Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
The day would be a reprieve, as spring carved out its final breath.
Kjeld ventured out early, before dawn fully broke across the eastern sky, before the crisp air morphed into the heavy press of summer humidity.
Clouds banked across the horizon, blotting out the fractures of sunlight, swallowing them from sight.
For now, the breeze was chilled, melted drops of dew clung to stiff blades of grass, and Kjeld’s breath misted before him.
He trudged through the forest outlying the Moonfall Peaks, glancing skyward every so often through the thick canopy of leaves.
Gray clouds loomed overhead with the promise of rain.
His boots crunched beneath the solid ground, each step taking him closer toward the indigo base of the mountains.
At his back was Kaldflam, his hand-carved axe, the cold iron of the blade threatening to singe his flesh with each step.
When he was human, when he was mortal, his axe was his most prized possession.
It was more than a weapon, it was an extension of himself.
Allowing him to master the art of fluidity in battle.
Yet now, because of his new fae life, the very thing that once saved him could also slowly kill him.
Cold iron was harmful to the fae. Lethal in some instances.
Not so long ago, Kjeld thought such nonsense might simply have been legend, a bit of fae lore or trickery.
But the first time he ran his thumb along the blade’s honed edge, he felt the burn of the iron in his bones.
Its power seemed to siphon his strength, to render him useless.
The unexpected rush of pain sent him to his knees and scarred the inside flesh of his thumb.
He’d been exceptionally careful from that day forward, hating the fact that this was one more sacrifice he never asked to make.
Further into the woods he stalked until he came upon the stretch of land at the base of the Moonfall Peaks where a cabin stood.
With Ariesian’s permission, Kjeld had taken to clearing the area of trees and building a home for himself.
He claimed it was because he wanted to be closer to the dragons, but more than that, he longed to be free of the strangling hold of House Celestine.
Regret prodded at him.
He supposed that was an unfair judgment.
The house itself had not wronged him. No, for the most part, the Starstorms were welcoming.
They treated him like family, like he belonged with them.
Save for the female who consistently made him on edge, who caused his fists to clench and his cock to thicken by merely breathing.
Aye, Caelian frayed every last one of his nerves.
She made him furious and lustful all at once, a troubling combination.
No matter his efforts, it seemed he couldn’t escape her.
She was everywhere. Humming. Whispering.
Existing. It was as though they were bound by thread, like a glimmering strand of her damning starlight somehow wound itself around them both, ensuring one was never far from the other.
Not only did he want his own space where he could free his mind of her, but he needed a place where he could simply be.
Be too large.
Be too strong.
Be too intense.
Be all the things that made him fae, all the things he wasn’t ready to accept.
Kjeld eyed the house he had built with his own two hands.
It was by no means a permanent place to live, but it would work for the time being.
At least until he could return to Brackroth for good.
But the woodworking was smooth and precise, each log was evenly cut and trimmed.
The inside was sparse, but he preferred it that way.
He grabbed the bronze handle and opened the front door, grateful he was able to walk right in without having to duck to avoid smacking his head or angling himself sideways just to fit through a standard door frame.
For the most part, the cabin was one large room.
There was a washroom off the back for easy access to the spring that filtered into a faerie pool behind House Celestine.
Inside was rustic and simple. It was all rich, warm wood with a massive bed in the middle and an arched stone hearth.
Not much else. A deep navy rug scattered with silver stars lined the floor, and the bed was piled with soft, cushiony linens and pillows given to him by Sarelle. All in all, it was the perfect respite.
He placed Kaldflam on the custom shelf by the door and breathed in the scent of freshly cut wood and mountain air.
Stretching out on the plush bed, Kjeld tucked his hands behind his head and gazed up at the wooden beams above him.
He’d often considered coming to stay here at night, but each time he steeled himself to make the trek through the woods, something twinged deep in his chest. A hesitation.
A pause weighted by remorse and shame. For some reason, he could never bring himself to leave.
If he left to stay in the cabin, then he would be too far from Caelian to hear her hushed pleas to the night sky, the steady beating of her heart would be unable to soothe him, and her broken cries would no longer keep him up at night.
Her despair would be unable to slowly chip away at his cold heart in the midnight hour.
A deep, rumbling sigh escaped him.
Kjeld had grown accustomed to not being able to sleep at night because of a certain fae lady’s inner turmoil, and he’d perfected the art of running on but a few hours of rest during the day.
Yet now, with the comfort of the mattress beneath his exhausted body, his eyelids grew heavy as though boulders had been dropped upon them.
His muscles gradually relaxed, and his breathing grew steady and even as he allowed himself to succumb to the temptation of what he hoped would be a dreamless sleep.
Until the sound of delicate footfalls traversing across the quiet forest floor sent his body on full alert. The subtle crunch of grass was accompanied by the whisperings of a decidedly feminine voice.
One his soul recognized.
Kjeld breathed in deeply, his chest filling with the scent of starflower mixed with amber and vanilla.
The scent of her.
At once, his body and mind registered her, and he sat upright, unnerved by the fact that she might discover his cabin and then he would never truly know peace.
Caelian’s gentle murmurings reached his ears—something about needing fresh air—it seemed she was always muttering to herself as of late.
But then her musings were silenced, and he knew the exact moment she spotted the cabin.
He could almost taste the hitch of her breath, like sweetened, delectable wonder.
“Hello?” her fragile voice called out.
Kjeld remained very still, his gaze trained on the door.
If he didn’t make a sound, then maybe she would retreat.
There were only two windows in the cabin, one facing east to watch the sunrise, and the other facing west to watch it sink beyond the woods and mountains.
And he’d hung thick sheets to give himself some semblance of privacy.
Thankfully, they were drawn.
“Is anyone home?”
Home.
Such an interesting way to describe a rather bare and desolate cabin situated at the base of a mountain.
Her heels clicked against the wooden steps of the porch and this time he stood, moving stealthily toward the door and matching each step she took with his own.
He angled himself against the wall and was debating telling her to go away when the door swung open.
Morning sunlight filtered into the space, drowning him in shadows, and he watched in revered silence as she stepped into the room.
Caelian wore her hair down today in loose waves that tumbled around her bare shoulders.
The gown she was wearing looked far less irritating than the one she had on yesterday.
This one was navy blue satin trimmed with lace.
The bodice was covered in jewels, and though it revealed the fair skin of her shoulders, the sleeves were sheer and long, tapering at her wrists.
He’d been wrong to assume she wore heels.
In fact, it looked as though she’d chosen leather boots for walking, and without any sort of extra height, the top of her head barely measured up to his chin.
Doused in the thick darkness behind the open door, he admired the gentle sway of her hips as she approached his bed.
Slender fingers traced the plush comforter, and his heart thudded soundly inside the tightened wall of his chest. Just seeing her standing here, in his space, so close to his bed, sent a carnal rush of desire coursing through him.
But he didn’t want her here.
This was supposed to be his sanctuary.
The one place he could come to escape her.
Annoyance flared and in one swift movement, he slammed the door shut so it rattled on its hinges.
Caelian startled, but before she could scream, he was right behind her.
One arm snared snugly around her waist as he hauled her flush against him, pinning her back to the broad wall of his chest. Then he clamped one hand firmly over her mouth to muffle her screams. She flailed in his hold, desperately trying to break free of him.
It was pathetic, really. Each time she attempted to hit him, it was like being smacked with a feather.
And every time she struggled and squirmed, rubbing her perfectly round ass against him, his cock thickened in spite.
“Do you make it a habit of breaking and entering, my lady?” he asked roughly, bending down so his mouth was poised right near the outer shell of her ear.
She froze.
Her breath was warm against his palm, and her panting caused his blood to pound in his ears.
All the fight bled from her as she stilled, then seemingly melted into him. As though she realized who held her captive. Like she knew she was safe with him.
Something in Kjeld’s chest tightened.
But then he made the terrible mistake of releasing her.
Caelian whirled on him in an instant, silvery waves with their candy-coated highlights whipping through the air.
“What is wrong with you?” she cried, pointing one singular, accusing finger in his direction. “You had no reason to frighten me so.”
Again, she swatted at him.
“You’re the one who walked in unannounced without even knocking.
” He strode forward, forcing her to stumble backward until her knees bumped against the edge of the bed.
“You’re lucky it was me in here and not some ruffian or thug that would love nothing more than to take advantage of an unaccompanied, helpless female. ”
“I am not helpless.” She folded her arms, which did absolutely nothing except give Kjeld an excellent vantage point to admire the swell of her breasts. “I am entirely capable of defending myself.”
He grunted in disbelief, not wanting to delve into how easily he could have broken her. Or harmed her. Nor did he want to consider how readily any other snake of a male might have jumped at the chance.
Kjeld shoved one of his loose braids back from his face, puffing out his chest in annoyance. “Whatever you say, Starweaver.”
He wasn’t sure why he called her that, but he liked the way the irises of her eyes expanded and the pretty stain that colored her cheeks when he said it.
“I don’t weave stars,” she mumbled softly. “I grant wishes upon them.”
He scoffed, rocking back on his heels. “Not anymore you don’t.”
Caelian flinched as though he’d struck her across the face. Her eyes filled, the tip of her nose turned pink, and her bottom lip trembled. A single tear betrayed her, slipping free and sliding down her cheek.
Oh, but fuck that was the wrong thing to say.
“Cae—”
“Don’t you dare speak my name.” She shoved him away from her, or at least attempted to, but he granted her the courtesy of at least pretending to stumble backwards. A sniffle escaped her, and she swiped hastily at her eyes. “You viciously cruel, inconsiderate bastard.”
His jaw locked, he deserved the insult.
She gathered up her skirts and swept past him, tears spilling faster than she could stop them. He hated that he’d been the one to make her cry. Again.
“Forgive me, my lady.” Kjeld’s arm shot out and he snared her by the wrist. “It was wrong of me to—”
Caelian whirled on him in a flurry of satin and lace, the devastating blue of her eyes alight with cold fire. Her gaze narrowed and fury radiated from her as she stared up at him. “Release me at once.”
Ice dripped from her tone, freezing the blood in his veins. So, the starlit fae could be assertive after all.
He let go of her without hesitation. “Apologies.”
She inhaled sharply, then stalked toward the door without a backward glance. Yanking it open, she darted outside, slamming it soundly behind her.
Kjeld stood in the silent aftermath of his own mistake.
He should never have said such a callous, severe thing to her.
Yet for whatever reason, he found it damn near impossible to control himself around Caelian.
Verbally. Mentally. Physically. There was something about her that made him want to rage at the skies while worshiping her like a goddess at the same time.
It was damning, this back and forth of emotions that made him feel like he was being ripped in two directions.
He was too volatile. Too wild and extreme.
One minute, his anger was soothed by her suffering.
And in the next, all he could think about was tasting every inch of her silky skin.
Groaning, he loosed a long exhale and cursed himself for being so ravenous for her. He shifted, adjusting his aching cock in his pants, disguising the obvious reminder of how much he craved her.
With any luck, Caelian was already well on her way back to House Celestine.
Then he would at least be granted a few moments to fuck his hand without interruption, even if it was her face he imagined the entire time.
Lush, pink mouth. Eyes like the night sky.
Full hips and thighs. She was so small in stature compared to him, though, he could easily toss her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
In fact, he bet he could take her up against a wall with no hands, and she might even let him if he could ever get his temper under control.
She wouldn’t let him anywhere near her if he continued to insult her so blatantly.
Kjeld roughed a hand over his trimmed scruff, imagining her pinned to the opposite wall, or maybe even bent over the counter at the sink. He flicked open his belt, then paused, listening for the telltale sign of her footsteps to ensure Caelian was well on her way back to the house.
The gentle crunch of her boots against soft earth and grass was distant, to be sure.
“Fucking gods,” Kjeld muttered and hooked his belt back into place.
She was going the wrong way.