how much I reacted to the star maiden.

Gorgeous .

“Well? Did you lose your voice or just your mind?” Liv asked, cocking out a hip. She wore a silver sequined strapless number that ended above her knees. As usual, she wore her signature heeled shoes, although metal spikes protruded from the backs .

“She looks…” I trailed off, my heart rate pounding as Ari smirked. The little star enjoyed my speechlessness.

Liv physically snapped my jaw closed with her fingers. I glared at her while Ari snickered.

“Is, um, is everything in place?” I asked, unable to tear my gaze from Ari. She was every person’s fucking dream girl. I wanted to run my fingers through her curled hair. Wanted to slide my hand up that teasing little slit in her dress and feel her warmth. Wanted?—

Liv made a frustrated noise. “I can practically hear your thoughts, Elias,” she said. “Now, get yourself together, and then you two can go off and do whatever you’d like.” Liv took a breath, likely to berate us more, but Ari hastily snatched her hand and shook her head.

“I’m heading to Zade’s room right now,” Ari said, stealing glances at me in my boxing shorts.

I knew she liked them—she wasn’t exactly discreet.

“His room is in the next corridor, so it shouldn’t put too much stress on the soul bond.

” I watched the elegant column of her throat work, her nerves shining through.

“Good luck, Ari,” I said, wishing I could grab her for a kiss. I held back only because a few of Darren’s people were close by, and if they discovered I cared about her in any capacity, they’d target her. Even with Darren on his ‘best behavior’ due to Ari’s convincing , his thugs were still brutal.

“You too,” she whispered, a shy blush covering her cheeks.

Liv threw up her hands. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. You’ll see each other when it’s over, and you can go for another round then.”

Ari startled. “Another round?”

“Liv,” I warned, but she rolled her eyes.

“If you didn’t want people to know, you should’ve hidden all your longing stares.” With that, she snagged Ari’s hand and dragged her down the corridor. I winced and shut the door, leaning back on the thin wood.

And to think I prided myself on my control. It was laughable, really.

Silence reigned until Billy thudded on my door fifteen minutes later, announcing the beginning of the match.

The start of the rest of my life?—

Whatever that may be.