2_-_court_of_mist_and_fury_a_-_sarah_j._maas

I stopped hearing the celebrations around us. “I’m sorry.” It was all I could offer.
“I got through it by reminding myself that my friends were safe; that Velaris was safe.
Nothing else mattered, so long as I had that. She could use my body however she wanted.
I didn’t care.”
“So why aren’t you down there with them?” I asked, even as I tucked the horror of what
had been done to him into my heart.
“They don’t know—what she did to me on Starfall. I don’t want it to ruin their night.”
“I don’t think it would. They’d be happy if you let them shoulder the burden.”
“The same way you rely on others to help with your own troubles?”
We stared at each other, close enough to share breath.
And maybe all those words bottled up in me … Maybe I didn’t need them right now.
My fingers grazed his. Warm and sturdy—patient, as if waiting to see what else I might
do. Maybe it was the wine, but I stroked a finger down his.
And as I turned to him more fully, something blinding and tinkling slammed into my
face.
I reeled back, crying out as I bent over, shielding my face against the light that I could
still see against my shut eyes.
Rhys let out a startled laugh.
A laugh.
And when I realized that my eyes hadn’t been singed out of their sockets, I whirled on
him. “I could have been blinded!” I hissed, shoving him. He took a look at my face and
burst out laughing again. Real laughter, open and delighted and lovely.
I wiped at my face, and when I pulled my hands down, I gaped. Pale green light—like
drops of paint—glowed in flecks on my hand.
Splattered star-spirit. I didn’t know if I should be horrified or amused. Or disgusted.
When I went to rub it off, Rhys caught my hands. “Don’t,” he said, still laughing. “It
looks like your freckles are glowing.”
My nostrils flared, and I went to shove him again, not caring if my new strength
knocked him off the balcony. He could summon wings; he could deal with it.
He sidestepped me, veering toward the balcony rail, but not fast enough to avoid the
careening star that collided with the side of his face.
He leaped back with a curse. I laughed, the sound rasping out of me. Not a chuckle or
snort, but a cackling laugh.
And I laughed again, and again, as he lowered his hands from his eyes.
The entire left side of his face had been hit.