Page 69 of Broken Star

But I think about the note again, shake myself out of it, and catch his wrist, stopping him from distracting me more than he already is. “Tell me you killed them,” I say, trembling slightly at the feel of his soft skin under my fingers. “Jake and Matt.”

“Why would I do that?” His smirk widens.

“Because fae can’t lie. So, tell me, Aerix. Did you kill them and write those notes?”

He studies me for a long moment, his eyes gleaming with something that looks dangerously close to pride.

Then, finally, he speaks.

“Do you think you’re the only one whose royal feels protective over what belongs to them?” he asks, his voice a hypnotic melody that draws me deeper into his orbit. “The only one who cares?”

My heart stutters, caught off guard by the diversion. “Where are you going with this?” I ask carefully, narrowing my eyes as I study him.

“I’m saying that I didn’t explicitly claim responsibility for their deaths. Not even to Cierra when you witnessed our squabble in here.” He extracts his wrist from my grip, looking amused while he does. “You simply assumed.”

“But—” I stop, my mind racing. “Jake and Matt touched me. And the notes said?—”

“You weren’t the only one they touched.” His wings unfurl slightly in a casual display of power that reminds me of the dangerous line I’m toeing right now. “You were, however, there both times it happened.”

I comb through my memories, and it doesn’t take long to hit me.

How could I have been soblindedto it before now?

Jake in the garden, bumping Aurora’s shoulder as he stormed past us.

Matt in the courtyard, brushing Aurora’s sleeve.

“Aurora,” I whisper, and everything clicks into place.

The way she never reacts to anything. How she stays away from everyone, calm and collected while chaos swirls around her. Her perfectly measured responses, her careful movements, her determination to not just survive in the Night Court, but tothrivein it.

“The king’s favorite,” Aerix confirms my suspicions. “She belongs to him, just as you belong to me. And he doesn’t take kindly to others touching what’s his.”

My legs feel weak, and I sink onto the edge of the nearest armchair, trying to process this revelation.

Aurora purposefully stepped between Jake and me during our fight.

She saw me take that rake to him. By putting herself in his way, she ensured I’d never have to fend him off again, since she knew the king would kill him.

I should be horrified.

But I’m not. Because I might have just found myself a powerful human ally in this twisted, dangerous place. Someone I can trust when I’m not in Aerix’s quarters.

“That’s why Aurora was watching me,” I realize. “She wanted to see if I’d figure it out.”

“And you did.” He lowers himself slightly and reaches down, tilting my chin up to meet his gaze. “It was enjoyable to watch you piece it together yourself.”

With that, his hand finds my waist, and he’s pulling me up out of the chair as he stands. His wings curl forward, surrounding us both—not to trap me, but to shield me from the world.

To keep me safe.

“Would you have done it?” I ask, breathless from how close he is. “Would you have killed for me?”

“Without hesitation. Because you’re mine. And I protect what’s mine.” He pulls back and studies me, searching my face for answers. “Does that frighten you?”

I should say yes. That would be the human answer—therightanswer.

“No,” I say instead, and the word feels like freedom. “It’s the opposite. Iwantit.”

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