Page 73 of Storm of Stars
I nodded, but didn’t move right away. The idea of spending time with my Wildguard,allof them, hit my brain like a spark to dry tinder. A wave of wicked, wildly inappropriate thoughts flashed through my mind before I could even attempt to shut them down.
Briar, ever the people-reader, caught the shift in my expression instantly. Her lips curved into a knowing smirk.
“You’re picturing all of us at once, aren’t you?” she added over her shoulder, casting me a sly wink.
My face went up in flames. “Briar,” I hissed, scandalized and way too flustered to pretend otherwise.
She just laughed, a low, wicked sound that made my blood burn, and tossed a look at me like she already knew exactly what kind of chaos she’d stirred.
“Come on, let’s go see if Edgar has a soundproof tent.”
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Bex
The tent wassnug with all of us tucked inside. A soft hush hung in the air, broken only by the shuffle of cards and the occasional creak of canvas overhead. The space had been patched together with spare blankets, a few scattered pillows, and someone’s old coat repurposed as a draft-stopper near the flap. Not much. But it was warm. And it was ours. For the night at least.
Ezra was stretched out on a bedroll near me, arms folded behind his head as he stared up at the tent’s roof like he was memorizing it. Briar and Zaffir sat in the corner as they played a game of cards on an overturned crate, their playful rivalry was something so beautiful to see. It made my heart ache.
When we were together, I didn’t care where we were. The blood, the war, the waiting, it didn’t matter. As long as I had them. This little stitched-together family. That was enough. But how long would I have it….
Thorne ducked through the flap then, his boots kicking up cold air as he fastened the tent closed behind him.
“The first wave’s getting into position,” he said, his voice low.
The warmth in the tent wavered. My heart clenched. Just like that, the quiet bubble we’d built thinned, and reality came crashing through.
War was no longer on the horizon. It was here. And war meant blood. It meant loss. It meant someone I loved could be gone by tomorrow.
I looked at each of them. Ezra, silent beside me, Briar and Zaffir, stilling mid-game, Thorne, standing near the door, and the thought struck hard and sudden…
What if this was the last time we were all together?
I swallowed against the lump forming in my throat. “Thorne?” I whispered.
He turned to me instantly, the gentleness in his eyes cutting through the weight pressing on my chest. “Yes, love?”
I hesitated. The words were heavy, but they had to be said.
“What are the odds that all five of us make it out of this?”
The question landed like a thunderclap. Ezra stiffened beside me. Zaffir exhaled, slow and careful.
“Brexlyn…” Zaffir started gently.
“I’m okay,” I said quickly. “Really. I know what this is. I know what it means. War doesn’t give you guarantees. It just takes and takes and sometimes gives back something broken. And I know… weallknow… that not all of us might make it through.”
The silence that followed was painful. Raw. No one had the heart to lie. That was the kind of truth you couldn’t bandage over.
Thorne crossed the tent and sank to his knees in front of me, taking my hands in his. His touch was warm, grounding, steady even though his voice shook slightly.
“I could give you the odds, but they don’t matter,” he said softly. “Because life isn’t about numbers, or percentages. It’s not about how long we last or how safe we play it. It’s about what we do with the time we’re given. What we fight for. Who we love.”
Tears welled in my eyes and fell before I could stop them. He caught one with his thumb, brushing it away like it physically hurt him to see it there.
“I just…” My voice broke. “Tonight might be the last night we’re all together like this.”
