“Me? In your bed? You must have been dreaming.”
“Hmm.”
They were touching, skin to skin, as the water rushed over them. Nothing stood between them anymore. No secrets. No curses. There was nothing to stop them…
Rune’s arms came around his neck as she arched against him. His grip on her hips tightened.
“Come with me,” she whispered, running her hands over him.
Gideon smiled against her mouth. “Where would you like to go?”
“Anywhere,” she said, trailing kisses down his throat, nipping gently. “Anywhere other than here. We could sail to the other side of the world. We couldlive, Gideon.”
Ah.
They were right back where they started.
He let his hands drop.
“Rune.”
She must have heard the answer in his tone, because she stepped back, her face falling.
“If we leave, Cressida wins,” he said. “Laila, Harrow, Bart, Antonio… every one of them will die. You’re asking me to abandon them? To abandon myhome?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes pleading. “To be withme.”
He stared at her, feeling torn in half.
Of course he was tempted. A life with Rune? It was wortheverything. Which was precisely why he needed to stay and fight. This was where they both belonged. He wanted to save it—for her, forthem, more than anyone. Anything less, and he would never be the man she deserved.
Gideon would stand beside her, fight beside her,diebeside her. But he wouldn’t run away with her. Running wouldn’t fix anything.
Believe in me,he wanted to say.Trust me to lead us out of this.
“I can’t stay,” she said, defensive. She raised her chin and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t have a choice. You must see that.”
What he saw was the girl he loved, hollowed out by fear.
“This is our home, Rune. Yours, mine. Don’t you think that’s worthy of fighting for?”
Something flickered in her eyes, but whatever it was, she smothered it. “Home is where you’re safe. This island hasn’t been safe for a long time.”
“Then stand with me and fight for a better one.”
She just shook her head sadly and turned, walking to where her clothes lay, pulling them on over her damp body before heading toward Lady.
But Gideon wasn’t about to give up on her. Not yet. Somewhere beneath the fear was the girl he loved. A girl who stared down danger with a smile and a knife. His brave, clever Crimson Moth.
He strode after her, intercepting the path to where her horse grazed.
“I know you’re scared,” he said, walking backward. “I know this is hard. But I need you. Who else can show them the way if not a witch and a witch hunter, fighting side by side?”
He stopped and reached for her arms, bringing her to a stop.
“There is a better world waiting to be born, Rune. A worldthat belongs to all of us. But it will never arrive if we don’t fight for it.”
“And if you’re wrong?” she demanded. “What if everything that’s brokencan’tbe restored?”
