Fen’s undamaged arm snaked around the small of my back, pulling me tightly to him. He was trembling, or maybe it was me—our pounding heartbeats met.
“I lost you,” he whispered into my hair. “When I saw you…I couldn’t bear it. The thought of you—”
“I’m here.”
He lifted my chin. Both of our cheeks were streaked with tears. “How?”
I shook my head. “I don’t exactly know. It doesn’t matter. I’mhere.You’re here.”
“Elsie?” His voice sounded pained, as if bracing for bad news.
“Safe, safe—she is in the bailey with the others. Cassidee found her on the grounds. Amara and Emmerick are unharmed too.”
Every muscle in his body slackened as he brought both his hands to my wet cheeks. Then he leaned down and caught my mouth with his. His hands found their way into my hair, deepening the kiss.
I finally felt like I could breathe—he was the air that I’d needed.
Our magic collided with a force akin to fire meeting the cold expanse between the stars. A star rupturing, igniting to life. We shared no magic, no bond, and yet his nearness—it felt right. I felt a pull toward him. Bond or no bond, his fire mingling with my starlight made me feel whole.
“You are here.” He kissed me between words. “And you love me?” I caught a glimpse of that light-hearted smirk.
“Yes, I do,” I managed through tears. “Do you still—”
“Don’t even ask that question.” He buried his nose into my neck, seeming to not mind that the skin there was stillglowingan eerie iridescent silver-blue.
“We’re no longer bound,” I reasoned. “Nothing is drawing you to me.”
“I don’t believe it ever worked that way,” Fenris answered. “I’m yours, Asterie. I want you to be mine—but that is your choice. No one will ever own your choices again.”
“Given a choice, it will always be you,” I said.
He held me tighter as his tears ran down my neck. “I love everything about you. Horns, claws and whatever this starlight under your skin is—I love that too. I didn’t know you could glow, my strange beauty.”
“I don’t know how to stop it.” I laughed through my tears.
He drew away only enough to examine me from head to breast before he dipped his chin down to kiss my forehead. “I’m a fan…I just wonder if you gloweverywhere.I think we need to find a bathtub so I can properly investigate before it burns out.”
I grabbed his face gently between my hands. “You are always going to be a hopeless flirt, aren’t you?”
“Only with you.” He sealed his answer with a kiss, and my worries melted away.He was safe. The battle was coming to an end. We’d face the aftermath. Together.
“Soon enough we will get out of these soiled clothes.” The insinuation in my words brought a devious smile across his face. “But first—we find the others and see what help is needed.”
“Must we?” His voice vibrated in a light and teasing way across my brow as he placed a kiss there.
I would happily never leave his arms again, but we had a realm to rebuild. We walked out of the demolished palace halls, into the battle-torn night, hand in hand.
Chapter40
Asterie
It took three Phynnic healing charms to mend Fen’s arm and broken ribs. There was still bruising that would require time to heal. But he wasalive.
My skin still glowed in an iridescent shine.I had begun to wonder if the magic used by the Source Origin of Stars had made this permanent, but the glow was slowly fading. The added light had been quite handy as we had searched the ruins of Luz for survivors.
The city lay in shambles around us—even with my light, the darkness of night masked the reality of the devastation behind a veil we’d need to face at dusk. The battle was won, but rebuilding would be a long, grueling process.
“We should head back to help with healing the others,” Fen said, ushering me forward with a hand on the small of my back. I nodded, reveling in the feeling of his touch.
