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She recognized it now. How high pitched Sangton’s voice was. How whiny. How she ever had found him handsome was beyond her. Insanity. She must have had a stretch of unaccountable madness to ever find him attractive.
A crowd of people jostled around the two men, blocking them from her sight. There. In the middle. The top of Rune’s head.
She ran, her slippers crunching into the gravel pathway toward the garden that lined that side of the castle. Not fast enough. Mud on her legs, slowing her steps.
And then a sudden hush, words cutting into the silence that stopped her feet.
“Tomorrow. Daybreak,” Sangton screeched.
“Name the place.” Anger was no longer in Rune’s voice. Only death. Cold, calculating death.
Frozen at the side of the castle, all blood drained from her head, from her body.
“Poppy field.” Sangton said the words with an arrogance that only he could muster, a show for all those around them.
Elle tilted, falling, until her shoulder hit the stones of the castle and propped her up.
Two men started to drag Sangton through the crowd and away from Rune. They disappeared up the stairs to the castle and in through the doors that led into the ballroom. The crowd in a tizzy, their tongues wagging, they started to disperse.
Elle couldn’t move from her spot. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
Long minutes, the blood pumping into her head, pounding, the only sound she could hear.
The throng of people fully dissolved, some into the gardens, most into the ballroom. Lord Kallen would be pleased with the excitement of the evening. Even if it was at the expense of his nephew. He didn’t like Sangton anyway.
And his adoration of her was about to be severely tested.
Rune was left standing alone, fifty paces away from her.
His fists still curled at his sides, he turned toward the ballroom and he caught sight of her.
For long seconds he stared at her, his chest lifting heavy with every breath.
His fists uncurled and he stalked over to her.
Elle couldn’t even push herself from the wall.
“Elle—”
“Don’t you dare tell me what I think you’re about to.”
“I provoked Sangton into a duel. We meet at dawn.” Blunt. He wasn’t about to spare her moments of hope.
Her eyes closed, the world starting to spin around her. She’d be flat on the ground if not for the castle holding her upright.
This couldn’t be happening again. Not again.
Her hand flattened on her belly, pressing inward. “Dawn…” The word stumbled from her lips as she opened her eyes to him. “Dawn…dawn is only hours away. It’s not enough time.”
“Not enough time for what?”
“To live a lifetime.” Her voice broke.
His mouth clamped closed, his stare piercing her.
She tried to push herself away from the wall, but only managed to get herself slightly more upright. All moisture gone from her mouth, she had to force the words past her dry tongue. “Don’t do it.”
“I won’t kill him, Elle. But I will make it so he never touches you again.”
