Page 13 of Midnight Star

So, I projected and killed him from behind.

And then, I drained every drop of blood from his already dead body.

Sapphire

“That night faewas going to kill me,” I say, shame crushing my lungs as I tell Riven the details of what happened, up until he found me and Zoey in the cave.

As I speak, he paces in front of the half-completed igloo like a caged animal.His body is taut with restrained energy, and his eyes flick between the rising sun and me, his hands flexing and clenching as though they can’t decide if they want to grab his sword, or if they want to grabme.

Ghost watches him, ears twitching, but he doesn’t move from my side.

After I’ve told Riven everything, the weight of the world lifts from my chest.

“Do you have any idea how reckless that was?” he asks, turning to face me. His voice is sharp, but there’s something beneath it—something rough, like he’s beenholding onto this anger for too long.“Keeping it from me, I mean. Do you know what could have happened?”

“Yes,” I say, even though the lump in my throat makes it hard to get the word out.

He steps closer, the space between us shrinking until the cold radiating off him seeps into my skin.

“You don’t,” he says, the intensity of his gaze rooting me to the ground. “If you knew, you wouldn’t have hidden it. And because you hid it, you put all of us—me, Zoey, and Ghost—in danger. Do you understand that?”

His words are an accusation. A reminder of my failure. But it’s the way he says it—the way his eyes search mine, the way his breath comes just a little too fast—that makes my heart race.

“Yes,” I repeat again, my magic swirling inside me, begging to escape. “I hear you, and I agree. I should have told you the moment I knew I could trust you. I was scared, but I shouldn’t have let fear get in the way of honesty. And for that, I’m sorry.”

The air thickens between us, and he glances at my lips—so fast I might have imagined it.

Then, finally, he nods.

“We could have been working together this entire time,” he says, and he takes another step closer, only stopping when there are a few inches between us. “Instead, you chose to struggle alone and put everyone at risk. Including yourself.”

“I know,” I say again, lifting my chin so I can hold his gaze.

How many times will I have to say it for him to believe it?

The wind picks up around us, responding to my frustration. Or maybe to his. I can’t tell anymore.

“There’s still one other thing I can’t figure out,” he says, and when he steps back, putting what feels like a chasm between us, I brace myself for another round of questioning.

“And what’s that?” I ask, even though it’s taking every last bit of self-control to not close the space between us and apologize in a way thatdefinitelyisn’t verbal.

“Your entire existence should be impossible,” he says, detached again, as if we’re working on a school project.

And, given that it’s a rather important project, I take a deep, cooling breath, gathering myself together so I can listen.

“Vampires aren’t born—they’re created,” he continues. “But that night fae didn’t turn you at the ravine.”

“How do you know?” I ask, since being turned at the ravine has been one of my working theories.

“Because being turned into a vampire is a process. It wouldn’t have happened that quickly. Secondly, you had cravings for raw meat before he bit you, which still has blood in it. And you used air magic before then, too, likewhen you warmed the ice to shape it into icicles to attach to your boots. My guess is that your vampire side was always there, buried inside you. It just needed something to awaken it.”

“And his biting me awakened it,” I say slowly, since it decently adds up.

“Possibly,” he muses. “But that’s all I’ve got right now. Unless there’s something else you omitted from your story that you’d like to share?”

“No,” I say, his accusation another blow to my heart. “I told you everything I can think of right now.”

“Okay,” he says, and while I’m not sure if that means he forgives me or not, at least it’s a start. “If you think of anything else, I’d appreciate if you told me. Now, let’s finish our shelter. Tomorrow, I’ll start teaching you properly, keeping in mind that you have both water magicandair magic. Because you have an incredible amount of power. Once you learn how to harness it, you’ll be near unstoppable.”

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