Page 112 of Until the Stars Fall

Every stop on our trip proved less eventful than our first, thankfully, but also just as futile. Few—if any—of the villagers were willing to speak to us. A handful of young fae in Shoerda had enough curiosity to venture close, but their parents ushered them away before they could do much more than gawk and giggle at Lieke’s rounded ears.

With each failed attempt to connect with the locals, my hope dwindled more and more. Lieke had been right to mock me for thinking a human queen could fix the rift between our kinds, but thankfully she didn’t seize the opportunity to remind me of my foolishness. Instead she seemed to go out of her way to encourage me, reassuring me with a warm look or a kind word, telling me that maybe the next town would be more open-minded. Somehow she never let the fae’s disapproval get to her—or, if she did, she never let it show. She always seemed to be able to smile through the dismissals and rejections.

Until we were alone.

Each night, back in our room, she grew quiet and anxious. The smile she’d worn all day would fade, and her eyes would glaze over. There were no more questions about mates or family or anything. When it was time to turn in and go to sleep, she would lie there staring at the ceiling as the stress and fear returned, pushing her heart to beat faster. And each night, I curled up beside her on the bed in my hound form, refusing to drift off to sleep until she had calmed down and fallen asleep herself.

It wasn’t my favorite arrangement, but my hound form at least offered me the additional benefit of heightened senses. If anyone wanted to hurt her again, I could stop them before they got close. Even though there had been no more violence, it would be foolish for me to assume she was safe.

“Has Matthias ever seen you shift?” Lieke asked one morning as we were getting ready to head to yet another tavern.

I ran a hand through my hair and checked the mirror to ensure I appeared somewhat presentable, laughing quietly. “Of course, but he doesn’t gawk at me like you do.”

She scoffed. “It’s just so weird!”

In mock chagrin, I let my face fall into a disdainful expression. “Thanks. I appreciate that. Does that mean you’re ready to sleep alone again?”

Lieke stilled, dropping her gaze to the floor, and I was starting to feel bad for asking the question when she peered up at me from beneath her lashes and smirked. “Are you sureyouare, Wolfie?”

“Of course I am,” I said flatly and made my way to the door. Yanking it open, I gestured out into the hallway. “Ready to go?”

CHAPTER 54

Lieke

We only had one stop left before returning to the palace, and it was one I was particularly excited about, because I would get to visit with an old friend. While it hadn’t been that long since Mr. Marstens had escorted me away from Raven’s camp, I was eager to see at least one friendly face.

For the last several hours, we had been traveling in silence, and that grated on me. I opened my mouth to ask Connor a question—something that would annoy him—but Matthias’s scout came galloping back toward us, his face ghostly pale. He turned to ride beside Matthias, who lifted a hand, instructing us to slow while he received the whispered report. I shifted in the saddle to glean any hint from Connor as to what was going on, but he kept his gaze locked on his second. His jaw pulsed. This couldn’t be anything good. We continued forward, though, and I began to relax a bit. If it were anything serious, surely Matthias would have had us stop.

Matthias turned his chin over his shoulder and mouthed something I couldn’t hear. At first I thought he must be talking to the guard beside him, but then I noticed his eyes lock onto Connor’s.

Connor stiffened.

“What is—” I started to ask, but he lifted a finger. I snapped my mouth shut.

He guided his horse closer to mine until our legs touched, and I silently cursed at the way the simple contact sent my skin tingling.

“It’s not good,” he whispered. The rigid set of his shoulders and the dour expression on his face made my stomach churn uncomfortably.

“What if it’s—”

Shaking his head, he said, “You’re not in danger.”

How could he possibly know that for sure?

Before I could ask that, though, he was already clarifying.

“They’re gone.”

Who was gone? What was happening? If no one was ahead of us, why did he seem so nervous?

A gust of wind hit us, causing the trees on either side of the road to sway dramatically. A sharp, metallic scent enveloped me as the wind swirled around us, and I froze.

Blood. And a lot of it, if I could smell it so easily.

Matthias wheeled his horse around. To my surprise, he didn’t lower his voice to keep me from hearing what he said to Connor next.

“It’s worse this time, Your Highness.” His tone was more somber than I’d ever heard it, and he’d used Connor’s title. I got the distinct impression thatnot goodandworsewere understatements for what awaited us up ahead.

---