A Court of Stars and Shadow

Chapter 26

I wrapped my hands around the railing, trying not to look down at the merciless drop below me, but instead looking into the heart of Velaris. Every time I look at it during the night, every time, it takes my breath away. The city looked like a large cluster of stars in the night.... the city of starlight.

My hair whipped around my face and neck, surely getting into knots so large that I would regret putting it down in the first place.

I snuck up to the roof top after making sure Emily went to bed. There was something I still had to do before the day could be considered done; before tomorrow began. So I wrapped my arms around myself, conserving whatever warmth was still inside my body that the frigid wind didn't blow away as it traveled through the thin fabric of my night gown. Even the robe didn't keep the chill away.

A doorknob rattled behind me, the sound of the door shutting close behind and then followed by heavy footsteps that stopped a couple feet away from me.

"What's wrong". Cassian's voice was deep, ruffled with emotion and the strain of a long day.

I turned to him, giving Velaris my back and leaning against the railing as I took him in.

"I need you to make me a promise." I said into the space between us.

"So it's me making the promise this time?" he said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I'm serious Cassian" I said, my face deadly stern.

He dropped the smile, walking a step or two closer to me, his own face quickly mirroring my own.

"Promise me, that no matter what happens during this war, that you'll make it out, that you'll live."

His shoulders dropped, a comforting gesture to hopefully calm me.

"Luna, its war, I can't-"

"Promise me" I said to Cassian louder, my voice breaking with emotion as tears began to run down my face.

"I don't fear death Luna, not during war, not anymore." He said, the words coming out smoothly as if it was a secret he had kept saying in his head for so long but finally spoke it.

"I don't care that its war, I don't care that you're a commander or whatever shit you're going to tell me to excuse the fact that your preparing to die in this war. Promise me, your carranam, that you'll make it out. I don't care what you have to do. Live Cassian."

His eyes narrowed to slits as he came closer and grabbed my face with his hands. Gosh his hands were so big they almost covered my whole face. I sometimes forgot that he was bred for killing, his own body a giant killing machine.

"What else did that vision show you Luna." How he figured it out, I don't know, but I didn't really care anyways.

I shook my head side to side as tears continued to fall.

"horrible things Cassian, but it doesn't matter."

I crashed into his chest and wrapped my arms around him, breathing him in. My power purred under my skin at our close connection. He wrapped his arms around me and let me cry into his chest, draping his wings around us for extra comfort. One of his hands drew small circles on my back and the other came up to stroke my hair. He whispered small comforting noises in my ear but made no move to pull me off of him.

"Promise me" I said again, looking up so our faces met.

His eyes were full of sorrow, but he nodded, once.

"I promise"

I brought my hand up between us and gave him my pinky. He just starred at.

"pinky promise" I said with a tiny laugh.

He just continued to stare at me confused.

"my pinky promises" he said slowly.

I laughed a little harder and softly smacked his chest.

"no you dork. You wrap your pinky around mine and we kiss our hands to seal the promise. A pinky promise is the highest of all promises. You can never break them."

He snorted. "and I'm the dork?" he said but continued to wrap his pinky around mine, never mind that it dwarfed my own. I kissed my hand and he followed.

"There, that wasn't so hard was it?"

He snickered and took a casual step back. I hadn't realized exactly how close we were standing. His wings opened slightly enough to let some air through, and my eyes fluttered as the cool wind hit my neck.

"Get some sleep L, tomorrow is a long day" Cassian grumbled. He stepped up and kissed the top of my head before ruffling my hair with his hand. He was too far away before I could hit him, so I just let out a strain of curses that made him chuckle as he reached the door.

"such a filthy mouth" he teased as he opened and stepped through the door. "you really are my carranam" he finished and gently closed the door behind him. And despite the chill which left goosebumps on my arms, something inside me warmed.

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Quick one just to say sorry for making you guys wait so long and to say there will be a good update tomorrow hehehe.

xoxo,

-S