Page 4 of Stolen Star

I tense. “What about it?”

“I hated it because it worked. Because it drowned me out.” His voice is raw now, stripped of every defense. “And in that moment, I needed to be drowned out. Because if you’d let me speak, I would have said something I couldn’t take back.”

A pause stretches between us. The kind that doesn’t feel peaceful, butearned.

“What would you have said?” I ask, breathing slower as I wait.

“I would have told you that I loved you,” he says. “That even though I didn’t remember loving you before that dryad’s deal, I’d already fallen in love with you again.”

I stare at him, heart pounding, because there’snothing clever to say to that. No comeback sharp enough to hide the way my chest feels like it’s splintering open from the intensity of his words.

He pulls me back into his arms again, and as always, I sink into him as if he’s where I’m meant to be.

“Come back to bed,” he murmurs against my hair. “You need rest.”

“And if the dream comes back?” I ask.

His arm tightens around me. “Then I’ll wake you up and remind you that you’re the woman who brought me back from death. The woman who saved her best friend from drowning when they were children. The woman who defied a king, fought gods, and who has the capacity to love deeper than anyone I’ve ever known.” His voice drops lower. “The woman who will never become the monster in her dreams—because she questions whether or not she could.”

I lean back to look at him, surprised by the fierceness in his eyes. “What does that mean?” I ask.

“It means that the ones you should fear are those who don’t doubt their capacity for darkness,” he explains. “Not the ones who are haunted by it every night in their dreams.”

I reach up, cradling his face between my hands.

“If I ever forget who I am, it’ll be because I gave every last piece of myself to you,” I tell him. “Because I love you, Riven Draevor. I always have, and I always will.”

With that, I let him lead me back inside, and we settle beneath the sheets, his arms wrapped securely around me.

I might never be able to escape the visions of what I could become.

But at least I’ll never have to face them alone.

RIVEN

The icein my veins thrums with tension as noon approaches.

Sapphire stands at the mirror, adjusting the silver circlet nestled in her hair—a gift from my father after his return to sanity. Her white-blonde waves cascade down her back, the blue streaks on the ends catching the light with every movement. The deep sapphire of her dress mirrors her name, cut in the Winter Court style, but with subtle nods to her summer heritage. The best of both worlds, just like her magic.

Just like her soul.

“Stop staring,” she says without turning, smiling at me in the mirror. “You’re making me nervous.”

“I can’t help it,” I tell her. “You look just like what you are—a princess.”

She turns, those blue eyes finding mine across theroom, making every nerve in my body come alive. “Not just any princess,” she says.“I’myourprincess.”

My heart—the one she brought back from death—aches with fierce devotion. Because I will never get over how lucky I am to have her.Never.

Unfortunately, a glance at the clock shows me that I don’t have time toproperlyshow her how much I appreciate her.

So, I hold my arm out to her, to brace her—and myself—for what’s coming next. “Ready to make history?” I ask, sounding far more at peace about leaving our winter paradise than I feel.

“As long as we’re making it together.” She slides her hand into the crook of my elbow, allowing me to lead her out into the hall.

As we step into the corridor, Nebula appears, padding to Sapphire’s side. The golden cheetah’s presence is new to the Winter Court, a splash of summer warmth against our eternal frost. And when she and Ghost find each other, their bond hums as strongly as mine and Sapphire’s.

Together, we make our way through the palace and out to the courtyard, ice and water magic trailing in our wake. Nobles in their finest furs line the path, their expressions a mix of curiosity and caution.

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