Page 66 of Until the Stars Fall

My eyes snapped open, and I shot him a deadly glare. “I never give up,” I choked out, then slid my right arm up in a slow arc until my fingers found the wooden handle of my knife. It was just out of reach.

My other hand slammed into his wrist, and I pushed with all my strength to get him to release my throat. He laughed cruelly as I pressed into him, not realizing that with every push my other hand drew closer to my weapon.

He squeezed tighter, and the edges of my vision darkened.

With one last burst of energy, I thrust my left hand at his wrist once more, and he—in all his foolish confidence—swayed just enough for my right hand to snatch the knife and swing it up toward his ribs.

It was a shallow cut, but even still, his fingers released my throat to clutch his wound. His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open as he began to lean to his left. I took the opportunity to wriggle my way out from under him, scooting away until my back hit the far wall.

“What did you…” he started to ask, his breathing labored.

“I told you I never give up,” I said, sneering at him.

“But how?” The fae swayed, trying to keep his balance. His dark eyes pierced mine, full of confusion and fear. “It’s not possible.”

The knife’s magic.

Did it truly work this fast?

As if in answer to my question, blood spilled from Griffin’s lips. His eyes glazed over before he fell backwards, hitting the floor hard. His chest rose with a slow breath and then stilled.

Pinned against the wall, I stared at the fallen fae in disbelief, not daring to move even as footsteps approached. I didn’t see them turn the corner. I didn’t hear them yelling at me. I didn’t look away from the dead male until someone grabbed my arms and began dragging me away.

CHAPTER 31

Connor

This night should have been a happy occasion. While I still needed to get my brother to the actual altar and ensure he made it through the vows, we had at least reached this pivotal point. The engagement was set. Instead of celebrating though, I spent the entire meal on edge, watching the doorways, scanning the faces of the servers, searching for any sign that Lieke hadn’t truly given up and was going to do something stupid. Again.

I barely heard our father announce Brennan’s impending nuptials, but I managed to lift my glass and smile when appropriate during the toasts. Brennan, seated to my left, didn’t seem to notice my lack of focus, but Matthias leaned over from my right and whispered, “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or do I need to guess?”

Waving a hand casually between us, I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” Matthias breathed a laugh. “So are you worried about your weight?”

I swung around to look at him. “What?”

He shrugged and pulled the corners of his mouth down as he pointed at the table. “You’re not touching your dessert. Last I knew, Mrs. B’s chocolate torte was your favorite. So either you’re distracted by something serious, or you’re trying to protect your girlish figure. Which is it?”

Exhaling slowly, I surveyed the ballroom and our guests once more before turning back to my friend.

“It’s her,” I whispered, and Matthias’s eyes darted around the room. I smacked his arm with the back of my hand. “Not here, jackass. Not yet anyway.”

“You really think she’d waltz into a crowd of fae? And with the king here?”

I roughed a hand over my mouth, shaking my head. “I don’t know. Maybe. She came to Brennan’s room earlier.”

Matthias almost appeared impressed. “The girl’s got balls; I’ll give her that.”

“Balls over brains, you could say.”

Matthias laughed heartily. “Maybe she and Brennan are a better match than we thought.”

I glared at him. “Quiet. That’s not funny.”

He shrugged again. “It kind of is. Admit it. You wanted to laugh. Just a little.”

Rolling my eyes, I turned away from him and noticed the staff had begun clearing away the dessert plates.

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