Page 93 of Fallen Star

Riven strides ahead, focused on the open expanse of white. It’s he’s trying to will the universe into revealing Ghost’s whereabouts through sheer determination.

“Wait,” I call out to him, and he spins to look at me, irritation flashing in his silver eyes.

“What?”

“We should split up,” I say quickly. “Cover more area. We’ll have a better chance of finding Ghost that way.”

“No.” His hands still on the hilt of his sword, which is hanging from his weapons belt. “Absolutely not.”

“But if we split up?—”

“I said no. I can’t...” His voice catches, and he swallows hard. “I can’t lose you, too.”

The raw emotion in his voice steals my breath away.

It’s so different from his usually controlled attitude that for a moment, I forget about my hunger.

But it’s back a few seconds later.

“I can take care of myself,” I say, gentler now. “You know I can. And by splitting up, we’ll cover twice the ground. Time saved might be important if Ghost is hurt.”

Splitting up will also give me a chance to feed without Riven knowing.

“You saw how quickly we got separated in that storm.” He moves closer and grips my shoulders, as if he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he lets go. “I won’t risk that happening again. Not with you.”

“But the storm’s over now,” I say gently. “I’ll be okay. Plus, we have the whisper stone. If anything happens to me, you’ll be the first to know. And if I find Ghost, you’ll be the first to know, too.”

Please let that be enough to convince him…

“No,” he repeats, and the pain in his eyes is the kind I’ve only seen one other time.

When he told me about what happened to his mom.

“Okay,” I say softly, reaching up to touch his face. “We’ll stay together.”

The relief in his expression makes my chest ache with guilt.

If he knew what I really was, would he still look at me this way? Or would that relief turn to disgust?

His eyes search my face, as if looking for permission—despite everything that happened during our time in the cave today.

I shouldn’t.

Instead, I give him a small nod, and he brushes his thumb across my cheek, leans forward, and kisses me. A soft kiss—the kind where we know it’s not going to progress to more. It’s just two people, taking a moment to be close to each other, letting the other know that they care about each other and are here for each other, no matter what.

When he pulls back, his forehead rests against mine, lingering there with what might almost seem hesitation.

“I love you, Sapphire Hayes,” he whispers, his breath warm against my lips. “I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you at that bar. You’remysummer fae. And I can’t lose you. Not like I lost my mother. Not like I might have lost Ghost.”

My heart stutters.

Three simple words that make everything more complicated—and yet somehow clearer than ever.

“I love you, too,” I say, and the truth of it hits me like an avalanche.

I do love him. Maybe I have since that first night at the Maple Pig, when he walked in and turned my world upside down.

But I’m not a summer fae.

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