Page 33 of Golden Star

Anything but this cold indifference.

He doesn’t even look at me.

“Move,” one of the knights growls, grabbing my arm.

I stumble forward, Zoey beside me, and we’re led across the room. The chill of the palace sinks deep into my bones, and the whispers from the gathered nobles follow us like a phantom, growing quieter as we move.

I glance over my shoulder one last time, finding Riven watching me, in what surprisingly looks like a mix of conflict and sadness.

It’s gone a second later, but I know it was there.

Maybe Riven doesn’t hate me as much as I think. After all, he stood up for me and Zoey in front of his father. He made sure the king didn’t kill us.

But before I can contemplate it further, the massive doors swing open, and we’re shoved into the hallway.

Zoey stumbles, and I squeeze her hand, giving her the only comfort I can offer.

Because I can’t lie and promise we’ll survive this.

Sapphire

A few days later,everything’s a blur of cold, hunger, and exhaustion. The icy stone walls of the tower are draining the last bits of warmth from me, and my body aches in ways I didn’t think possible.

Zoey’s slumped against the wall beside me, her breath shallow, her lips blue. The cold has nearly consumed her, and I can feel it creeping closer to me, too.

We’ve barely been fed. Just small chunks of stale bread that leave our mouths dry and stomachs growling. But for me, it’s worse. There’s a hunger inside me, deeper than anything I’ve ever felt. A gnawing craving that can’t be satisfied with bread.

I need meat. Rare, dripping meat. Meat’s always been an important part of my diet, and given how readily available it is in the local supermarkets, I’ve never gone a day without it.

Now… not having it is unbearable.

Zoey lets out a soft groan, and I glance over at her. She’s shivering uncontrollably, and I pull her closer, trying to share what little warmth I have left.

“We’re still here,” I whisper. “They haven’t killed us yet. We still have a chance.”

She doesn’t respond.

I don’t even know if she heard me.

Our cell door creaks open, and the same guard who’s been tormenting us these last few days steps inside, carrying a tray of bread and water.

I stare emptily at the bread, since as long as it’s all I have to eat, that’s exactly how I’ll continue to feel—empty.

“What’s the problem? Is our food not good enough for you?” he asks with a cruel smile as he sets it out in front of us.

I can’t exactly lie and say it is.

And at this point, I’m starving and freezing.

Desperate enough that I figure it can’t hurt to be truthful. Completely, one hundred percent truthful.

“Can we please have meat?” I beg, my teeth chattering from the cold. “It doesn’t have to be steak. I can eat squirrel, or rabbit, or… rat. Justsomething.”

“Fae don’t eat meat,” he says flatly. “Begging for your human friend won’t get you anywhere.”

I almost say that I’m not begging for Zoey, but stop myself.

Fae don’t eat meat.

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