“Pretty? It wasmagical.” Prying her eyes away from where the shooting star had once been, a delicate flush colored her cheeks as she met his gaze. “Do you know what a shooting star means? Here, I mean. In Lyndaria.”
When he shook his head, she continued. “It’s said that when a star shoots across the sky in the presence of a…a couple… it’s the Goddess Rhayne smiling down on them and sending them her blessing.”
Her flush deepened as she finished her story, and Daemon couldn’t help the wide smile that took over his lips. “Oh,really?”
He’d known that both Rhayne and Narissa blessed their relationship. Knew that they were soulmates and destined to be together, in this life and every other. But Auraelia seeing thatsign and having heracknowledgeit and explain what it meant, gave him yet another piece of hope.
Auraelia’s face was now the color of a winter berry, and she could scarcely hold his gaze, her flush deepening every time they locked eyes.
When a frosty breeze blew across the lake, sending a shiver down both their spines, Daemon stood and extended his hand toward her. “Would you like to head back?”
Grabbing her boots, she slipped her hand into his, the warmth of her magic tangling with his as soon as their skin connected.
After helping her to her feet, Daemon stepped into her frame and lifted her chin, forcing her gaze up to his face. “Thank you for letting me in, Auraelia. It means more than you know.”
Her answering smile was incandescent, and then, before he knew what was happening, she pushed onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. When she pulled away, a sheepish smile was on her lips, and her face was flushed once more. “I never should have shut you out to begin with.”
“Killian, what are you doing here?”Astraea asked, her arched brows drawing together at the center.
Another dream, it’s just another dream.
She was slightly older in this one than she had been in the others. Her chestnut hair was no longer glossy but instead held a dull sheen, like life was draining the color from it. Daemon closed the distance between himself and Astraea, his legs moving of their own accord. When he was in front of her, his hands cupped her cheeks, and his lips met hers in a hungry desperation.
When she didn’t move in response, he felt his heart sink. But the moment passed faster than it lingered, and it wasn’t long before her hands were tangled in his hair, and she was pulling him with her through a previously closed door.
Pressing her against the wall, he slid his hands down her sides and lifted her from the floor, her legs wrapping around his waist on instinct.
But when she cupped his face in her hands, the cold bite of metal met his cheek, and he pulled away, letting her body slowly slide down his until her feet hit the floor.
“You’re engaged.” The words came from his mouth, but he knew it wasn’t him who spoke them.
“Killian, you knew this was going to happen. You’remarried, for goddess’ sake, and you’re going to criticize me about being engaged?”
Slowly, Daemon’s gaze trailed down to his left hand where a woven band of metal encircled his finger, then over to where a delicate band of silver sat on Astraea’s, topped with an aquamarine stone that matched the color of her eyes.
It wasn’t his life, but there was no mistaking the crushing grief that filled his chest. Or the heartbreak that he was all too familiar with.
Killian ran his hands through his hair, gripping the strands tightly at the roots before releasing them. “It’s not fair!” he shouted through gritted teeth. “You’remine, Astraea! We both know it! Fuck, anyone who sees us together knows it! It doesn’t matter how hard we try to hide it or how careful we are; it’s as clear as day when we’re together.”
Astraea twirled her engagement ring around her finger, her eyes downcast as she said, “I know, which is why we can’t see each other anymore.”
Killian quickly closed the gap that had formed between them and grasped her shoulders, his voice cracking as he pleadedwith her. “Don’t say that. You can’t mean it. I can’t live without you, my star. Please, don’t do this.”
Tears began to stream down her face, her eyes rimmed in red when they finally met his. “I don’t want to. Goddess, how I wish I could run away and justbewith you, but we can’t, Killian. We can’t. Our people, all of Ixora, have been through enough as it is. We can’t uproot the peace that was just instilled. It would be selfish.”
Daemon could feel the tears filling Killian’s eyes. Could feel their warmth as they slipped down his cheeks. “I wish I had never signed that damned treaty.”
Astraea nodded, her lip trembling as she said, “So do I, my love. So do I.”
It was nearly daybreak when the sound of Auraelia muttering in her sleep pulled Daemon from his dream. He could still feel the ache in his chest from the heartbreak he’d just relived. Heartbreak that was bound to repeat itself if he couldn’t break through to her.
As she began to toss and turn, Daemon gently shook her shoulder. “Auraelia. Auraelia, you’re dreaming. Wake up.”
When she still didn’t stir, her eyes pinched tightly closed as her dream continued, he tried a different approach. Sending a quick prayer to the Goddesses of Arcelia that it wouldn’t backfire on him, Daemon pulled her into his arms and whispered, “My star, it’s just a dream. Come back to me.”
He placed a gentle kiss on her brow, and slowly, her body relaxed into his. Her face was pressed into his chest, and he began to run his fingers in featherlight touches along her spine.
A contented sigh slipped between her lips as she nuzzled into him. “I missed that.”
