Page 53 of Until the Stars Fall

While his body had started to heal itself, his left eye remained swollen. His bruised nose was now crooked. Fresh scars sliced across his upper lip and through his right eyebrow.

“What happened?” I asked, swallowing hard when his eyes narrowed slightly. “What did he do to you?”

Pressing his lips together, he set his jaw but said nothing.

“I’m sorry,” I said, though it wasn’t enough. Such insufficient words for how my heart ached for him. “I wish—”

“You can’t be here,” he whispered firmly.

“But I am here, and before I leave, I need to know you’re okay.”

“For you own peace of mind?” he asked, his stare freezing over. “So you can sleep all right tonight?”

“Because I care about you, you jackass! Don’t make me out to be selfish! I’ve been so worried about you! So worried he was going to kill you! Is it so bad for me to want you to be safe and alive?”

His eyes searched mine as if hunting for a lie somewhere.

“I got Connor like you told me to,” I said, as if that made up for any of this.

“I know,” he said. “But he was too late.”

“I’m so sorry, Brennan.” My hands yearned to reach out to him, but I couldn’t, so I clasped them together tightly in front of me. “I never meant for—”

“For me to be beaten mercilessly by my father?” he asked, his expression eerily calm compared to his words.

I could only nod. We stood there in silence for a while. Not touching. Just staring. There was nothing I could say or do to make this better.

Finally he dropped his gaze and cleared his throat. “You were right, Lieke. I have no choice. I can’t be with you no matter how much I want to. I have to marry Calla.”

Even though I’d known this—even though I’d been the one to insist on it before—hearing him say it now tore open old wounds in my heart. I had to let him go. I couldn’t push for this—for us—not when it earned him such treatment from the king.

My voice faltered when I tried to answer him. Drawing in a steadying breath, I started again. “I understand, Bren. I know I said before that it was too late. But I’ve changed my mind. Until you walk down that aisle and say those vows, I’ll wait for you.”

Slowly he lifted his face, and his eyes found mine. Whether the hope in them was real or something I only imagined, I didn’t know, but I grasped onto it all the same.

Without saying another word, I turned on my heel and left.

CHAPTER 25

Connor

It had been two days since Brennan’s punishment, and he was still holed up in his room. The healers claimed he should be fully recovered by now, aside from a few scars. Apparently, injured pride took longer to heal though, and he refused to see anyone.

Even me.

Not that I could blame him. No doubt he expected some sort of lecture from me, since I’d been on his ass constantly over the past few years. He’d been careless, yes, and a complete fool to think he could sneak around with a servant in a palace swarming with staff and scouts. I could only hope Father’s reprimand—as painfully brutal as it was—had been enough to knock some sense into him.

Stars knew I didn’t want to spend one more minute rebuking Brennan, but I would have no choice if he insisted on staying locked away today.

Since early this morning, the staff had been buzzing about the palace preparing for the arrival of Princess Calla and her parents this evening. Flowers were brought in by the cartload to adorn every room—except those in the queen’s wing, of course. Fresh meat and fish arrived from the various merchants in Linley and Engle, and baskets of produce were shuffled inside to supplement the fruits and vegetables our gardeners grew on the grounds.

With all this commotion, I would have preferred to stay in my rooms—like my brother—but I needed to ensure he was ready to greet our guests. Even if I’d had a page available to send word to him, I knew he would just turn them away or ignore them completely, as he’d done with the last two I had sent.

So now I stood outside his door, almost wishing for the old days when I had to drag his sorry ass away from conquest after conquest. At least then he always had a smile for me—an irritated one at times, but still a smile.

I didn’t bother knocking but opened the door cautiously, as if I were checking on a sleeping infant instead of a sulking grown-ass prince. The curtains had at least been pulled back, and Brennan stood in front of the window that overlooked the courtyard. He didn’t turn as I approached, but his shoulders tensed.

“What do you want, brother?” he asked, his tone weary rather than annoyed.

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