She smiled against his shoulder. “Duty to the Fleet or not, I’m not sure I could’ve mustered up the courage to leave you. I’m glad we’re on the same side.”
“Always,” he promised. He kissed the top of her head before pushing her away gently. He backed toward her door and smiled. “Behave,” he said, pointing a finger at Karl.
Karl saluted. The doors slid closed behind Bruno.
Karl moved to Elsa’s window, watching the star bell. The light played on his face, casting shadow and making him look strangely melancholy.
Elsa came up to stand just behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder and leaning against his back slightly. “It’ll still be there when we’re ready,” she said. “It’ll wait.”
He sighed. “I know. You’re right. One day we’ll see more of what lies beyond it.”
He turned, taking her hand from where it rested on his shoulder. “Like Bruno, I’m really, really glad you’re staying.” His lips quirked in a smile. “Well. Not just like Bruno.” He took a deep breath and dove in. “What I mean is—you’re my star bell.” He added quickly, “Don’t roll your eyes just yet; I know that sounds cheesy, but let me explain.”
Cheesy it certainly was, but Elsa didn’t care. “I’m listening.” A smile hovered on her lips.
He gazed at her hand in his for a moment, gathering his thoughts before meeting her eyes again. “I can always depend on you. You’re reliable, trustworthy, a guide through the darkness. And when this universe is dark and uncertain, you are a light and a hope for many. Especially for me.” He reached out to brush her cheek with gentle fingertips. “I want to be all those things for you.”
Her stomach was steady this time. No nervousness, no panic. Only certainty. “Too late,” she said with a smile. “Already done.” She slid her hand around the nape of his neck and pulled him near for a kiss.
STEPHANIE RICKER is a writer, editor, and tree-climber. She adores the cold and the snow but lives in North Carolina anyway with her incomparable husband. She enjoys reading, archery, hiking, and exploring with friends.
Ricker is the author of The Cendrillon Cycle: The Battle of Castle Nebula, A Cinder’s Tale (published in Five Glass Slippers, an internationally best-selling anthology of Cinderella-themed stories), and The Star Bell. Stephanie’s fiction has also been published in Bull-Spec, a magazine of speculative fiction, and in four consecutive editions of The Lyricist, Campbell University’s annual literary magazine.
Connect with Stephanie online:
· Blog: QuothTheGirl.WordPress.com
· Goodreads: Stephanie Ricker, Author
· Facebook: Stephanie Ricker, Author
· Twitter: @QuothTheGirl
Get ready to explore the universe in The Cendrillon Cycle.
See how Elsa’s story began in The Battle of Castle Nebula, available in paperback and Kindle formats.
Don’t miss Volume II in the ongoing interstellar adventure!
A Cinder’s Tale, the second installment in The Cendrillon Cycle, can be found in the Five Glass Slippers anthology, available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook.
The Star Bell (The Cendrillon Cycle Book 3) Page 24
