Page 156 of Until the Stars Fall

“Someone did,” Matthias said, tossing the words over his shoulder as he rushed across the barn to Connor. He knelt at my mate’s side. “Whether it was your parents or someone else, I don’t know, but that scene will haunt me as much as any battle I fought in the war.”

Raven lifted a hand to her lips. “How do I make this right?”

I wrapped her in a hug, careful not to pull at my fresh stitches. “It’s not your job to fix their wrongs,” I whispered.

“If I don’t do that, then what do I do? Where do I go?” she asked, her voice trembling with oncoming tears.

I had no answer for her. Before I could ponder any options, Matthias was calling my name. Pulling away from Raven, I turned to find him holding Connor in his arms.

“We need to hurry. He’s running out of time, and Minerva is a half-day’s ride away.”

Nodding quickly, I said, “I left Honey at the edge of the trees, but we can’t all ride one horse.”

Raven stepped forward. “My parents’ horses should be nearby. I left my mare in the stable near the old farmhouse. I can take care of things while you save him.”

I smiled unsteadily. “Come find me at the palace when this is done. We will help you.”

CHAPTER 85

Lieke

The forest had darkened with the setting sun by the time we arrived at a nondescript cottage built among the trees. The stone structure was covered in moss, and it blended in so well with its surroundings that I likely would never have noticed it had Matthias not stopped directly in front of it. Small circular windows, black and foreboding like the eyes of a demon, sat on either side of a wooden door. Chills flashed across my skin, and somewhere in the dark corners of my mind a voice whispered for me to run.

But I couldn’t.

Matthias dismounted, pulling Connor into his arms from where he’d been lying across my lap like a sack of grain. I stepped out of the saddle, despite the gut-twisting desire to flee from this place and forget it existed. Staying behind Matthias, I followed him to the door. It opened before we’d come close enough to knock, and I stilled, fear holding my feet in place.

Who was this mage? And why was Matthias so apprehensive about telling Connor we had brought him here? Why did Connor not trust—

Before I could finish the thought, a lovely, song-like voice floated toward us on the still air. “Ah, Matthias Orelian, it appears dire circumstances bring you to my door. Dire indeed.”

The soothing, feminine voice didn’t match our surroundings, and I leaned around Matthias’s arm for a glimpse of the mage. Against my will, my lips parted in shock at the frail wisp of a woman who stood in the darkened doorway in a fitted cloak the shade of dried blood. White hair, nearly translucent, sprouted sparsely from her head, leaving much of her scalp visible. Her face was gaunt and deeply creased, with paper-thin skin that wrapped around her sharp bones. It looked as if anything more than a light breeze would sweep her away like ash.

“Miss Berg,” the woman said, and my eyes widened—more from hearing such a lovely voice coming from the old woman’s cracked lips than the fact that she already knew my name. “It is not polite to gawk.”

I blinked quickly and averted my eyes, but my mouth had gone dry, making any verbal apology impossible. The old crone didn’t seem to mind though, and she beckoned us to follow her inside. Matthias did so without hesitation, and I scrambled to stay close behind him, not wanting to be left alone in these eerie woods. As we neared the dark, gaping hole of the entrance, I strained to make out anything within the pitch-black cottage. But I could see nothing.

As we stepped inside, a sharp breath escaped me.

“What in the stars?” Now the room was warm and bright, lit by a fire in a large hearth that filled the far wall to my left. Candles of varying sizes and shapes lined the sills of every window, which appeared larger here than they had from outside.

The old woman waved a hand in the air, clearing away the bundles of herbs, stacks of books, and rows of vials from the worktable as easily as Gretchen whisked away my bath. She motioned for Matthias to lay Connor on the now cleared surface.

“Thank you for seeing us, Minerva,” Matthias said, bowing his head slightly.

“It has beentoolong, General,” she said, her dark eyes roving over Connor’s still form.

“I suggested we see you sooner, but—”

Minerva reached out, and her hands hovered over Connor’s heart. “The prince here wouldn’t allow it.” It wasn’t a question.

“Can you save him?” I blurted out, stepping up to the table and glaring impatiently at the old mage.

She let out a long and irritating hum, closing her eyes and angling her head to the side as if listening for something.

“Interesting indeed,” she murmured, and I clenched my fists at my sides to keep them still. Smacking her for not moving fast enough wouldn’t be the best way to encourage her to help us.

Her eyes slowly opened, locking onto mine. “Your impatience is understandable, Lieke. The threat of losing one’s mate—especially so soon after bonding—is not an easy burden to bear.”

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