MAETHYS POV
I tilted my head back as we walked, eyes tracing the scatter of stars overhead. They felt closer out here—brighter somehow, sharper against the dark. Like they were connected by lines I couldn’t see, threads stretching from one to the next. I wondered if that was how fate worked. Separate points, distant from each other, but bound all the same.
A sudden rustle exploded from the brush to my left.
I yelped, jumping sideways on instinct—and slammed straight into Valik’s chest.
He caught me without a word, hands steadying my shoulders before I could even think to apologize. For half a breath, neither of us moved. My palms rested flat against him, my heart racing far harder than the rabbit deserved. I could feel his warmth through the layers of clothing, solid and unyielding.
T
