The drizzling rain outside continued to pitter-patter against glass and stone. Its chill seeped through the open archway of the covered bridge, pooling at their feet. The echoes in the hallway were nothing more than the caressing bliss of quiet comfort.
Through the tears, through the silence, the world moved on, heedless of them. Unmoved by their struggles. Sullivan could feel the faint ticking of his wristwatch, a whisper of time pressing ever forward.
A constant reminder of the endless march.
He didn’t want to take this from her, but if anyone else saw her like this, he knew—this fragile ember might snuff out before it had the chance to burn.
He brushed away a tear and asked, “Aleiya, will you come back to my room with me?”
It was an innocent question. It was honestly the only safe place for her to be right now. Away from the riff-raff, the prying eyes, the rumor mill, the danger. What she needed, right now, was stability, and he was the only shore for miles.
She nodded—quick, certain. She didn’t have to think about it; she simply didn’t have the strength to be apart from him. Not now. Not yet.
“Did you understand what I asked you?” He needed to be sure—not only that she’d heard him, but that she understood. “That I’m not asking for anything more than your presence.”
No pressure. No presumption. Certainly not intimacy. Only safety.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
She nodded again.
She pulled just enough away to wipe away a tear, trying to dry her eyes with the heel of her hand. She craned her neck, meeting his gaze directly.
Her pupil-less eyes shimmered like polished pearls—so clear, so depthless, he felt himself slipping, willingly lost in their deceptive shallows.
He cupped her face in his hands to help her wipe the tears away. One gloved hand, one ungloved.
“And you are sure?”
Another nod.
He searched her face, trying to gauge whether or not this was her agreeing or if this was compliance.
He decided it was indeed the former.
“All right,” he said softly. “Can you walk?”
She immediately shook her head—emphatic, final. Aleiya absolutely did not want to walk.
“But you’re standing just fine?” For once he was confused. What happened? What changed?
She stared at him—wide-eyed.
Caught.
One heartbeat.
Then two.
Then, ever so slowly, she turned away, pressing her lips together, suppressing a genuine smile. She hoped not to clue him into the fact that she was perfectly capable of walking.
That tiny glint of mischief—the very same his kin tormented him with—was unmistakable. This was Aleiya being Aleiya.
His lips twitched, a scoff rising before he could stop it—a smile strong enough to need hiding behind his hand. He took a moment to assess her again.
She glanced at him, then away.
“Do—do you just not want to walk?” he asked in pure disbelief.
She shook her head no. Firm. Final.
Aleiya will not walk.
He expected to be annoyed, downright bothered, but a small laugh escaped him instead—despite himself. But nothing could have shocked him more than his own compliance.
He bent down, lifted her carefully into his arms, and cradled her close, leaving the discarded glove and lily behind—old offerings for a gentler truth.
Aleiya could hardly believe it. He actually did what she wanted to do. And they continued on like it was perfectly fine to do so. She couldn’t remember the last time she had ever held anyone—nor when she was held as gently as a wanted treasure.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. His woody musk curled around her, warm and steady, luring her in—deeper and deeper—until she melted into his shoulder. She drifted off. Quiet. Unassuming.
For once, she lowered her guard, and sank into something that felt dangerously close to safety.
Arc 1 Complete
Arc 2 Underway
I want to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone who made it this far. I genuinely can’t believe how many of you stayed with me through the entirety of Arc 1, and I don’t have words big enough to express how much that means. Knowing you cared enough about these characters to see them through this arc is everything to me.
And don’t worry—this is only the beginning.
Arc 2 will begin this Sunday as usual, but with a small twist. I managed to get ahead of my editing schedule over winter break, so as a thank-you, I’ll be doing a double upload for the first 4 chapters of Arc 2. You can expect a Sunday drop and a Wednesday drop, both at 11 a.m. EST to get the ball rolling!
Drowned in Starlight within a genre of fiction I like to call Romantasy Ruin.
Maybe the name sticks, maybe it doesn’t. Either way, I’m so glad you’re here.
With all my love,
L. Star
of Stars and Monsters
So I gotta know. Who’s your favorite so far?
