Page 90 of Death Will Follow

Nova nodded once more before turning away from Callan and crossing to the window. The night was clear beyond the glass, the sky an endless black sea speckled with stars. She joined her hands in front of her, her grip whitening her knuckles.

The moment had arrived. One she’d secretly feared perhaps more than facing her father. More than facing her own death. While they’d been traveling the Realm in search of the sword, she’d been plagued with worry over whether she’d be able to save his parents. Now, she feared Callan’s duty, to them and to Nivali, would take him from her.

No stranger to how the world worked, she’d sought to enjoy her time with him while it lasted. To banish her fears for the future from her mind and simply bask in the warm glow of his love. To memorize the feeling of his hands—his lips—on her skin. How safe she felt in his arms, or with the weight of him on top of her.

For centuries, Callan had blown about the Realm on a breeze. For a time, longer than she believed she deserved, she’d kept him tethered to her. A kite caught in the branches of a tree. But she couldn’t keep him any longer.

The disappearance of his parents had defined his life. He was so young when they were taken. She could hardly blame him if he wished to pick up where he left off. To return to Nivali and become the Noble Lord his parents always expected him to be.

Callan sidled up behind her, wrapped an arm around her ribs, and drew her tightly against him. Nova leaned into his solidness, tipping her head back as he kissed her temple.

“What troubles you, Starlight?” Hooking a finger under her chin, he turned her face toward his.

Slowly, Nova shifted her body to face him, their chests pressed together with her hands resting on his shoulders. She couldn’t meet his eye, focusing instead on the hollow at the base of his throat. For a brief moment she was silent, struggling to condense the breadth of her emotions into a simple explanation.

“I fear this is a goodbye,” she said finally. Closing her eyes, she forged on. “I fear you may not return to me. It is your right. I would never fault you for choosing to remain with your family. To return to the home that was taken from you—”

Callan gripped her waist, the warmth of his hands seeping through the bodice of her gown, and she opened her eyes but kept them downcast.

“Nivali is where I come from, but it has never been my home. When I was young, I was desperate to roam. After my parents were taken, it was too painful to return. But I have always been adrift—seeking something I could never name. Then, one day, whether by chance or fate, I was charged with traveling to the Human Realm to collect the long-lost daughter of a stranger.”

Callan paused, and Nova, at last, tilted her head to meet his gaze, his dark eyes shining, gold flecks glinting like sunlight through leaves.

“I haven’t been the same since. From the moment I first glimpsed you in the Wood, I knew I had to hear your voice. Had to touch you. Once I touched you, it was over for me, though I didn’t understand why at the time. Even when everyone around me—when my own eyes—told me you were gone.” He shook his head. “Even then, I wouldn’t—I couldn’t—leave you.”

He brought his hands to her face, brushing his thumbs over her cheeks. Nova leaned back against the wall and pulled him against her by his tunic. Desperation flooded her veins, desire overwhelming her senses. For so much of her life, she’d felt unlovable. Abandoned. Cast aside. His devotion intoxicated her.

Callan growled low in his throat, no doubt sensing her arousal. His left hand went to her nape, fingers tangling in her hair as he pushed his hips against hers and pinned her to the wall.

She could think of nothing but her want. The warmth pooling low in her belly. The wetness slicking her sex in anticipation of being claimed by him. Nova surrendered to it, a soft moan escaping her lips.

Releasing his grip on her, Callan pulled away abruptly, as if the sound had awoken him from a trance.

“Forgive me, love.” Breathing heavily, he held his hands out, palms hovering in the narrow space between them.

“What have you done that needs forgiving?” she panted.

His gaze flicked to her chest. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

Nova shoved him hard with both hands. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Treat me like a bird with a broken wing.”

“I didn’t—” Callan bowed his head then nodded once. “I’m sorry, Starlight. I can’t banish the vision from my mind.” He laid a hand lightly over her heart, and a crease formed between his brows.

“I died,” Nova snapped. “But I refuse to live the rest of my days as though I’m already dead.”

Nova placed her hand over his and tugged it lower until he cupped the swell of her breast. Her heartbeat pounded through her bodice. She brought her mouth to his, speaking softly against his lips.

“I need you, Callan. I need to feel alive.”

Callan pressed his body against hers once more, kneading her breast as he brought their foreheads together. Nova dragged her hand down the front of his tunic to the hard ridge of his cock and gripped him through his breeches. As she rubbed her palm along the length of him, she murmured in his ear.

“I won’t break. I promise.”

Callan pulled back, wild eyes roaming over her face, her pulse thumping at her throat. Taking her chin with one hand, he shoved her back against the wall and claimed her mouth with a bruising kiss. She matched his intensity, grabbing his shoulders and pulling him close, their mouths joining in a desperate clash of teeth and tongues.