Page 96 of Storm of Stars
“Oh my god, Briar,” I cried out as my orgasm slammed into me, she didn’t let my body's convulsions slow our rhythm, her hands pulled my hips against her as she pressed up against me. I felt the heat of her core as she slid against me, and I felt mind numbingly weightless as she moved my body where she needed it.
As I sank down from the mountaintop of my climax, I felt Briar reach her own. Her gaze was fixed to mine, burning bright as a trail of curses tumbled from her lips. Her hands, still tight on my hips, stilled completely, yet the pressure remained. I pulled her closer, looping my arms around the curve of her neck as she buried her face in the warmth of my chest. Her breath was soft and hot against my skin, and I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, holding her as we came down together.
Time stretched languid and slow until our breathing settled, until the world felt quiet and whole. Our grip on each other softened, but we didn’t move apart. Not yet. Not when every beat of her heart pressed against mine felt like its own music.
I smiled down at her, brushing my fingers through the tangled threads of her hair, tucking a loose strand behind the delicate curve of her ear. Her eyes rose to meet mine, and in that moment I was lost. Captured by the depth and warmth in those amber depths. I watched her as she watched me, and felt myself fill with a quiet, unshakable awe.
This was Briar. The brave one, the tender one. The one who carried songs like sparks in her chest. And in that still space between breaths, I felt the love settle in my bones.
Knock. Knock.
The rap at the door came only a second before it was pushed open. Zaffir, Ezra, and Thorne spilled into the room. I was stilltangled in the sheets with Briar when I yanked the comforter over both of us, and Briar launched a pillow across the room.
“Get out!” she yelled as Zaffir caught it midair, grinning.
Thorne slapped a hand over his own eyes and nearly bumped into Ezra’s back as he came to a halt.
I giggled at the scene, brushing hair out of my eyes, until I noticed the expressions on their faces. The humor drained from my body instantly. Whatever this was, it was serious.
“What is it?” I said sharply, rising to my feet and pulling the comforter tighter around myself.
Zaffir stepped closer, a faint, disbelieving smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “They’re here,” he said.
My breath caught in my throat. “They’re… alive?”
He nodded, and suddenly it felt like the air had been ripped from the room. Tears blurred my vision, and before I could think, I was bolting toward the door.
Ezra’s hands caught me mid-sprint. I spun on him, fiery and desperate. “What are you doing? Let me go!”
He met my stare, soft and knowing. “You might want to get dressed first,” he said quietly, brushing a glance down at the thin nightdress I was wearing.
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I gave a quick, breathless laugh as I nodded. “Right,” I said, brushing away the sting of impatient tears. I pulled a casual dress from a nearby chair and shrugged into it with shaking hands, my heart beating wildly.
Then I was moving, flying down the hallway, bare feet skimming across the floor. I could hear them behind me — the others falling in step — but all I could focus on was the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears. The air felt charged. The world felt brighter, electric.
I rounded the final corner and flew down the stairs, my breath burning in my chest. And then I stopped.
There they were.
Alive. Here.
Jax was tired and pale, leaning heavily on Ava, but the moment his eyes met mine, a smile broke across his face like the rising sun. Without thinking, I was moving, running to him, dropping to my knees as soon as I was within reach. My arms wrapped around him, holding him as gently as I could as he sank down to hug me in return.
“Oh, Sprout,” I whispered into the curve of his neck as the sob bubbled from my chest. “I missed you so much.”
“Hey, Bex,” he said, voice shaking but strong.
I pulled back just enough to really look at him, brushing the hair from his forehead as the tears streamed down my cheeks. Against every odd, every fear, every desperate prayer thrown to the stars… he was here.
I sank back on my heels and gripped his shoulders, scanning every inch of him like I could memorize this moment forever. “How are you?” I asked, voice shaking. “How do you feel?”
He shrugged out of my hold the way he always did when he felt like I was fussing too much, and a shy, boyish giggle bubbled from his chest. “I’m fine!” he squealed, grinning as if to prove it.
“Yeah,” I breathed, brushing a hand lovingly through the messy strands of hair falling across his forehead. “Yeah, you are.” My voice cracked, and I smiled down at him like I could bottle this moment, like it could carry us through every dark day we’d ever survived.
Then I looked up and met Ava’s gaze.
My best friend. Her blonde hair was messy, streaked with dust and sweat, and she was leaning hard on the crutch at her side, exhausted from the long journey that brought them home. But she was here.
