Page 56 of Golden Star

“Games imply there’s a chance you can win,” I reply, even though the tension buzzing between us is so hot that it could melt the wall of ice he created around the tent.

“I’ll win when I choose to win,” he says confidently. “For now, I’m enjoying watching you squirm.”

Then, Zoey huffs, drawing our attention to her.

“Can we skip the foreplay and get to the part whereyou tell us why you’re here?” she snaps at Riven, surprising him so much that he steps away from me.

He must not have been expecting a human to be so outspoken.

Which means he has alotto learn about Zoey.

Keeping his focus on her, he pulls something from his coat’s inner pocket and holds it out. “The trials begin within the next hour, and you need to be prepared,” he says. “This is for you.”

A small, light gold amulet with glowing runes etched into its surface.

“It’s an amulet of warmth,” he explains. “It won’t make you invincible to the cold, but it will help. You’ll be able to endure the conditions of the far ends of the Winter Court for longer than a human could survive otherwise.”

Zoey stares at it, although she doesn’t take it. “So, you meant it when you said you wanted to help us?” she asks him, shooting me a clearI told you solook before refocusing on him.

She frustratingly doesn’t hate him as much as I do.

But it’s only because he hasn’t tried to trick her, seduce her, and use her.

At least, not yet.

“I want you to survive,” he tells her. “Simply because as long as you’re alive, I can use you to get Sapphire to do what I want.”

Now it’s my turn to shoot Zoey anI told you solook.

“Take it,” I tell her, since as much as I hate it, the amulet could end up being the only thing that’ll stop her from freezing to death. She’s already too pale, and we haven’t even started the trials yet.

She gives me a small nod, then reaches for the amulet and slips the chain over her head.

“Hide it under your shirt,” Riven tells her. “If my knights see it, all bets will be off. But as a warning, it won’t last forever. Think of it like a charged phone battery. Eventually, it’ll run out of juice.”

In this magical kingdom of his, it’s strange to hear him talk about something as human as a phone. But it’s also a reminder that he’s been to my world. He knows where I’m trying to get back to. It’s like he’s the string tying his world and mine together, and as much as I hate it, he does feel a bit like a lifeline.

Zoey tucks the stone under her shirt, and Riven turns to me, pulling something else from his pocket. A small, smooth, silver stone, with lines running through it like cracks in ice.

“For you,” he says simply. “It’s called a whisper stone. It allows you to communicate with me during the trials. Just speak into it—preferably at a whisper, so no one else can hear—and you’ll be able to reach me.”

“So, this is the fae version of giving me yournumber?” I can’t help but joke, despite the seriousness of the situation.

“Think of it more as a lifeline,” he says, twirling the whisper stone between his fingers. “Though, knowing you, you’ll probably only use it when you’re desperate.”

I don’t want to take the stone. It feels too much like another way for him to control me. But the practical side of me—the part that wants to survive—knows I’ll need every advantage I can get. Even if it comes from him.

With a sigh, I snatch the stone from his hand, the cool surface oddly soothing in my palm. “Fine,” I say, shoving it into my pocket. “But don’t hold your breath waiting for a call.”

“I never wait.” He chuckles softly, stepping back with that infuriating confidence of his. “I just prepare for when you come to your senses.”

“I suppose being fae means you have an eternity to waste,” I tell him, even though the whisper stone does have the potential to be useful.

Assuming he’ll use it to guide us instead of to trick us into a painful death.

“Assuming you survive the trials, you have an eternity now, too,” he says—a sharp reminder of the fact that I haven’t thought much about what my life will look like after getting out of the Winter Court. “Plenty of time for you to stop fighting the inevitable.”

Zoey crosses her arms, frowning as she watches us.

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