Page 43 of A Clash of Stars

“Clara, time to get up!”

I sat up immediately, feeling my body covered in sweat. I frantically realized it was just a dream.

I had a sex dream about Evander.

What in the abyss?

I made my way to the tent’s entrance and opened it when I looked up. I saw him. His eyes told me that he knew. Or was it not a dream? He smirked at me.

“You better get dressed unless you want to say my name some more,” he spoke sensually.

A shocked look spread across my face, and I could feel the red over my cheeks. Evander stepped towards me and squatted in front of the opening of my tent, grabbing my chin.

“So, tell me, what did I do in this dream of yours for you to say my name like that? Luckily, I was stationed outside your tent, so no one else heard your moans.”

A smirk rose in the top corner of his lips, and he leaned closer. “Next time, I don’t think I’ll stop you from screaming my name. I’m just a little upset I didn’t get to kiss your neck. I’m drawn to this little spot on your neck.”

He moved a finger over the spot on my neck and said, “Right here. It’s almost like this is mine. It calls to me.”

Chills ran down my spine as he gently grazed his finger over that spot. “We better get going, princess. You have a big day ahead of you.”

With that, he stood and walked away. I felt the heat radiating from my body, and I watched his muscular shoulders saunter away from me with his dark hair tousled on top of his head. Then I glanced to the right, Madok.

He had watched the entire encounter between Evander and me. A sense of dread filled me, not from me but from him. I hurried into the tent to change, wearing a black tunic and pants with black lace-up boots. I had worn more pants in the last few weeks than I ever had in my entire life.

“Ah, the princess is ready. Let’s get moving,” Griffin announced. I fell into stride with everyone else. When I looked up, Lettie was dropping back to walk beside me. I smiled at her, letting her know it was okay to do so.

“How was your evening?” She asked me.

I almost wanted to laugh at her question, “I had a good evening. Slept well. How was yours?”

She smiled at me, “Um, it was good. I tried to talk to Griffin during the shift change, but he seemed a little peeved by something, so I just let it go.”

Ilooked at her for a hint as to why it might bother her that he wouldn’t delight in talking with her. “Ah, never mind. It’s not a big deal,” she sighed as we stepped further into the dark forest.

As I looked around, I noticed the broad leaves of bright green and the sweet smell of honeysuckle that dangled from nearby trees. I was swept up in thought and didn’t realize I was about to run into a fallen tree. I felt the small hand on my elbow pulling me to a stop. When the hand gripped me, a shocking vision pulsed through me. Lettie and I were running away from the towering darkness, its vastness empty and hollow.

When I pulled out of my trance, I heard her voice. “Clara! Are you okay? You blacked out for a minute there.”

I looked at her and smiled, “Yes, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

She laughed, “You never have to apologize to me, Clara. Nothing to be sorry about.” We looked at each other for a moment before we began our strides together again.

“Lettie, what’s up with your brother? He seems so in—”

She interrupted, “Intense?”

I laughed, “Yeah, I guess that’s the word you could use. Why is he so intense all the time? I feel like everything about him is so arrogant.” She sighed and gave me a quick side-eye before she spoke.

“Evander is the protector. Not always do his methods make sense, but I know he means well. When we were younger, he always thought differently from our friends and family, and he not once was concerned by it.” A smile crept over her face as she continued.

“When I was young, I begged Evander to take me outside at midnight to see Athiana’s tears. He kept telling me that ‘boys don’t lay under the stars,’ but later that night, he knocked on my door carrying a blanket and some of my favorite chocolates. I remember smiling so big I thought it would never go away. He brought me to the lawn, where we lay and watched the stars fall. I don’t thinkhe truly knows how important that was for me, but it’s ingrained in my mind forever.”

I tried to process these kinds of things that she was telling me about Evander. I couldn’t imagine him doing something so sweet for his sister, but I guess that is something that I needed to find out for myself.

We walked silently for a long while, and I noticed that the trees and wildlife around us started to change. The colors were becoming more vibrant and brighter as the night started to take over the day.

When I looked up at the beams of light spreading throughout the trees, I could almost grab the golden streaks that spread throughout the group of people in the forest. Specks of dirt and bugs swirled in the light, creating patterns that flowed through the greenery. I felt eyes on me and immediately knew it was Evander.

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