Page 37 of The Stars are Dying

“It’s Hektor’s men,” I mumbled, watching the brute forces charging through the masses.

Women with blonde hair or those with hoods up were spun around as they searched for me with no degree of respect. Calix swore, and this time I allowed him to pull me along, tripping over myself, but he added a speed I had no choice but to match. My heart raced, bringing on dizzy spells, while the air offered little to inhale clearly. I couldn’t go back there. Iwouldn’tgo back there.

Hektor was dead, and I could only imagine with a churning in my stomach the revenge his lethal followers would take on me.

“Hood up, Astraea,” Calix reprimanded.

I shook myself for being so flustered and not thinking straight. As we came to the end of the tightest cluster, I stuffed all my silver hair into my hood. Bodies tapered off, and we headed away from the direction the majority of the town skipped toward.

An arm hooked around my middle, its owner so tall and built he took me off my feet, and I cried out.

“Did you think you could get away, girl?” he snarled.

Calix drew his sword but didn’t brace to fight. I locked eyes with him in terror, but his own were conflicted. His eyes scanned at least three men from the pattern of his observation. And he stayed silent.

“There is nothing Hektor prized more than you. I think it’s about time you tell us why,” another said, leaning in so close I felt his breath on my ear.

I was a frightened deer too spooked to move, and I was without the dagger Cassia had taken from me. “I don’t know why,” I whispered, but they would not believe me.

The one who held me took one step back, clutching me tight, and all I could do was silently plead to Calix—though I had no right to ask for his help against three men. His fist flexed around his sword; his jaw worked. Calculating…ordebating.

It was over.

Choking rattled through my ears as his hold on me relaxed enough that I could seize my chance. I surged deep within myself to drag forth the sense of survival I wanted. To fight for the life and freedom I deserved. My hand wrapped around a dagger from his belt, and as I whirled away I pinned the point to him.

I didn’t need to as the three men fell to their knees. The sight of the bloodied arrow tip through each of their chests churned my stomach. Silence pierced me as I looked around for my savior, but all I found were lingering humans with mouths wide as though they were screaming, but I could not hear them.

Nyte didn’t reveal himself, and maybe I would never know if it was him who’d saved me. I wanted him to speak to my mind, but it was silent. Even as I glanced again at the bodies and felt nothing at the sight of death.

I turned to Calix, and we stared off for a long moment. He looked at me as ifIhad killed them, eyes wide with confusion and maybe an inkling of fear. I didn’t know what to say to him when all that flashed within me was the moment I would never forget—a second where I wasn’t certain he wouldn’t have let them take me.

“Let’s go,” I said, surprised by my own calm and how my feet obeyed.

I didn’t look back.

* * *

Calix hung back from me for some time. I didn’t care, powering ahead and only waiting for the moment he would tell me to stop or where to go. The incident with Hektor’s men wouldn’t stop replaying in my mind, though not for the reasons I expected.

I wanted to know if Nyte had been there, and occasionally my sights strayed as if I would catch something that might give him away. A stroke of darkness through the trees or a note of mint on the wind.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t quicker to react.” Calix broke the silence at last.

I almost huffed a laugh. “No need to apologize. It would have saved you my intolerable company for however long we are to venture for.”

“It wasn’t because of that. I just… There were a lot of them.”

I didn’t point out I’d seen him emerge triumphant in combat against four men. Though he seemed to know his own words were bullshit.

“You’re nothing but a danger to her.”

I did laugh then, lacking any humor. “You’re right,” I said, and I stopped walking to face him. “But you are also wrong, Calix. Cassia is my friend, and I am hers, though it seems you’ve never understood what that means. I would lay down my life for her—perhaps faster than you.”

I knew the remark would earn the glare of defense that hardened his features. “What did you do back there?” His tone turned accusatory.

“You were watching me the whole time.”

“Someone killed those men.”

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