Page 43 of Fallen Star

I’m finally starting to drift to sleep when the mattress shifts.

Jolting awake, I look over to see Aerix’s arm brushing against my pillow barrier.

“Do you mind?” I hiss, throwing as much venom into the words as I can muster.

“Relax.” He raises an eyebrow, looking far too comfortable for someone who kidnapped me and forced me to share his bed.“Your precious barricade is still intact. Although, I have to say, if you’re trying to ward off evil, you might want to try something sturdier than finely woven silk.”

“Just... stay on your side,” I say, more defeated than angry by this point.

I’m too tired for this. Too tired to think about Sapphire, about almost drowning, about being kidnapped, or aboutanyof it.

“Sweet dreams, little human,” he murmurs, and I hate how his voice seems to wrap around me, softer than the silk sheets I’m relying on for protection. “And you have no idea how grateful you should be that you remind me so much of her.”

Not having the energy to continue this back and forth with him, I don’t reply.

Instead, I close my eyes and let exhaustion pull me under, praying that when I wake up, it won’t be to Aerix sinking his fangs into my neck for a cup of the vampiric version of morning coffee.

Sapphire

Just before sunrise,the stars that have been guiding me all night fade. Exhaustion drags at my limbs, and even though I’m pressed against Riven’s back as we ride Ghost through the forest, I can barely keep my eyes open.

“There.” Riven points to a dense group of frost-tipped pines ahead. “The branches will give us cover, and the roots create a natural barrier. It’s as defensible as we’ll find out here.”

As much as I hate stopping, I can’t keep guiding us through the day, when the stars are no longer out. Well, minus the sun, but clearly that doesn’t count in this circumstance. Plus, Ghost’s pace has slowed considerably. He’s as exhausted as we are.

Riven dismounts first, then reaches up to help me down.

My legs shake as they hit the ground, and I have to grip his arm to stay steady.

We barely spoke while riding Ghost’s back, minus my instructions about which way the stars were pointing us. I couldn’t. Because all I feel is guilt, and all I see is Zoey’s terrified face as she was flung over that waterfall, and all I hear is her scream as that dark angel carried her away into the forest.

I’m only halfway present as I follow Riven to the space between the trees, which forms a sort of hollow, the groundcarpeted with soft needles. He clears away some snow and fallen branches, creating a small shelter while Ghost sniffs around the area, as if making sure it’s safe.

Riven settles into the space he’s cleared, reaching into his pack and pulling out a bundle wrapped in cloth.

“We need to eat,” he says, unwrapping the package to reveal a chunk of dark bread and a handful of berries. “It’s not much, but it’ll keep us going.”

I drop onto the makeshift bed of pine needles, hugging my knees to my chest. I’m still fairly satiated from the elk, so I’ll be fine eating the bread and berries for now.

But I’ll eventually need blood again. I assume in two more days, judging by how long I lasted between the dark angel and the elk.

“The stars were clear tonight,” Riven says, settling beside me and breaking off a piece of bread. “You read them well.”

Something about his voice calms me. I don’t know why, but it justdoes.

“They sang to me.” I take a small bite of the bread, remembering the way the constellations pulsed with their own rhythm, harmonizing with each other, connecting to each other—and to me. “Like they were trying to show me the way forward.”

He studies me with an intensity that makes my skin prickle.

“My mother used to say the same thing,” he finally says.

The sadness in his voice makes my heart hurt.

“I’m sorry,” I say softly. “About what happened to her.”

“Don’t,” he says sharply, but then he sighs, as if giving in. “Just eat. Rest. We have a long journey ahead.”

I pick at a berry, tears welling in my eyes as I eat it.

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