Page 123 of Until the Stars Fall

“What if I fail?”

“Then you keep going, I suppose. You make another decision. You take another step.” She reached a hand over to my chest, hovering her fingers lightly over the words inked into my skin. “Until the stars fall, Connor, you keep going, because it’s what you do. It’s who you are.”

Dropping my chin, I closed my eyes. “I’m so tired.”

Though she didn’t respond, I could hear her shifting against the ground, could feel her warmth growing closer. Her hand, soft and gentle, cupped my jaw as she slowly lifted my face to look at her.

“Let’s get you home. You can rest and regroup as you planned to.” Her eyes pleaded with me to listen to her, but I couldn’t leave.

“What about them?” I asked, nodding toward the horses and guards.

“Matthias will come through here on his way back. We could leave him a note, or we could send someone from the palace to come care for them.”

Closing my eyes, I considered her suggestions. I knew she was right; we couldn’t do anything ourselves, and we couldn’t just sit here, waiting for Matthias. Slowly, I nodded, agreeing to trust her.

CHAPTER 60

Lieke

While Connor scrawled out a message for Matthias—letting him know we were okay and had survived this attack, I prepared Honey for our departure, retrieving Connor’s pack from behind his saddle and strapping it onto my saddle alongside mine. Behind me, he groaned in pain, and I spun around to find him pushing himself to stand.

“Is your leg healed?” I asked.

“Healed enough,” he said, shrugging as he limped toward me. I stepped back a bit, careful not to stand too close to him. It was ridiculous, of course, since we had been even closer last night and were about to be again for the next several hours.

“Ready?” I asked, failing to keep my voice steady.

Connor didn’t say anything—didn’t even look at me—as he offered me his hand. I swallowed hard as I accepted his help climbing onto Honey’s back, shivering as the contact sent a cold ripple up my arm. Scooting as far forward as I could in the saddle, I waited as he lifted himself up behind me. When his body settled against mine, my breath caught, and my face heated with embarrassment. Then my skin ignited, and tiny icy flames danced along my shoulders as he trailed a hand across my neck to sweep my hair over my shoulder. Snaking one arm around me, he took the reins and whispered in my ear, “I’m ready, Sapphire.”

My whole body tensed as he pressed his legs against Honey’s middle and clicked his tongue quietly. She settled into a gentle trot. Connor’s injured leg tightened against mine, and he hissed softly through his teeth.

“We can go slower if you need to,” I said.

Connor adjusted his position slightly,and I froze, as if any added movement on my part might send us toppling over. He pressed his chest into my back with a deep inhale, and then his breath warmed the top of my ear as he spoke.

“I’m fine, but you’ll be hurting if you don’t relax.” There was a hint of laughter in his voice. “You didn’t seem to have any problem cuddling up to me last night.”

I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth.

Well, at least one of us can joke about what happened.

Or didn’t happen.

With a long, exaggerated sigh, I melted back into him and let my head rest against his jaw, ignoring how the rough stubble snagged my hair and scratched the side of my face. I smirked when he tensed. But then his body reacted to our closeness, and he hardened behind me, bringing the unacceptable warmth back into my core, my chest, and my cheeks.

I needed to focus elsewhere, so I teased him instead, saying, “Seems like you’re the one who needs to relax now, Wolfie.”

I expected him to stop the horse and maybe shove me out of the saddle or at least make me ride behind him, but he did nothing of the sort. Instead he released a ragged breath and wrapped his free arm protectively around my midsection, holding me close.

We didn’t say anything for the remainder of the ride, even when we stopped to stretch and rest before sundown. In silence, we ate standing up, trying to relieve the stiffness in our legs a bit. Every now and then I’d glance at him and catch his eyes darting away from me as soon as our gazes met.

When we were almost finished eating, he handed me the last piece of bread, brushing his thumb over my fingers when I accepted it, and a fresh wave of desire washed over me.

Why did he have to do that?

If he was trying to keep things uncomplicated between us, he was failing.

We climbed up into the saddle and eased back into the now too-familiar position. Not long after we started back down the road, my heart tightened in fear as I contemplated what the rebels had said to me earlier. I’d been forcing myself to not think about it since Connor woke up, but now my exhausted mind was too weak to keep it at bay any longer. I was to break up Brennan’s engagement, to disrupt the alliance. Perhaps I could talk to Connor. Sure, Anna said they had spies in the palace, but we weren’t back there yet. We were on the road, with no witnesses.

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