Page 97 of Starchaser
He reaches for the stone handle, and my stomach lurches, as if there were an invisible string pulling me toward him.
“Wait!” I say, my voice choked. “Titus—”
He brings a finger to his lips. “Whatever it is you’re going to say, tell me tonight.” As he pulls the door closed, he pauses, his lips quirking. “Save me a dance, will you?”
Before I can give him an answer, the stone door seals the passageway, leaving me standing alone. I turn, staring at myself in the mirror—at my eyes, a deep sapphire shade of blue.
I fold onto the armchair, my fingers grazing the blue fabric, and my heart skips a beat. I’m back on my feet in an instant, tears pricking my eyes as I take in the suite, decorated with the same brilliant blue as my gown.
The stone door creaks, and I whirl, expecting to see Titus—thinking that, for some reason, he came back, ready to hear what I was about to say—but instead, Margaret is there, jaw agape.
“Well, all right then,” she says, eyes widening as she takes in my gown. “I can work with this.”
A firm knock at the door interrupts the steady rhythm of my footsteps as I pace the length of my chambers.
“Come in,” I call out, stopping to check my reflection once more in the full-length mirror, running my hands over the sapphire-blue gown as if I could smooth out my feelings.
The door closes, and I lock eyes with Will over my shoulder, his lips parted slightly on a breath.
“What do you think?” I ask quietly, turning to face him.
His gaze roves the length of my gown, a crease forming between his brows. “Aster, I—” He shakes his head—laughs. “I’m afraid I lack the words to describe what it is I’m thinking at this moment.”
A blush creeps up my neck, into my cheeks, but the sensation is short-lived as I note the dark circles around his eyes, his pallid skin. In less than a heartbeat, I close the gap between us, my hands on his face, my fingers stroking his cheeks.
“Will,” I say, checking that the door to my suite remains shut. “About last night—”
“I’m not giving up,” he assures me, his hands settling naturally on my waist, firm and gentle. “I never truly thought that Leo was possessed. If Morana really is here, she’ll show herself today, and then—then I’ll do whatever I must. I’ve already spoken to Titus about keeping me chained up so that—so that I don’t hurt you or anyone else—at least until we can find another cure and—”
“Will,” I repeat, softer. “I meant about…”
A faint flush of pink colors his cheeks. “Oh.”
“Oh?”
His throat bobs. “Aster,” he says, his voice strained, “it was wrong of me to ask when I did—howI did.” He must read the hurt in my expression, because he quickly shakes his head, his eyes widening slightly. “No, no, not because—” He clenches his jaw, his hands flexing at my hips. “Not because I regret asking. I meant every word, and I… I would very much like to know your thoughts. It’s only that—well, I think it might be best if you waitto tell me your answer. In fact, I must insist that you wait until you’rereadyto answer.”
He says it as if we have all the time in the world. As if, should Eliza not make an appearance at the wedding—should we fail to obtain the cure from Morana before sundown—come tomorrow, he won’t have turned into a Shifter, and I can still give him my answer.
He eyes me cautiously, his shoulders tense, as if he were anticipating a blow. “Please?”
Please. There was a time when I would have answered without a second thought. But now, after everything that’s happened…
I hesitate.
My thoughts drift to Titus. He’s infuriating, confusing, manipulative. But I can’t shake the memory of his laughter. Can’t forget the way it felt to be held by him. Can’t stop thinking about his lips pressed to my knuckles, even though I know that after today, it doesn’t matter. He’s going to be married. And whatever it is I might feel for him… he doesn’t feel the same way. He can’t. Heshouldn’t. I know, without a doubt, he cares about Will too much to stand in his way.
Everything about Titus is complicated, but Will has finally made his feelings for me clear. So, for the first time in months, I don’t think about the consequences of my actions. I grab his lapels, rising onto my tiptoes and—
The instant our lips meet, it’s as if honey flows through my veins, thick and sweet, slowing time while somehow quickening my pulse to a feverish tempo. He pulls me closer, one hand coming up to cup my face as if I were made of glass, the other digging into my hip with barely contained strength. His mouth parts, and he half-growls, half-groans as he deepens the kiss.
Breathlessly, passionately, he murmurs against my lips, “My undoing.”
I throw my arms around his neck, forgetting, if only for a moment, what awaits us just beyond the door to my suite.
Until the guard knocks, breaking the spell Will’s words cast over me.
Will hisses through his teeth, his nose brushing mine. He clears his throat, takes a deep breath, and places one final, tender kiss on my forehead.
