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Rune rubbed his chest over his heart, unable to soothe the ache. He had a mind to tear it out of his chest for a few moments of peace.
He was no stranger to war, torture, even had his flesh carved from his body on occasion. Darkness, he would welcome any of them— All of them to replace the bleeding ache where his heart once was.
Being without his night breeze pained him like nothing else. He’d held a moment of happiness and he’d lost it. Knowing what his life was with her, he could not return to his existence without her.
Sadi brushed his mind before materializing beside him. Rune glanced up at her. Sadi’s resemblance to his queen only amplified Faye’s absence.
“She’s a fool,” Sadi said.
“I am the fool.” Rune’s voice was empty and hollow, echoing his shame. “I was too arrogant. I thought Alister would keep his distance. I should have seen him coming.”
He should have explained his blood debt to Faye and let her decide if she would accept his advances. He thought he would have more time. He’d been desperate to show her the man he would be for her rather than what he had been. The actions and choices that ultimately costed him his family.
“I can collect his head.” Sadi offered, sweetly.
“No,” Saith ordered the same of him once and when he refused, Saith abandoned him.
All my efforts on you will be wasted.
And they were. Rune spent twenty-two centuries becoming a dark weapon for his court. One Saith favored wielding. And Rune never questioned him, desiring his approval above all others.
Until The Creator ordered him to kill his brother, Rune could finally see there was no loyalty in Saith. Family and court meant nothing to him, and Rune would only be favored as long as he was of use.
Exactly as Alister had warned him, all those centuries ago.
“No,” Rune repeated more to himself than Sadi. He monitored his brother. Kept a perimeter around Faye’s home.
He would keep her safe and continue searching for her altar. Serving her in what little capacity she still tolerated.
These things were all he had left of her.
Chapter seventy
Weekspassedintheblink of an eye. Faye lay in a tangle of sheets, bunched and dragged to the far corner of the bed, under the window. She tucked against the wall cocooned in blankets with a pile of crumpled tissues beside her.
Her sister’s voice carried from the living room. “Fuck off. She doesn’t want to see you.” The sizzle of magic followed, and the door slammed.
Faye closed her eyes as the tears fell. She told Sparrow what happened. How terrified she’d been. It took a little more than two weeks for her to calm enough to see Rune didn’t mean the things he’d said.
And that was where her heart warred with her head. Rune hurt the woman his brother loved. Vashien told her the clouded eyes meant her mind was broken. The woman’s vacant stare haunted Faye’s dreams, and Rune was the cause.
What kind of a person was she if she could dismiss what he’d done? She may as well have broken the woman’s mind herself.
Faye’s door cracked open with a light knock. “You can’t hide in here forever,” Sparrow said, hopping onto her bed and wrinkled her nose in disapproval at the pile of crumpled tissues.
Faye tucked deeper in the blankets, wiping them over her swollen eyes. She was so tired of crying.
“Come on. You need to eat something, bitch.” Sparrow said, slapping the blankets. When Faye refused to move, Sparrow yanked on them. “Get. Up. You can return to your moping after you eat.”
Faye held on while Sparrow pulled. Her voice broke as she asked, “Am I a bad person?” She felt ashamed for missing Rune. Every morning she woke up reaching for him and each morning she reminded herself he was a monster.
“What kind of stupid ass question is that?” Sparrow quirked her lip then vanished the pile of tissues before sitting next to her.
“I miss him,” Faye said quietly, wiping away the new tears. “What’s wrong with me? Why do I still want him?”
The image of Rune pinning his brother to the counter burned into her memory along with his gravel filled voice.
I’ll come for her. But I’ll show mercy, I’ll just kill her.
