Page 8 of Until the Stars Fall

There, behind a tree, something shifted, coming into view briefly before disappearing again.

What was that?

It wasn’t big enough to be a fae, or even a human for that matter.

“Who’s there?” I asked with barely any sound to my voice.

No one responded, but—was that a growl?

Fear traipsed up my arms and across my shoulders. Why had I spoken?

It probably knew you were here already,I reminded myself.

Though that didn’t make me feel much better.

I should leave. Return home. Crawl back into bed and wait until next season’s event.

Spinning on my heel, I started to retreat toward home, regret and frustration mixing with the fear in my gut. But then movement pulled my gaze back toward the tree, where an animal now stepped into view.

It was nearly the size of a small horse, with coarse, scraggly fur of black and gray. Even in the darkness, its eyes shone as clear as gems, sparkling with curiosity and humor. The hound padded toward me, its gaze locked on mine as if searching my face for answers to questions it couldn’t voice. My fear should have remained high, but there was something about this animal that put me at ease. It stopped an arm’s length away from me, but it didn’t sit, didn’t seem to relax at all. It simply stared.

Then it cocked its head to the side, and I could have sworn its brow tightened with that same look Mrs. Bishop always gave me when she became suspicious. I mirrored its movements if only because I had no idea what else to do. Running seemed foolish. Even if it meant me harm—which I somehow doubted—I certainly wouldn’t be able to outrun this animal.

“What do you want?” I asked, still keeping my voice barely over a whisper. At this, the animal sat, and there was no question now that its brow pushed up at an angle, as if to remind me it was an animal and therefore couldn’t speak.

I rolled my eyes to the darkness above and pulled the night air deep into my lungs before looking back at the dancers and the lights of the party. No one was coming this way, so I still had some time. Leaning back against a tree trunk, I ignored the bite of the bark against my bare shoulders and returned my attention to the dog’s piercing eyes.

“I am probably wasting my time,” I admitted. “What could a prince—a fae—see in me? What could I offer him that he couldn’t find in one of those females? Why did I have to fall for Brennan?”

I reached my foot out from under my dress to poke my toe into the dirt. It felt good to give my worries a voice, even if this was only a dog. I couldn’t talk to anyone about this, but here were two ears to listen to me.

When I looked up, though, the hound was gone.

Even a dog doesn’t want to hear your petty problems,I told myself.

Searching the lawn, I saw no sign of the animal anywhere, as if it had vanished. Then a giggle tickled the air, and I quickly hid behind a tree. A female with short, dark hair curling around her pointed ears glided across the lawn, heading for the trees.

My heart raced as she passed by and disappeared into the forest. Brennan would be here soon, and if I didn’t act now, I might never find the courage to try again.

The clearing of a throat had me turning back toward the palace.

Brennan Durand.

My nerves sparked, forcing my pulse to go even faster until I was sure he would know I was here by its thundering alone. With a hard swallow, I pushed my feet to move around the tree until I stood right where the female had bounded by.

And then he was there, stopping and staring at me quizzically.

My cheeks heated with the realization that he could probably sense all the emotions that swarmed me, but somehow I managed to open my mouth to speak.

“Your Highness,” I said, dipping my chin and dropping my eyes to the ground between us.

A seductive chuckle answered my greeting, and I looked up to see him offer me a lopsided grin. His hazel eyes seemed to laugh—not in an unkind way, but like he was sharing an inside joke with me alone.

“Lieke?” My name on his voice pierced me squarely in the chest, and my lips began to curve up into a smile…until he spoke again. “You can’t be here.”

Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I shifted my gaze away from his, as if looking for an escape.

“King’s orders, you know,” he reminded me. When he stepped closer, my breath hitched, and I couldn’t bear to look up and see the dismissal in his eyes.

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