“Very well,” he replied.
“My truth… I am glad you came back,” she murmured, allowing her wall to fall a little lower and the soft whisper of hope to inch closer.
“And your question?” he asked.
“Are you here to hunt me, or have you forsaken your king’s orders?”
She felt his body stiffen, then relax. Her chest ceased to rise or fall, stalled by words.
“As long as I draw breath, I will protect you. Even from the king.” He spoke clearly, barely above a whisper, without reservation. His arm tightened around her waist, as if shielding her from the world.
Her lungs moved once more as she let out a slow breath and calmed her fluttering heart. She felt his breath on the back of her neck, and his lips grazed her skin behind her ear.
“Now, sleep, Starborne.”
No nightmares plagued her as she slept, only blissful, dreamless peace as she lay in the arms of the king’s bounty hunter.
Chapter 34
The exact moment of the Shattering remains disputed. However, scholars and priests alike agree the moment the fallen Stars collided into Stellasaltus (now Celestial Wastes) was shortly after the wraiths also overtook the provinces. Thus, Dominion conquered not only the Empyrean but also the realm.
The Shattering: A History
ASTRAIA WOKE TO AN UNFAMILIAR sensation of closeness and warmth as she lay in the bed. She opened her eyes, looking over at the char near the fireplace to find it empty. Curiously, she shifted her neck to scan the room only to find an arm looped around her waist, locking her against a solid wall.
She froze, eyes wide, then the memories of the night came flooding back to her, and she remembered who held her. Immediately, she relaxed and snuggled as close as she could into his chest. The strength of him covered her, making her feel safer than she had in years.
His arm flexed as he drew her close to him, and he inhaled slowly, his face buried in her hair.
“We probably should get moving,” she muttered.
“And why is that?” he groaned in a husky voice, barely awake.
“We wouldn’t want anyone to find us like this, now would we?” She smirked.
“Let them.” He squeezed her tighter, nuzzling his face in her hair and neck.
A thrilling chill ran down her body, making her skin pebble. A flush of heat raced to her spine and settled in her core. The urge to turn around and kiss him was intoxicating, but she bit her lip to quiet those thoughts. Propriety had been dismantled the moment he had lain in her bed, but that was not what made her hesitate.
He might not care for her in the same way she had come to care for him. The idea of rejection if she acted on impulse made her stomach churn.
Begrudgingly, she wiggled out from under his arm as he groaned in protest. Her feet hit the cold floor, and she was jerked out of the blissful moment. Gathering her belongings, she crept to the door and opened it. She glanced over her shoulder, watching as the massive hunter lay sprawled in the small bed, taking up every available space. Soft beams of light from the window cast an ethereal glow on his bare chest, emphasizing his tattoos and scars. She smiled, knowing the truth he told her—he would protect her, even from the king.
With that thought, she opened the door and entered the washroom across the hall. She hurriedly dressed and splashed water on her face from the basin next to the tub. She had retrieved her dagger from under her pillow and sheathed it in the usual place on her thigh. Folding up the tunic she slept in, she shoved it down in her satchel and went back to their room.
Draven was standing next to the fireplace, fastening his belt with his dagger to his waist. He had slipped on his own shirt and leather armor, and his broadsword was lying across the chair. He paused when she entered the room, giving her a small smile, not his usual smirk, but rather a gentle tug at the corner of hismouth. It took her by surprise, and she could not help the smile she returned.
After gathering their weapons and snagging some bread and meat from the dining hall downstairs, they readied their horses for the final stretch of their journey to Asynjur. The town had not yet awakened, with only a few people milling about the street. The sun had just risen, and morning dew clung to the grass and trees. Astraia pulled her cloak tighter around her to block out the chill as she saddled Orion.
Draven led the way out of town, following the small dirt road that led northeast. They would travel roughly a league on the road before they would have to make their own way through the woods. The road would veer east to the stardust mines rather than toward their destination. She felt somewhat wary of blazing their own trail, but it was the fastest way to get to Asynjur.
They did not say much as they rode. Their horses' hoofbeats created a synchronous cadence, eliminating any awkward silence. She caught herself daydreaming several times. Sometimes it was of the beaches from her home, or of Elion—but mostly, it was ofhim. The way he held her tightly yet gently, the firm muscles of his chest pressed to her back, his breath on her skin. She would glance sideways at him, and every time, he was already looking at her too. Her cheeks would flush, and she would snap her head back, keeping her eyes glued to the road.
Draven stopped when the time came to depart from the road, eyeing her steadily. “Ready?”
She nodded, nudging Orion onward.
Hours passed without incident, much to Astraia’s relief. Her head was on a swivel the entire journey, poised to fight whatever demons decided to cross paths with her that day. The crunch of the horses' hooves on the forest floor gave away their position to anyone or anything that creeped in the woods. Yet the only beast they saw was a wild hog grazing on some overgrowth.
