Stars Dancing [Dreams-To-Lovers Romance]

RYST

"Dance Among The Stars"

I saw you dance,

a dance among the stars.

Or was it far,

Far beyond all stars?

I saw starlight

Beyond all stars.

And all things.

All that could be

out among the stars.

There was moonlight in your hair,

And firelight in your eyes.

I saw teardrops on your lips.

And stars at fingertips.

I saw you dance,

a dance among the stars.

Or was it far,

Far beyond all stars?

All things that could be

out among the stars

We danced among the stars.

I saw you dance,

a dance among the stars.

- Ren Crieve, 2728

Play "Dance Among The Stars" by Ren Crieve.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Okay," had been the only word I'd said at Peydran's dining table. "Okay" was all it had taken for something big to come cascading down on me. And the pressure had not waned, not one single bit. I couldn't discern what it was or what it was about.

It was worse than the time I'd been climbing the walls and had gone to Peydran's apartment in Media only to find out that what we needed to do was start a whole new oasis across the desert. This time it was even more insistent. Pounding at me, hounding me, but I had no idea what it was about.

"Something is coming. Something is coming. Something is coming," it seemed to beat at me like a gong.

I'd spent the rest of the day and all night doing anything and everything I could to try and figure out what I needed to do first: I tried journaling. I tried Tindin. I tried Jendo. I tried Jendo and Tindin together. I cleaned every inch of my house and tended every plant in the garden.

Now I was trying to sleep or at least relax enough to attempt to reach my Ahtah. Slow, deep, inhale. Slow, deep, exhale. My pad buzzed the familiar tone of Peydran's video.

I sat up in bed, and hovered my pad in front of me, accepting the video. My eyes widened when I saw a beautiful, beautiful half naked—well, I couldn't see his bottom half, so I wasn't sure— man. No, smmmmokin'! A smoking hot naked man in Peydran's arms.

All thoughts of rest evaporated, and I broke into a mock surprised— was it mock?— accusation: "Peydran Madrano, is that a naked man in your bed?!" My voice came out higher and squeakier than I'd intended. He just grinned at me.

Said naked man replied, "Sunshine, Dr. Nova. Peydran kidnapped me to his lair and made me his love slave."

Peydran barked out a laugh, and it was so rich, and full, and deep, and wonderful!

I was laughing too when I replied, "Call me Ryst, love slave. Or should I call you something else?"

"It's Ren Crieve, Ryst. I'm so excited to meet you."

Then the smile left my face as it contorted into genuine shock this time. I squealed out, "Ren Crieve?! Ren Crieve! Your music is amazing!"

Tears welled in my eyes. "I listen to 'Dance Among The Stars' on repeat, Ren. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard."

He smiled at me broadly and said dreamily, "I must've been thinking of you when I wrote it." And he said it as a fact. As though writing a song for me, five years ago, before I'd set foot on Shurwinn stone, was just a normal thing to do.

Something warm rose up within me. My face shifted again. It kept cycling through emotions and shifting and changing every few seconds in this surreal conversation. For I felt like, for the first time in four years, there was someone else who might be like me. I had found myself a Sybilline Sister after all. No— Peydran— Peydran had found a Sibylline Sister. I schooled my features and turned my attention to Peydran.

"So, brother, why exactly are you calling me before dawn with a naked Ren Crieve in your arms?"

He went from kissing Ren's bare shoulder in adoration to looking at me with his serious face. "Ryst, I want to tell Ren all about me. And there are things that aren't fully mine to tell—"

I cut him off with a wave of my hand, "Tell him everything, Peydran. There's nothing I'll keep from Ren. All my secrets you can lay out before him. All of them. Ren is family now, so there's nothing to hide." I could see the relief in Peydran's face, and the curious, speculative look in Ren's. And I just looked at the two of them. They glowed with contentment. Belonging.

Peydran wasn't alone anymore.

I was happy. Overjoyed. But I was tired, and I was alone in my bed. I pinched my lips and swallowed the emotion. Peydran nodded, "I'm going to tell him everything Ryst. And this isn't over. It's not over, and you're not going to be alone forever."

Ren's head jerked when he said it, and he looked at Peydran intently, then looked off away from the camera, then looked back at me with his brows furrowed. He moved closer to the video, almost so his face filled my entire screen. He studied me for long moments, then looked away like he was hearing something— as if someone was calling his name from the next room. Then he shook his head, like he was shaking something off, and a soft smile returned to his face.

"That song isn't quite ready yet," he said. And Peydran kissed his cheek, and my screen went dark.