Page 51 of Midnight Star

Without a word, Riven moves away from me and makes his way to Ghost, kneeling beside his faithful companion and burying his fingers in his thick white fur. “We’ll find you again,” he promises. “Until then, stay safe.”

Ghost presses his forehead to Riven’s, and the gesture is so profound it brings tears to my eyes. It’s a silent goodbye—a promise shared between two souls who have survived together against impossible odds.

Eventually, Ghost’s attention shifts to me, and heprowls forward, pressing his head in an affectionate nuzzle against my chest.

“Stay safe,” I repeat what Riven told him, running my hands along his fur. “Celeste and her sisters will watch over you.”

He huffs softly, as if to say he’ll be fine, then steps back to let us go.

I swallow hard as Riven moves to stand next to me, forcing down the lump in my throat before it can get any worse.

“Are you ready?” I ask Riven, steadier than I feel.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” His gaze lingers on Ghost for just a second longer, and then he takes my hand. When our fingers intertwine, it’s more than just a gesture—it’s a vow. A promise that no matter what lies ahead, we’ll face it together.

With the decision now finalized, we position ourselves at the pond’s edge, and the constellations reflecting off its mirrored surface shift again.

Our time is almost up.

“Together?” he asks, the love shining in his eyes so fierce that it feels like he’s laying his soul bare for me. It’s overwhelming, humbling, and perfect all at once, and I swear my heart might burst from how much I feel for him in this moment.

“Together,” I repeat, and with one last meaningfullook shared between us—one filled with trust, hope, and the kind of love that feels eternal—we jump.

Zoey

Aethelthryth volunteers totake over my swimming lessons.

We have our first one right after I leave Aerix’s quarters. And already, I’m making far more progress with swimming than I ever did with Jake. I’m not going to be entering the Olympics anytime soon, but at least I can now sort of float without going into sheer panic mode.

I can’t believe Jake’s gone. Just like that. He was here when I went to sleep yesterday, and now…

The image of his body next to that fountain makes my stomach twist and my heart sink.

It’s my fault. If I hadn’t been so harsh with him, or if I’d ended things with him in private, none of this would have happened.

Aerix wouldn’t havekilledhim.

I lift my hand to my neck, my fingers drifting to the spot where Aerix sank his fangs into me after our confrontation this morning. And, as it always does when I think of him, my mind goes to places it shouldn’t.

“Zoey?” Aethelthryth says from next to me as we make our way back to the human wing.

“Yes?” I ask, snapped out of my thoughts.

“You’re no good to anyone if you lose yourself in this place,” she says. “Focus on what youcancontrol—your mind, your strength, and your will to survive.”

Her words hit me harder than I expect.

“I’m doing the best I can,” I finally say.

“Jake’s death isn’t your fault, but it’s consuming you.” She glances at me, her sharp features softening just enough to let me know she isn’t trying to be cruel. “And Aerix? He’s dangerous, yes, but you’re letting his actions overshadow your choices.”

I scoff, bitterness creeping into my voice. “It’s hard not to when he’s deciding who lives and who dies around me.”

“You can’t change him. You can’t control him,” she says. “But you can choose how you conduct yourself. Which means you have to stop this cycle of self-blame before it has a chance to truly start.”

Her words settle heavily over me, stirring something deep in my chest.

She’s right, of course. Especially because I have other things to worry about—like some of the things Cierra and Aerix said in my presence during their skirmish in his quarters. The questions Aerix refused to answer, about the Blood Coven, the Revenants, and Kallista.

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