Kieran.Little Star.
What the fuck was going on here? As I grew closer, I began to notice a million little details that warned me something was terribly wrong. Her delicate frame was stark naked, covered in a layer of black soot, and seemingly limp. Her golden hair was singed and her face hidden by the wild strands that flew up with the inertia of her fall. Kieran’s body was dropping so incrediblyfast and her wings were pointed upwards at an awkward, bent angle, doing nothing at all to stop her fall.
Questions plagued my mind as I flew toward her.
Why were her wings suddenly white? Had they changed again? That was impossible since she had already fallen. More importantly, why wasn’t she using her wings?Why wasn’t she stopping her fall?
Knowing I had very little time until she hit the ground, I pushed harder to reach her, feeling better when I closed in on her as she neared the treetops. I didn’t hesitate to pluck her right from the sky, stopping her momentum with a grunt and soaring upwards in the opposite direction.
I cursed with the realization that she was unconscious, her eyes shut and her face void of emotion. I couldn’t handle considering the full implications of me not having been out here to see her fall—my brain wasn’t allowing me to comprehend the idea of Kieran crashing to Earth at such a fatal speed.
Checking that her breathing and pulse was stable, I decided to risk landing so I could ensure that she was covered and kept warm in the cool night air. The forested path allowed for enough privacy for me to pull off my shirt and put it on her, the material long enough to hit her knees.
In the process of dressing her, I couldn’t help but notice the burn marks on her body—ones that appeared to be fading rapidly. Far too quickly for our normal rate of healing. There were tear marks on her cheeks as well, rivulets that broke through the ashes on her face, and her head lulled against my chest as if sleeping.
Securing her against my chest once more, I pushed off the ground and back into the air. I needed to get her to a medical center, or at least home to Bastian if he’d managed to get over his pity party.
After flying for what felt like eternity, but was mostly likely only a minute or so, Kieran suddenly shifted. My gaze snapped down as her eyes opened. I found myself momentarily caught off guard by the stars that seemed to glitter in her golden gaze as she stared up at me in surprise. I had no idea what had happened to Kieran, but upon her waking, I could feel the change in her power. It was moving under her skin, surrounding her with a powerful aura in a way I’d never experienced before.
Kieran’s voice was raspy as she struggled to get her words out. “Gabe, please take me home.”
“We can go home, but I think we should go to the medical center first,” I urged, trying to keep my voice soft. “I can tell you’re hurt—badly. We need to have the burns looked at.”
“They will heal quickly,” she whispered, her hand shakily coming up to my face. “I promise, I’m okay. I just want to go home.”
Seeing the determined set of her expression and deciding to trust her, I flew quickly toward the house. It alleviated a bit of my anxiety to know that Bastian was there and could, in a worst case scenario, heal her if necessary. “What happened, Little Star?” I tried to not sound demanding, but I didn’t think it worked.
“It sounds crazy,” she murmured, her brow dipping as she let out a long sigh. “I…I talked to the previous Star Keepers.”
I swear to the fates, I nearly dropped her in my shock. A breath whooshed out of me as I landed on the path to the house, keeping her tucked against me while staring down at her in shock.
“Youtalkedto the previous Star Keepers?”
“Iknowit sounds crazy,” she admitted, resting her head against me and closing her eyes, exhaustion evident in the way her body was limp in my arms. “But it was a good thing—a really good thing. I can explain better tomorrow, but they said theybelieved in me. They even trusted me with the remnants of their power and their knowledge of our shared affinity.”
I had so many questions, but I could tell it wasn’t the time to drill her with them. Instead, I shifted focus slightly. “Is that how you ended up like this?”
“Yes.” She nodded, before adding, “They gave me their power all at once, and I think that’s what blasted me back down here.”
Which would explain the shooting star that had been my girl all along.
How fitting my nickname for her turned out to be.
“How many Star Keepers are we talking about? A few of them or?—”
“Allof the previous Star Keepers.” Her eyes flickered shut as she frowned slightly, her brows dipping. “I’m sorry, I’m not doing a great job at explaining this. I’m so drained…which is a bit ironic considering the amount of power I just received. I think my body is having a bit of trouble processing it all.”
“No, don’t be sorry, we can figure this out when you’re ready,” I assured her, keeping a running list of my questions for when the time came. “But we should wake the others, to at least tell them what happened?—”
Kieran placed a hand on my cheek, interrupting my thought as I looked down at her. “In the morning, please? Everyone is sleeping and they need rest. Ineeda shower and sleep…Plus, I have to gather my thoughts or else I won’t be able to explain anything, let alone do so coherently.”
“Okay,” I agreed, slipping us into the house. I carried her upstairs as quietly as I could. When we reached her room, I set her down and followed her toward the bathroom, turning on the water in the shower for her. Taking her arm, I gently examined her wounds and found they were nearly gone.That was insane.
Kieran didn’t even bother looking at them, instead taking her shirt off in a slow movement before going toward the shower. I was worried how out of it she seemed, almost like she was dazed.
Not allowing my eyes to wander down her body, knowing it was far from the time to appreciate her perfection, I quickly told her, “I’ll grab you something to drink. I won’t be long.”
I left the room, closing the door behind me before jogging downstairs to grab her water. Taking a few minutes to clear my own head so that I could remain calm for her, I drained a glass of water for myself. I heard a door open upstairs as I made my way back to her room and was unsurprised to find Steele standing outside of Kieran’s door.
