Page 41 of Midnight Star

Surprise rushes through me. But I can’t let him see it. I can’t let him think he’s shaken me more than he already has.

“I am.” I meet his gaze steadily, even though my heart is racing. “And I don’t want to die here. I want to survive. Tothrive,”I add, reminding myself of Aurora’s words from yesterday.

He nods in approval, the air around us warming. “Your shock this morning was understandable,” he says,and when he steps closer, I don’t back away. “But you’re adapting faster than most.”

The space between us crackles with tension—different from before. Less angry, and morecharged.

This can be a turning point.

And I’m going to use it.

“Does this mean you still want Victoria for breakfast?” I ask, doing everything I can to keep myself from shaking.

His lips curve into that dangerous smirk I’m beginning to know all too well. “No,” he says, and suddenly, I can breathe again. “I think you’ll do just fine.”

Sapphire

After our closecall with the shadow people, Riven, Ghost, and I continue following the stars until the sun begins to rise and forces us to stop.

We build another igloo, our magic working in harmony. The synch between us feels deeper than before—maybe because I’m not keeping a giant secret from him anymore, or because we’ve moved past his anger about my vampire side, or even because fighting a common enemy has a way of bringing people closer together.

Either way, when we settle into the igloo and he pulls me into his arms, there’s no hesitation. No walls between us. Just the kind of raw connection that makes me focus on the present moment and forget everything else.

But as I’ve been learning since falling into this realm, peace never lasts.

Not even in my dreams.

I wake before sunset with a gasp, my heart pounding, my body tense.

It takes me a moment to remember where I am—curled against Riven, his arm draped protectively over me, his breathing steady.

His eyes snap open the moment I move. “What’s wrong?” he asks, immediately alert.

“I saw her again,” I tell him. “The woman from the forest. She was in my dream.”

“What did she say?”

Like the last time, the words remain clear in my mind, even as the rest of the dream fades.

“To claim the wisdom shining far, you must journey to the Midnight Star,” I repeat, watching him closely, hoping it’ll make more sense to him than it does to me.

Instead, his brows draw together, making him look as confused as I feel.

“First, she told you that your soul must rise to claim your sight. And now this, about journeying to the Midnight Star.” His fingers absently trace patterns of frost on the ground between us, as if magic might hold the answers. “There has to be a connection.”

I nod, wrapping my arms around myself. “It feels like she’s trying to guide me—or warn me.”

“There’s only one way to find out.” He snaps back toit, looking as determined as ever. “Let’s pack up and keep moving.”

We journey through the darkening forest, following the stars’ increasingly urgent song. My connection to them is stronger with each passing hour, as if we’re getting closer to something important. Something ancient.

Ghost’s pace quickens, as if he senses it, too.

“You’re quiet,” Riven eventually says over his shoulder.

“I’m thinking,” I reply. “About her. About what this all means.”

His posture stiffens slightly—a tell I’ve come to recognize. He’s thinking, too. Likely weighing every angle and every possible trap this riddle might spring.

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