Page 79 of Stealing the Star Stone
“Eli, I couldn’t have done this without you.”She tucked a braid behind his ear, making his lobe tingle.
He stared after her before hurrying to catch up.This woman… He should’ve realized why he’d wanted to spend time with her.Sure, she’d been obvious on how she felt about him, but such women he’d met before and walked away from.With her… He hadn’t been able to, making up excuses that he found her entertaining, or that he was curious as to why she hated him.
He stroked his backside cheek where the tattoo sat.
Perhaps they’d had a soul tie from that one night?It was nice to think so because falling for her this hard shouldn’t have been this easy.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The moon, Lethara
Amenkar’s ‘throne’ room in Vael’Tir.
From good to oh-shit to argh-what-the-hell-is-that?
Day Five.
Novakeptherheadup, hurrying to the throne room with determination in her stride.If only she could be done with all things Orien.In truth, she wanted to while away the day in Eli’s arms, but more sex would be wasting time they could ill afford.
“Tell me, is this a countdown?”She showed the woman the tattoo climbing her bicep.
Bigeeli cackled.“Figured that out, did you?”She stroked a gnarled finger along a tendril.“So many suns you have.”She shifted back to hold up eight fingers.“If the markings reach your heart before you form a soul tie, you die.”
Nova frowned—the knocks kept coming.
Find a stone or be stuck as Eli.
Got a stone, but one wasn’t good enough.So locate another, like they’re as common as mud.
Have sex and form a soul tie, or the next stone she touched might kill her.Done, only to learn that the first stone was trying to kill her anyway.
“It is poison from a shol shard,” Bigeeli added.
“But I wasn’t cut when the stone shattered.”Or maybe she had been and, in the ensuing chaos, hadn’t noticed it?
Bigeeli laughed, the sound so young and joyful.“The slivers melt on the skin when it finds its victim.”She hummed and veered toward the dais.“The boredom of gods… It is sad that your lord took a shol off this world.The gods do not need a bigger realm to play in.”
“He’s not my anything,” Nova snapped.“Sure, he’s human, but that’s it.”
A crowd had gathered, forcing Bigeeli to weave a path through.“My chief,” she said, dropping to a knee.
“It is done?”Amenkar asked, rising off a cushion.
“It is,” she said, staggering to her feet and stepping aside, exposing Nova and Eli behind her.Standing tall beside the chief was a familiar face.
Nova gasped, joy exploding through her.“Frederik?How… Where’s… I mean, hello.”
He smiled, looking good in jeans and a gray, dirt-stained T-shirt.“I’m happy you are well, Mr.Thorne.”He cast a glance at Eli.“Lord Orien will soon arrive.”
“Shit,” she said.“We can’t let him find—”
“He has been here before,” Frederik said.“Your escape made him even more…determined.”
“I know,” she said, catching Eli’s hand and drawing him closer.“We must leave now.Try and lead Orien away from here.”
“Wait.”Eli scowled at Frederik.“Does he know you helped us?How are you here without him?”
“I had a friend alter the security footage.As an actor, we have many vids of Mr.Thorne we could use.As to escaping Lord Orien’s party, I claimed to be unwell.He thinks I am at the landing site.”Frederik bowed to Amenkar but said to Eli, “Tell him to lie to Orien, that he never saw you.Orien might believe him.”
