Heir to a Fallen Star

Chapter 17

"Perfect timing," Kaelen murmurs, stepping up close behind you to take the plates. He leans down, his lips brushing the side of your neck right above your braid, his breath warm against your skin. "Smells incredible, Red. Eat up—once we get past the tree line, it's going to be a long, cold ride."

I look at him, rather bashful "Sorry for the peep show… I wasn’t being incredibly respectful." I say between mouthfuls of bread

Kaelen stops mid-bite, a piece of steaming molasses bread hovering just an inch from his mouth. He stares at you for a beat, completely caught off guard by your sudden wave of bashfulness, before a rich, low laugh breaks from his chest.

He sets the bread down on his plate and leans his forearms on the wooden counter, shifting closer so his moss-green eyes are level with yours. The teasing arrogance from earlier completely melts away, replaced by a warm, incredibly wicked glint.

"Iris," he murmurs, his voice dropping into that deep, velvety morning register. "If you think I'm upset about you looking at me, you've vastly misunderstood the situation."

He reaches out, his thumb gently catching a stray crumb from the corner of your lip before tracing the soft line of your jaw.

"You can 'peep' whenever you want, Red. In fact, consider it a standing invitation," he says, a slow, utterly captivated smile spreading across his face. "After everything we've been through, respect is the last thing I'm worried about between us. Besides... I kind of liked the effect I had on you."

He leans in, pressing a quick, sweet kiss to the tip of your nose before pulling back to pick his bread up again. "Now finish your breakfast, you menace. The horses are fed, but we have a long road ahead of us."

"If that’s the case Mr, I’m considering leaving the bread and horses and abandoning the trip for another day in bed" I say completely nonchalant, looking up for his reaction

Kaelen freezes entirely. He doesn't just stop chewing; his entire body locks up, his hand hovering over his mug of tea. For a second, the only sound in the kitchen is the crackle of the hearth fire.

He slowly lowers his mug, his moss-green eyes widening as he processes your completely nonchalant delivery. The utter confidence in your tone catches him so off-guard that a dark, intense flush rises instantly from the collar of his shirt, flooding his cheeks and creeping all the way up to the tips of his ears.

"You—" Kaelen clears his throat, his voice cracking slightly before dropping into a strained, incredibly rough register. "You can't just say things like that while chewing molasses bread, Iris."

He stares at you, his chest rising and falling heavily as he battles against the sheer temptation of your words. His gaze flickers toward the stairs, then back to you, a war raging behind his eyes. He lets out a ragged, defeated laugh, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Gods above, you're going to drive me insane," he murmurs, pulling his hand away to look at you with a mix of absolute desperation and fierce affection. "Don't tempt me. If I take off these boots right now, we aren't leaving this valley until next week. And as much as I want to carry you right back up those steps... I know how badly you need these answers."

He leans across the counter, gripping the edge of the wood as he brings his face inches from yours, his eyes burning with a promise.

"Eat. Your. Bread," he orders softly, though there's a dangerous, breathless edge to his command. "Because if you keep looking at me like that, the horses are going to have a very long wait."

I pout, and look down at my bread picking slowly "Fine, we will have it your way. So responsible you are Mr pointy, I guess I’ll just sit here, eating my bread, waiting for a long two-day ride in the cold, on separate horses."

Kaelen lets out a sound that is half-groan, half-laugh, completely undone by the exaggeration of your pout. He watches you pick at the bread like it’s the most tragic meal ever served, his moss-green eyes tracking your fingers before snapping back up to your face.

"Separate horses?" he repeats, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous rumble that vibrates with intent.

Before you can even look up to gauge his reaction, Kaelen moves. He bypasses the counter entirely, closing the distance between you in two long, deliberate strides. He doesn't give you a choice; his large hands find your waist, lifting you effortlessly right off your chair and pulling you flush against his chest.

"First of all," he murmurs, his breath hot against your lips as he stares down at you with a fiercely possessive warmth, "if you think I'm letting you ride a separate horse for two whole days after that little display, you're entirely mistaken. You’re riding with me, Red. Right up against my chest where I can keep you warm."

He squeezes your waist gently, his thumbs tracing the line of your hips through your thick traveling tunic. The wicked, rogue smirk finally returns to his face, though his eyes are burning with a very real promise.

"And second... don't confuse responsibility for a lack of desire. I want nothing more than to carry you back up those stairs and forget the rest of the world exists." He leans down, his lips brushing yours in a slow, torturously deep kiss that leaves you breathless, tasting faintly of sweet molasses and spice.

When he pulls back, his forehead rests against yours, his breathing a little shallow. "But we are going to find your cousin. We are going to get your answers. And the very second we find a safe place to stop on that mountain..." He gives you a knowing, heavy look. "...I am holding you to that rain check. Deal?"

I nod in agreement but scrunch my face for a second "As much as I’d love to ride with you I don’t think it’s fair on the horse to carry both bodies up that mountain, it will be faster if we ride separate."

The fierce, triumphant grin on Kaelen’s face falters, his expression instantly shifting into a comically disappointed frown as your practical, apothecary logic brings him crashing back to reality. He stares at you, his hands still resting on your waist, trying to find a loophole in your argument.

"I hate it when you're sensible," he grumbles, though the fondness in his voice completely betrays him. He lets out a defeated sigh, leaning his forehead back down against yours. "You're right. Going up the steep ridge of the pass... a double load would slow us down too much. The poor beast would be dead on its feet before we even hit the tree line."

He slowly lowers you back down until your boots touch the cold floorboards, though he doesn't let go of your waist right away. He looks down at you, his moss-green eyes narrowing in a playful, suspicious squint.

"But don't think you're completely escaping me, Red. The moment the trail levels out on the plateau, or the second we set up camp for the night, I'm pulling you into my bedroll. Clear?"

He gives your hips one final, affectionate squeeze before stepping back and picking up his half-eaten bread. "Now, wrap up whatever is left of that loaf for the road. If I'm riding my own horse like a boring, responsible adult, I'm going to need the extra fuel."

The crisp morning air bites at your cheeks as you step out of the safehouse cottage and into the yard, carrying the last of your packed provisions. Together, you and Kaelen efficiently strap the supply bundles, bedrolls, and food sacks to the horses' saddles, securing them tightly for the steep climb ahead.

You turn to your mount—a beautiful beige mare with a thick, flowing white mane. As the early morning sun begins to break over the horizon, its golden rays bake down on her coat, catching the warm, honeyed undertones of her fur. It matches the distinct golden hue of your own hair perfectly.

Smiling softly, you walk to the front of the mare, cupping her velvet muzzle in your hands. "My beautiful Marigold," you murmur, pressing a gentle, reassuring kiss right to her nose. She lets out a soft, warm huff against your palm, stamping a hoof in greeting.

You look up from Marigold to take in Kaelen’s horse. The contrast is striking. He rides a massive, jet-black stallion that looks like pure, coiled muscle. With broad shoulders and a powerful frame, the beast looks like he could run through a thousand sandstorms without ever losing his wind—a perfect, rugged match for a rogue who spent his life surviving the harshest corners of the world.

"Don't let him intimidate you," Kaelen says with a chuckle, throwing his leg over his saddle with effortless grace. "He's a menace, but he knows who’s in charge."

"I know the feeling," you tease, casting a pointed glance up at him.

Gathering Marigold's reins, you place your boot in the stirrup and swing yourself smoothly up into the saddle, settling into the leather. The horse shifts under you, eager to move. Kaelen clicks his tongue, guiding his stallion to the front, and with a gentle nudge of your heels, Marigold follows.

Side by side, you leave the safety of the hidden cottage behind, riding out into the open valley as the golden morning light guides you toward the dark, imposing silhouette of the mountain tree line.

The transition from the sheltered valley to the open space is breath-taking. Between the edge of the forest and the looming base of the mountain lies a vast, rolling green field stretching out as far as the eye can see, completely untouched.

You feel the sudden, electric spark of adrenaline hit your chest. You lean forward against her neck, gripping the reins loosely. "Ready to have a run, girl?"

Marigold lets out a sharp, enthusiastic huff in approval, her ears pinning back in pure anticipation. Before Kaelen can even realize what, you're doing, you dig your heels in.

Marigold bolts.

The acceleration is instant and powerful. Behind you, the sudden, frantic shout of Kaelen echoing across the plain gets swallowed up by the wind: "Iris! Wait, what are you—!"

But you aren't listening. Marigold throws herself into a full, thundering gallop, her hooves pounding a rhythmic, powerful beat against the earth. She is running out of pure, unadulterated enjoyment, her golden coat shimmering in the morning sun.

The wind whips fiercely against your face, pulling at your braid and stealing your breath away. In a moment of pure, reckless euphoria, you let go of the reins entirely. You extend your arms out wide at your sides like wings, locking your thighs tight against the saddle to hold yourself secure.

You feel like you're flying. The heavy weight of the syndicate, the terrifying memory of the drainage tunnels, and the suffocating anxiety of your forgotten past are completely washed away by the sheer velocity. You are so incredibly free. So exhilarated.

A loud, joyful cheer rips from your chest, ringing out across the empty field as a brilliant, breathless laugh erupts from you. For the first time in what feels like an eternity, your soul feels completely light.

Marigold carries you all the way to the jagged base of the mountain where the incline finally forces her to slow down. She transitions from a gallop to a trot, and finally to a gentle halt, her chest heaving as she immediately lowers her head to happily munch on a patch of sweet mountain grass.

You collapse forward against her neck, your fingers tangling in her white mane, laughing hysterically as you try to catch your breath, your heart hammering with absolute joy.

The heavy, thunderous rhythm of pounding hooves shakes the earth just moments later. The jet-black stallion skids to a sharp halt right beside Marigold, kicking up a small cloud of dirt and grass.

Kaelen sits tall in his saddle, his chest heaving slightly, staring down at you with his eyebrows raised so high they nearly disappear into his messy dark hair. He looks entirely breathless—not from the ride, but from pure, unadulterated panic.

"Are you completely insane, Red?" he demands, though the fierce lecture he's trying to give is entirely ruined by the breathless, bewildered laugh hidden in his voice. He swings his leg over the saddle and drops to the ground, abandoning his reins to march over to you. "You let go of the reins! I saw you! You were riding with no hands across a rocky plain!"

You just look down at him from Marigold's back, your face flushed bright pink from the wind, a massive, unbothered grin stretching across your lips.

Kaelen reaches up, his large hands grabbing your waist to lift you firmly down from the saddle. The moment your boots hit the grass, he doesn't let go. He pulls you tight against his chest, burying his face in your shoulder for a brief, terrifying second just to reassure himself that you're entirely in one piece.

When he pulls back, his moss-green eyes are blazing with a mixture of residual terror and absolute, helpless adoration.

"Gods above, my heart nearly stopped," he murmurs, his hands sliding up to cup your face, his thumbs wiping away a tear of laughter from your eye. He looks at your brilliant smile, the fierce spark of life back in your expression, and a slow, shaking grin finally breaks across his own face.

"You're a menace," he whispers affectionately, leaning down to press his forehead against yours. "A beautiful, reckless menace. Don't ever do that to me again without warning... but by the gods, you looked incredible flying across that field."

"It was incredible!" you exclaim, your voice bursting with a leftover rush of adrenaline. You turn your head to beam at your mare, who is completely unbothered, happily chewing a mouthful of clover. "She is incredible, Kaelen! I could do that a thousand times over. I was flying!"

Kaelen just shakes his head, a helpless, utterly captivated smile pinned to his face as he watches the pure, unfiltered joy radiating from you. "Yeah, yeah. You were a regular Valkyrie, Red," he murmurs, his hands lingering on your waist for just a second longer before he reluctantly lets go, stepping back to give you some room.

The laughter eventually settles, the wind rustling through the low brush at the mountain's base as reality gently reclaims the air. You take a deep breath, steadying your racing heart, and turn your gaze upward.

The jagged, imposing peaks loom over you, the dense pine trees clinging desperately to the rocky slopes. The path ahead looks steep, narrow, and entirely unforgiving.

"Right," you say, your tone shifting from reckless excitement to focused determination as you look at the daunting climb. "So, how are we going to do this?"

Kaelen’s expression hardens into something more tactical, his roguish charm taking a backseat to the sharp, calculating survivalist who knows these wilds. He walks over to his stallion, checking the girth of the saddle before looking up at the ridge.

"We follow the low timberline for the first few miles," he says, pointing toward a faint, rocky deer trail that weaves into the trees. "It’ll keep us out of sight from the main valley roads in case Lance’s scout parties are sniffing around. Once we hit the frozen creek bed, the terrain gets steep. We'll have to dismount and lead the horses by hand through the loose shale to avoid them breaking a leg."

He turns back to you, his moss-green eyes serious but deeply reassuring. "It’s going to be gruelling, and the temperature is going to drop fast once we lose the sun behind the peaks. We need to make the high plateau before twilight if we want to find a cave or a rock shelf to camp under. Ready, partner?"

With a sharp nod, you take Marigold's reins back into your hands, the lingering warmth of your wild run settling into a steady, focused energy. You check her girth one last time and swing yourself smoothly back into the saddle, adjusting your heavy wool cloak against the rising mountain breeze.

"Let's go," you say, your voice ringing clear and steady against the looming quiet of the peaks.

Kaelen gives you a sharp, appreciative look—the kind that says he completely trusts you to handle whatever this mountain throws at you. He mounts his heavy black stallion with practiced, rugged grace, guiding the powerful beast to the front to take the lead.