Chapter 28: The Dreaded Decision - How the Stars Fall

The mouth of the cave was shrouded in darkness as Nova approached the entrance. Its dark maw was uninviting. She would be afraid had she not been here once before and knew what lay beyond the black, gaping mouth.

She hesitated, waiting for Ryker to hitch Charlie to a low-hanging branch of a cypress tree. The moon was full above her in the velvet night sky, as if it was already welcoming her home. In a few short moments, her time on Earth would come to an end. Life as she currently knew it would cease to exist.

Trees cloaked under the shadows of night stood tall and proud in the forest surrounding them. Nova took in a deep breath, the scent of nature intoxicating her senses. She’d never smell them again. Soil after rain. Fields of wildflowers. The salty air of the seaside. Farmlands laced with crops and animals.

Him—cypress and vanilla.

She glanced over at Ryker, her eyes lingering on him as he stood only a few feet away. His deep russet gaze rose to meet hers, and for a fleeting moment, the world shrunk around them.

Tears welled in her eyes. Nova didn’t know the amount of times she’d cried on their journey from the inn, across the edges of Emberfell, through Pebble beach and up the Twin Peak mountain range.

She’d lost count.

But each time the salty droplets trailed down her cheeks, Ryker was there to catch them, his thumb brushing them away with a tenderness that soothed her pain. His embrace was steady, yet Nova could feel the tremor beneath it—an unspoken struggle as all the while he battled his own emotions. She could see it in his eyes, those vibrant brown orbs that had once held warmth and life. His gaze was distant, forlorn, and it broke her heart knowing that he was hurting just as much, if not more.

His heart had been shattered once before.

She knew it now, saw the cracks in the way he looked at her, as if she were both his salvation and the threat of his undoing. Could she do that to him? Could she be the one to break him all over again? The thought pierced through her chest, a sharp ache. She had come into his life, a star falling from the heavens, but stars didn’t belong on Earth. They burned bright and disappear, leaving only darkness in their wake.

Ryker moved to her side and took her hand in his. “Are you ready?”

The inside of her cheek hurt where she bit it, fighting back the waves of emotion. Nova nodded, though her actions were a lie.

She wasn’t ready—and probably never would be, but this was the right thing to do . . . for both of them.

She stepped into the cave with Ryker by her side, the familiar chill wrapping around them as they moved deeper into the darkness. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone, and the only sounds were the soft echoes of their footsteps on the uneven ground. Her heart felt heavy, each step an effort as the weight of what lay ahead pressed down on her chest.

She stole a glance at Ryker. His face was unreadable, but the tension in his jaw and the way his hands clenched at his sides told her everything. He was hurting, too. The silence between them was thick, not with anger or frustration, but with a shared sorrow neither of them could put into words.

Nova’s fingers brushed the cold, rocky wall of the tunnel as they headed towards the pool of reflections. Last time she was here, she found pleasure with the man beside her. He’d shown her things with his hands, his body, his mouth that she’d only ever dreamt of feeling.

As they rounded the corner, her breath caught in her throat. She’d seen it once before, but seeing it again was still enchanting. The roof was scattered with millions of blue speckles that mimicked the galaxy above.

They came to the edge of the pool and stopped, their footsteps falling into a stillness that matched the quiet all around them. The water stretched before them like a sheet of glass, flawless and eerily perfect, reflecting the glittering ceiling. Not a single ripple disturbed the surface, as though time itself had stopped.

Nova turned to face Ryker as his gaze found hers. Their hands were still entwined, neither one ready to let go. “I don’t think I can do this,” Nova whispered.

He smiled softly, lifting a hand and cupping the side of her face. Nova leaned into its warmth, lingering for as long as she could. It wouldn’t be long before she’d never feel his warmth again. She’d only have memories. She was afraid memories would never be enough.

Ryker brushed the single tear that stole its way down her cheek. “What can’t you do?”

“Go home.”

“Do you still want to?”

Nova buried her head in Ryker’s chest, breathing him in. “No, but it’s what I have to do.”

Ryker placed a hand gently under her chin and lifted her face to meet his. Russet eyes—flecked with gold—held her. His gaze lingering as he mapped all of her features, committing her to memory. “If you stayed, I would protect you with my life,” he whispered.

Nova shook her head lightly as fresh tears found their grave upon the hardened surface of the cave. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

“I know. And I know you’ll always be in danger here. That’s what I’m afraid of.”

It was true. Nova could see it in his eyes. He’d protect her and she would love him for it. There was no doubt in her mind. But she’d already asked so much of him, and she couldn’t bear to see him hurt again—because of her.

She needed to go home.

Russet eyes met her sea-green ones again. “Promise me,” she whispered. “Promise me you will look for me in the stars.” A sob caught in her throat. “I will find you somehow.”

Ryker cupped her face and brought his lips to hers in a whirlwind of passion. His mouth claimed her in ways that were only meant for him. Nova’s arms instinctively wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, as if being apart from him for even a second was too much to bear. His warmth enveloped her, grounding her in the moment, despite the tempest of emotions swirling inside her. His hands slid down to her waist, gripping her firmly but with a tenderness that made her melt into him.

They stood there at the edge of the pool, their bodies pressed together, the cool cavern air contrasting the heat between them. The soft, ethereal glow of the cave’s blue and green hues bathed them in light, casting their reflections in the still water below.

Ryker gently broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers. “I promise to always look for you. Whenever the moon shines, I will think of you and remember the light you brought into my life.”

Sobs wracked Nova’s body. The pain was unbearable. To never see his face again was pure agony. To never feel his skin or taste his mouth. To never make love to him again—all of it was agony.

Nova stepped from his embrace, her leather boots he’d bought her all that time ago sinking beneath the water’s surface. The water babbled against her legs, triggering the glassy appearance to ripple out into rings.

She needed to go before she couldn’t. Before her legs no longer moved and her feet cemented on the spot. Nova locked her eyes on Ryker. Just one more moment, so she didn’t forget.

Ryker grasped her hand, stalling her, his eyes saying a thousand words. “Nova . . .” His voice was hoarse with emotion.

This must be what it feels like to love.

A gentle smile spread across her lips. All she had ever wanted was to love and be loved in return. To share her heart with someone, to weave her soul into another’s. And she had done that. She had lived her wish—with Ryker.

Gone was the cold-eyed, gruff stranger. Here was warmth, safety, and a heart laid bare for the taking. She couldn’t ask him to give away the last of him. It was cruel, but selfishly she wanted to take that warm, beating heart in her hands and place it in her chest, right next to hers.

Nova cupped the side of Ryker’s face. “I love you,” she whispered.

Ryker’s brow knitted. “You love me?” A tear ran down the face of her kind, brave hunter.

Nova brushed it with her thumb. “I do.”

Ryker’s hand found the back of her neck as he pulled her in for a tender kiss. One that she would carry with her for eternity in a locket around her heart.

He pulled back, his eyes searching hers. “I think I’ve known this for a while, but I was a coward and didn’t say it sooner.” Tears gathered in his eyes. “I love you, Nova. And I’m so sorry it’s taken until this moment for me to say it.”

Nova beamed at him. He loved her. Ryker loved her.

His words sank into her heart, nestling between its human folds. She’d wanted to find a great love here in this part of the world, and she had. Ryker was her great love and hearing that he loved her was all she needed. She could go home now. Before the goodbye became even more unbearable—-if that was even possible.

With one last kiss to his lips, Nova stepped back. Further into the pool. She took one last look into the russet eyes that would forever be etched into her memory and bravely smiled at Ryker. “Thank you for loving me,” she whispered.

The water swirled around her knees, then her thighs. She stood in the middle of the water, beneath the cluster of star specks on the cave ceiling.

Nova’s gaze locked onto Ryker’s. “Go live your life. Promise me you’ll find happiness . . . I’ll be watching over you.”

Ryker nodded, tears brimming in his eyes. “Don’t forget me.”

Tears from Nova’s cheeks mingled with the water surrounding her. “I couldn’t if I tried Ryker Thornbrooke.”

He ran his hands through his inky waves, pain etched across his face.

“Veliar silea mynaris.” Nova whispered.

The viridian hues seemed to pulse with each breath she took, growing brighter, as if calling her home. She could feel it, the pull from Ara, the celestial realm beckoning her.

“I’ll always love you,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the soft hum of the cave.

The glow around Nova intensified, her skin shimmering like the stars she had come from. Slowly, she began to dissolve into the air; her form becoming ethereal, turning into light. The warmth of her body faded as she became less tangible, the edges of her silhouette blending into the air like mist.

Ryker took a step forward into the water. “I will always love you, my little star,” he cried out.

Nova reached for him as her body became nothing but glittering particles.

The last thing her fading vision captured was Ryker collapsing to his knees by the edge of the pool, tears carving paths down his sun-kissed face. His eyes, filled with sorrow, locked onto hers as he reached out, desperate to hold on to something that was already gone.

Then everything went dark.