Page 42 of Until the Stars Fall

Beck bounded up the stairs behind me. No blood on his face. No cut.

“I’ll go check it out.” He turned to me, his face guarded but lit with something new. “We can finish with the biofilter tomorrow morning. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

The rush of adrenaline from healing and—oh wow, that kiss—was plummeting now, and I recognized his words as good advice. And a chance, in the ice bucket bath of Summer’s presence, to regroup.

“Yeah, thanks. I think I will.” I yawned and ducked out the door.

Beck was singing.

I sat up in bed, confused and exhausted from too little sleep.

“—happy birthday to you!” His voice over the intercom continued. My clock said seven in the morning, just five hours after I’d left him in the engine room last night. Did the man ever sleep? I lay back down, snickering. He probably looked fucking adorable.

“Happy birthday dear Gem-ma, happy birthday to youuuuuuu! And mannnnyyy more!” he finished with a flourish. “Everyone is invited to a special celebration tonight on the Star Deck in honor of the woman, the myth, the legend, Gemma—” He paused and spoke more quietly to someone on his end. “What’s her middle name?” Murmuring. Then Beck’s voice boomed, “Gemma Louise Abadie!”

He mimicked the sound of screaming fans at a stadium, and I snorted and put the pillow over my head to block him out. It was time to get up anyway. I had chores to do, and we still had to deal with the biofilter indicator.

I smoothed down my fitted knee-length dress, adjusting the low bustier bodice for the ninth time as I stepped into the elevator to head to the fancy party that everyone insisted on throwing for me on the Star Deck.

They’d emphasized that this was a fancy dress party, but I still hoped I wasn’t overdressed. My dress, a sheer black dotted swiss over nude crepe, didn’t allow for a bra, and it showed a lot more cleavage than I was used to. But it was the last nice article of clothing I’d bought in my old life, before I’d started saving every scrap to pay Madam Indigo. I’d planned to wear it to a holiday party with a date who’d canceled on me because I’d scared him off with my magic. I’d stayed home that night eating ice cream, but I was excited to repurpose the dress now, overwriting a painful memory with what the excitement in my veins told me would be a good night.

The elevator chimed, the doors opened, and the rush of air fluttered the long sheer sleeves cinched at my elbows and wrists. I stepped out, happy to once again feel the stemmy height of my black pumps with every step.

The Star Deck appeared even more magical under the softened lights and with the curtains open to the stars. White string lights crisscrossed above the dance floor and dining area to create a little human universe under incandescent stars. Not everyone was there yet. Eyre and Zola flipped through a stack of records by Beck’s stereo, and my eyes immediately sought him out. He stood with his back to me, talking to Hannah by the windows. My heart fluttered. He was wearing a dark suit, and that was my kryptonite.

Before I could decide what to do, Eyre and Zola appeared before me.

“Happy birthday, Gemma!” they chorused, attacking me with hugs.

“Holy Aphrodite, girl,” Eyre said. “You look stunning!”

Zola hugged me quickly. “You look gorgeous.”

“Me? You two are amazing!” I was relieved to see that my dress fit right in with theirs. Zola’s skinny dress with a cowl neckline sparkled over her slim hips like black glitter, and Eyre, not wearing black for once, wore a shimmery blush spaghetti-strap corset dress with a tulle skirt, her raven-wing hair piled up on her head, colorful rose tattoos tumbling down her shoulders.

“Thank y’all so much for going all out for me. It’s magical in here!”

The service elevator chimed.

“Dinner is served!” Summer announced, wheeling a cart toward the nearly empty buffet table.

Eyre whooped and walked that way. “Good! I’m starving.”

I stepped forward to walk over and help, but Zola stopped me. “This is your day. You relax.” She winked at me. “By the way, I have you seated at the table between me and Beck.” She sashayed away with a smile, and my face went hot.

Were we that obvious, or did Beck tell her about the kiss?

He and Hannah had turned around at the commotion, both looking where I stood between them and the food. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and breathed deeply, straightening my posture and acting fascinated by the sight of dinner being plated across the room. As if I couldn’t feel the heat of his gaze on me, and as if I didn’t care if I could.

But I did. I was obsessed with that kiss. It’d been sweet, thrilling, amazing. The man himself—sweet, thrilling, amazing.

But the prospect of getting involved with a witch still felt dicey, at best. His constant encouragement to use the magic I’d tried to repress for so long—which was going well, all things considered—was a constant knot in my chest.

And doing magic in tandem with him had been intoxicating. It’d made me start to doubt my appointment with Madam Indigo. But I didn’t want to be turned aside from a decision I’d already made. Beck was a permanent part of my siblings’ lives, and I wasn’t sure if I belonged.

My resolve not to look his way broke. I glanced past Hannah at him as she walked up, pleased to no end to see him standing stock still, looking at me. If I got involved with him, would he ever forgive me for having my magic removed? Would he still want me afterwards?

If I didn’t get involved with him…Even after one kiss, imagining him with someone else made me sick with jealousy.

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