Page 91 of Fallen Star

She storms off, leaving the courtyard.

Tanya hesitates, then follows, leaving her unfinished pawn behind.

Elijah places his piece down, although from the curious way he’s looking at me, I have a feeling he’s intrigued. “You have hope,” he says. “More than I’ve seen from any humans I’ve ever met here. But be careful. Okay?”

“He’s right,” Sophia adds. “I like you. Truly. But maybe it’s best to direct your positive thinking toward appreciating what we have right now?”

“Like fruit tarts and fresh chicken?” I snap, and she flinches back, clearly hurt.

Guilt twists in my stomach. Because given what she told me at lunch, it was a low blow.

“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You’re in shock,” she says. “I understand. But I’m going to check on Victoria.”

With that, she places her piece down—a castle—and goes back inside.

Jake, Isla, Sebastian, and Elijah stay here.

Jake looks at the place where the others left, his expression troubled. “Zoey...” he starts.

“I know what you’re going to say,” I tell him. “That I shouldn’t talk about this stuff. That it’s dangerous.”

“Itisdangerous.” He sets down his bishop, turning to face me. “I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

I study him for a moment, seeing the genuine concern in his eyes. He’s not like Victoria, lashing out from fear. He’s simply accepted this life. Found ways to make it bearable.

He sees me as one of those ways.

He wants to make me happy. I can see it in the way he’s looking at me.

“Are there any lakes around here?” I ask. “Ones thataren’tfull of blood?”

“There’s a pond,” he says, watching me, waiting for where I’m going with this.

“Are we allowed to go there?” I ask.

“Sometimes.” He tilts his head, curious. “With supervision, of course. Why?”

“Because you’re going to teach me how to swim.”

His surprise melts into a slow grin. “Am I?”

“Yes.” I focus on my carving, ignoring the way the others are watching us. “Because I’m not weak. And I’m done letting anyone—human or fae—make me feel otherwise.”

Sapphire

I wakethe next day to afternoon sunlight filtering through the ice barrier.

The storm.

It’s stopping.

The silence feels strange. Almost too quiet after the howling, unforgiving winds.

Riven’s already alert and watchful, studying the ice barrier more intensely now that there’s better visibility.

Meanwhile, we’ve been in this cave for a day and a half.

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