“And why should I help you?” asked Aurelia, kissing Meadow’s cheek, holding on tight as the child clung to her.
“To make amends for all the deaths you’re responsible for?” suggested Rune.
The sibyl’s eyes flashed.
“And because if you help me, I can get you and Meadow safely off this island.”
She saw Aurelia silently making the calculation. It was too good an offer to refuse, and they both knew it.
“How soon?”
“That depends on you, I suppose. The spell can only be cast from one location, and it will take several hours to ride there.”
“I’m ready when you are,” said Aurelia.
Rune nodded. “Then let’s go.”
But as Aurelia turned for the door, clutching Meadow to her, Gideon stepped in front of it. His attention fixed on the sibyl. “You’re forgetting something.”
Aurelia glared at him. “And what’s that?”
“I promised to deliver your child safely to you. You promised me answers.”
“Don’t you think you’ve tormented me enough?” she said, trying to go around him.
Gideon crossed his arms over his chest, blocking her way. “We had a deal, Aurelia.”
Rune glanced from one to the other.Thiswas why he had helped rescued Meadow? Not because it was the right thing to do, but because he’d been promised something in exchange?
Her mouth soured.
“If you think I owe youanything—”
“What deal?” interrupted Rune.
Gideon glanced at her. That’s all it took—a second’s distraction—for Aurelia to act. The witch drew the missing gun and pressed the barrel under Gideon’s chin.
He froze as she cocked it. Which was when Rune realized he was unarmed. All Aurelia had to do was pull the trigger—and from the look on her face, she would do it with relish.
“I’ll give you one minute to say your goodbyes, Captain.”
With the gun’s barrel still pressed beneath his chin, Gideon held Rune’s gaze, his jaw clenched.
Aurelia’s next move was plain on her face. She was going to shoot Gideon and leave him for dead. It was safest that way. If he was dead, he couldn’t follow them.
Rune agreed with Aurelia’s logic. And if it were any other witch hunter barring the door, she might have done it herself.
But it was Gideon.
Even though he was plotting to betray her, even though he would try to follow them—she knew he would—Rune couldn’t let him die.
He was Alex’s brother.
He’d been tortured and cursed by a cruel witch queen.
More importantly: she loved him, despite a million reasons not to.
So before Aurelia fired, Rune reached for the second gun, still on the table, and aimed it straight at the witch.
