Page 37 of Golden Star

“Sapphire?” he asks, his silver eyes wide in disbelief. “I almost—” He cuts himself off, his hand shaking as he lowers his sword. “I could’ve killed you. You should be dead right now.”

“Do youwantme to be dead right now?” I ask, since he did, after all, try to run his sword through my chest.

“No,” he growls, which is all the answer I need. “I heard someone break in through my window, and I struck. I didn’t see it was you. Your hair was covered. I thought you were a thief, or worse. I wouldn’t have done that if I knew it was you.”

His confession sends an undeniable rush of warmth streaming through me.

And while I have no idea how I survived his attack, Ineed to get down to business about why I’m here. Zoey isn’t going to survive that tower if I don’t do something to help her.

“I’m fine,” I tell him, stepping cautiously forward. “I don’t understand what just happened, either. But I’m here, and I’m okay.”

“Howareyou here?” he asks. “You were locked in the tower. No one’s ever escaped the tower.No one.”

“I think I teleported,” I say, continuing before he can react. “One minute I was in that cell, freezing to death with Zoey, and the next, I was outside with Ghost. I don’t know how I did it, but we can figure that out later. Because right now, I need your help. Zoey’s going to die if we don’t get out of there. I probably will, too. I don’t know if fae can freeze to death, but?—”

“They can,” he interrupts, his eyes cold.

I flinch, startled by his change of demeanor.

But I’m not going to let it stop me.

“So, I’m right. I might die up there,” I reply, panic filling me as I realize the inevitability of it if I can’t get us out. “I need your help.Weneed your help. You’re our only hope.”

“You escaped the most secure prison in the Winter Court,” he says, even though we’ve gone over this already. “Then you broke into my quarters.”

“Yes.” I shrug. “But it wasn’t just me. Ghost helped.”

“He does seem quite taken by you,” he mutters, stillnot letting go of his sword—and still staring at me like I’m a puzzle he’s trying to solve. “But you shouldn’t be here.”

“Well, Iamhere. And you can put that down.” I motion to his sword. “You clearly can’t hurt me with it.”

“Apparently not,” he says. “But blade-proof or not, you’re freezing. I’ll grab you a jacket so you can try warming up. Then, we’ll talk.”

Sapphire

Riven’s jacketis heavy and lined with fur, warming me up quicker than I imagined possible.

“Better?” he asks, as on-guard with his sword as ever, assessing me like I’m an unsolved mystery.

I nod, pulling the jacket tighter around myself. “Much.”

He exhales, pacing the room as he runs a hand through his dark hair. “You wouldn’t even be in that damn tower if you hadn’t come back,” he says, sharp and condescending. “What were you thinking? We made the deal to leave. But you got around the deal.”

“Zoey figured out the loophole,” I tell him. “Not me.”

“How?”

“She realized that you only said I had to stay in Presque Isle for a year. You didn’t say whether that yearhad to be in consecutive months, or all at one time. Which meant it was open to interpretation.”

“Your human friend thinks like a fae,” he says, sounding decently impressed by it.

“Zoey’s smart.” I shrug. “It didn’t take her long to figure it out. Plus, aren’t you supposed to be experienced at wording these deals? Shouldn’t you have made sure it didn’t have any loopholes?”

“There arealwaysloopholes,” he says. “Some are more obvious than others, but they’re always there.”

“Then it sounds like you underestimated me,” I say.

“I figured you’d be smart enough to stay out of a realm where anyone or anything you came across would want to kill you.” He scoffs.

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