Page 63 of Midnight Star

“You’ve heard of me?” I ask in response.

“You’re not the first star touched to cross into thiscourt,” she says. “There have been two others before you.”

“So, you know what’s at stake here,” I say, although from the way the roots tighten a bit more, I’m unsure if she sees me as a friend or a threat.

All I know is that she’s not killing me, which I take as a good sign.

“I’ve heard bits and pieces.” She shrugs, the leaves on the tree rustling with the movement. “However, the only thing at stake for me right now is the sap in my tree. And I do not tolerate thieves.”

“We’re not thieves,” I say quickly. “We didn’t mean to?—“

“Silence.” Her voice cuts through the air like a blade. “Your intentions do not matter to me. You touched my tree without permission. You fought against its defenses.”

“We apologize,” Riven says, his voice steady despite the sweat beading on his brow. “You’re correct—we should have approached with more respect.”

He glares at me, as if this ismyfault.

Which, admittedly, it sort of is, since I’m the one who reached out to touch the tree. Although, I had no reason to think that it housed a dryad who would punish me for doing so.

The dryad’s lips curl into something between a smile and a sneer. “Pretty words from a winter fae,” she says. “But words mean nothing when your actions speak of violence.”

My heart sinks. She’s not going to give us the sap.

I glance at Riven, but he’s focused on Chryserra, his face an icy mask.

“However...” Chryserra steps closer, her bark-like skin shimmering in the moonlight. “Perhaps we could come to an arrangement.”

“What kind of arrangement?” Riven asks, and I hear the careful diplomacy in his tone—the voice of a prince used to negotiating delicate situations.

“A deal,” she says, circling us slowly. “One that could benefit us both. That is, if you’re willing to listen.”

Riven glances at me, and I nod, since what other choice do we have?

“We’re listening,” I say.

She stops in front of Riven, tilting her head like a bird studying particularly interesting prey. “I heard what you said to her earlier, Winter Prince. That you love her. Is it true?”

“Yes,” Riven says without hesitation, and my heart skips at how quickly and firmly he answers.

“And you, Star Touched?” Her gaze shifts to me. “Do you love him in return?”

“With all my heart,” I say softly.

“Fascinating.” She moves closer to Riven, studying him like he’s some rare specimen. “Your kind are carvedfrom ice, your hearts as frozen as your magic. And yet, you love a summer fae.”

“You know nothing about my heart,” Riven says, and there’s an edge to his voice that makes my breath catch.

“Then enlighten me,” she challenges. “Tell me what she means to you. Prove that what you feel for her is real.”

I expect Riven to bristle at the command—to respond with his usual icy control.

Instead, his voice fills with a passion that takes my breath away.

“She’s everything,” he says. “From the moment she fell into my realm, she’s challenged everything I thought I knew about myself, and about what I’m capable of feeling.” His gaze finds mine, burning with fiery emotion. “She makes me want to be better, to be worthy of her trust and her love. She’s the warmth in my eternal winter, the light in my darkness. Every wall I built, every piece of ice I wrapped around my heart to keep the world out—she shattered it all.”

I stare at him, stunned. I knew he loved me, but this...

“And if I told you that obtaining my sap would cost her life?” the dryad asks.

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