Page 29 of Storm of Stars (Pride of Praxis #2)

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

Bex

The bus groaned beneath us, a low, guttural sound that rattled through the floor and into my bones as Thorne drove us away from Steelheart and back toward Praxis. The engine sounded angry as we made our departure, like it knew what we were on our way to bring down Praxis’ pristine golden walls.

The sun was setting outside the cracked windows, casting long orange shadows across the aisle, painting everything in gold and rust. Ezra’s hand lay in mine, limp but warm, and I gripped it like a tether.

He was still breathing. Still here. And yet the fear of losing him hadn’t left my chest. Not really.

It just sat deeper now, quieter, but no less sharp.

Down the aisle, Briar and Devrin were deep in conversation.

War plans. Strategy. Phrases like “flank positioning” and “staggered team sweep formations” drifted through the noise of the bus, and I let them.

I didn’t understand half of what they were saying, but I was grateful they did.

It freed me up to do what I needed to, keep Ezra alive. And hold myself together.

I smoothed the hair off Ezra’s forehead, fingers lingering there longer than necessary.

He was sleeping, peaceful, at last. I’d nearly lost him.

So close. One breath, one heartbeat away from never hearing his quiet laugh again.

From never seeing those forest-green eyes light up in the morning sun.

From never telling him how much I loved him.

The engine was loud, but not loud enough to drown out the echo of my thoughts. No engine could do that.

We’d set this whole rebellion in motion, called the Runaways together, reignited the spark that Thorne and Briar’s mother lit years ago. We had pulled on the string, and now the whole tapestry was unraveling.

But what if no one came?

What if we marched on Praxis alone?

The image haunted me, our ragged team stumbling into the capital, outnumbered and outgunned, only to find a country too afraid, too broken to rise up. What if all we had done was not enough?

I squeezed Ezra’s hand again as my thoughts drifted to my brother. Jax.

It all started with him. This fight, this mission, this Reclamation. It began with a promise I made in the quiet of our broken home, that I’d find a way to give him a better life. That I’d fix a world that told him his body wasn’t worth healing. That I’d come back with doctors and answers and hope.

But what if I didn’t come back at all?

What if I never saw my little brother again? Never got to hold him close or tell him I loved him one more time? I could only hope Ava would tell him everything, that she’d explain why I had to go, why I had to risk it all. Why the fight was worth it.

God, please let him understand.

“Bex?”

My name, barely a whisper, but unmistakable. My eyes shot down to Ezra.

He stirred, lashes fluttering against his cheek, and I leaned in, barely breathing.

“Ezra,” I gasped. “Oh my God, Ezra. You’re awake.” Tears spilled before I could stop them, warm and unrelenting. I pressed kisses to his mouth, desperate and grateful all at once. “You’re awake.”

His fingers tangled gently into my hair as he kissed me back, the touch soft and sure.

“Good morning to you, too,” he murmured, the hint of a chuckle in his voice. He tried to sit up, and I moved instantly, wrapping an arm around his back, steadying him. He was stronger but still groaned in pain as he shifted upright.

“Nice to see you awake,” Briar called softly, glancing over her shoulder with a tired smile.

“Thanks for staying in the land of the living, man” Thorne added over the roar of the engine, eyes catching us in the rearview mirror.

“Thanks for keeping me here,” Ezra said, stretching. He winced as the motion tugged at healing skin, but he managed a smirk through the discomfort.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, running a hand down his unburned arm, grounding myself in his presence.

“Like someone tried to roast me over a spit,” he said dryly. “But honestly? Better than I should be.”

“Bex restarted your heart,” Briar said, nodding toward me. Ezra’s eyes locked on mine, wide with something I couldn’t name. He gripped my hand, his thumb tracing slow, deliberate circles into my skin.

“Yes, she did,” he said, voice low. The double meaning true and clear.

“And Devrin dressed your wounds,” I added. His gaze snapped to the man sitting beside Briar. For a moment, confusion crossed his face, then realization, then something softer…acceptance.

“Thank you,” Ezra said, sincerity laced through the words like steel. Devrin gave a small nod, already turning back to Briar.

Ezra looked back at me. “How long was I out?”

“Long enough for the Run to end,” I said quietly.

His eyes widened. “The medical trials?”

“You kind of… were the medical trials,” I replied. “We both were,” I added, lifting my bandaged leg for him to see.

He let out a dry breath. “So, I’m guessing that means I didn’t place very high.”

A smile pulled at my lips, but it didn’t last.

“When the Run ended, Veritas sent guards to execute us.”

Ezra’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t look surprised. Of course he wasn’t. None of us should’ve been. We should’ve known.

I should’ve known.

We could’ve saved Lark.

The guilt punched through me like it had every night since it happened, hollowing out a fresh pit in my chest. My vision blurred.

Ezra’s hand found my jaw and gently tilted my face back to his.

“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked softly.

“They got Lark,” I whispered. “We couldn’t save him.”

He didn’t speak right away. Just pulled me into his arms, the warmth of him anchoring me again.

And for a long moment, I just let myself be held.

We’d had to be so fucking strong through everything, but as the bus rattled forward, I allowed myself this one, precious moment of vulnerability.

Just a brief surrender to what we were carrying and what we had survived.

“We’re headed back to Praxis now,” I said, my voice trembling just slightly as I wiped the tears from my cheeks, steadying myself. “With any luck, the Runaways will be there waiting.”

“They will,” Ezra replied, his voice solid and unwavering, like a promise. His conviction grounded me in a way I didn’t realize I needed.

“I hope you’re right,” I muttered under my breath, uncertainty still curling in the pit of my stomach.

The radio attached to Thorne’s hip sounded, but I couldn’t make it out. He listened.

Thorne’s voice broke into the moment, his tone rough but carrying that steady certainty of his.

“They found the guards. They know we escaped.” I nodded, feeling the tension build in my chest. “We’ll be there early morning.

Might be a good idea for you all to get some rest,” he called from the front.

“You too,” Briar added, her voice laced with a rare kindness. “Wake me up at some point, and I’ll drive us the rest of the way.”

“Deal,” Thorne responded, a slight shift in his voice that hinted at the exhaustion we all shared.

Briar and Devrin split off, claiming empty rows near the back of the bus to lay down, their bodies eager for any bit of rest they could find.

But before she settled, Briar stopped by our row.

She leaned over and pressed a soft, fleeting kiss to my lips.

I kissed her back, absorbing that simple gesture of intimacy, a momentary sanctuary amid the chaos.

The sun had dipped below the horizon, and the last streaks of light bled into the night sky. The weariness settled deeper into my bones, but I wasn’t ready to sleep. Not yet. Not when Ezra was here, breathing beside me.

I turned to study his face. His eyes were closed, but the furrow between his brows told me that his mind was still miles away, trapped in thoughts I couldn’t reach.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked gently, reaching out to trace the wrinkle that creased his forehead. “There’s worry painted all over you.”

He met my eyes, his expression distant but soft. “I saw Kade,” he said, his voice low, like a secret shared in the dark.

My heart skipped a beat. The words hit me like a jolt of lightning, but before I could fully grasp their meaning, he continued.

“Well... I know it wasn’t really him,” he said slowly, almost apologetically, “But it sure felt like it.”

I ran my hand down his cheek, a soft, comforting gesture, and he leaned into it, the exhaustion on his face giving way to a deeper ache.

“No matter the reason,” I said quietly, “I can imagine it must have been nice to see him.”

He nodded, his jaw tightening as a fresh wave of emotion washed over him.

“Yeah.” His voice cracked just a little.

“I never thought I’d ever see his face again, or hear his voice.

But there he was. And God, it felt so real.

” His eyes softened, unfocused as he drifted back into the memory.

“I think I was always afraid I’d forget him.

That time would erase pieces of him. But he’s still right there. Ya know?”

I leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, feeling his warmth bleed into me. “Yeah. I know.” My voice caught. “I don’t think the people we love ever disappear. Not from here.” I placed my palm gently over his heart, letting it linger.

He covered my hand with his, holding me there. His touch was firm, like he was trying to ground us both.

“You’re here now too, Brexlyn,” he whispered, his breath warm against my face. “Etched on this heart like you’ve always belonged there.”

I smiled, feeling the weight of his words. “And I’ll always be there,” I promised him, my voice steady, though the world around us was anything but. No matter what happened next, I knew that much to be true. Our hearts were linked, eternally, no matter what. Even if one of them stopped beating.

“I know you will.” He kissed my forehead softly, and for a moment, everything felt right.