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CHAPTER 24
Rune
The door to Wimfred’s study flung open and hit the wall behind it with a loud bang. Wimfred startled and yelped like a little boy.
“There is no time left,” Mina declared as she stormed in just to come to an abrupt halt the moment her eyes settled on me. I was sitting behind Wimfred’s desk, leaning backwards in his fancy chair as he sat across from me as if he was the visitor and this my desk. Which at the moment, it was.
Mina’s beautiful amber eyes widened at me and her lips parted. She looked stunning. Her blue dress hugged her seductive curves. She wore a bright red lipstick on her rosy, full lips, and diamonds glittered around her ears, neck, and wrists. What a stark contrast to the black mourning dress she’d been wearing.
The air in the room grew thick as we stared at each other.
“Judging from your appearance, I take it you’ve finally embraced the celebrations. Tell me, what was the happy occasion that caused your change of heart?”
I was mocking her. I couldn’t help myself. Truthfully, I hadn’t spent much time in the company of women, and the thought of a family had never appealed to me much, but even I knew why she was all dressed up like this. To work her charms to convince me. It was, to be quite honest, an uphill battle after last night’s slap—which was perhaps the reason for my mocking words. No one had ever dared to slap me. Ever. And yet I’d just stood there, helpless as a little boy.
Something in her eyes flickered like a flame.
“I think, perhaps, you already know why,” she countered. “So why not get right to the point.”
“To the point?” I asked.
“Yes. To the point. Will you do it or not?”
Wimfred was sitting between us, his nervous glances jumping back and forth between Mina and me.
Irritated, she stepped closer to the desk. I cocked a brow at her, running my eyes over her once more. I’d never met anyone quite like her. Since I’d met her in that garden, I was at constant odds with myself. I couldn’t decide if I liked her, hated her, respected her, admired her, wanted to destroy her, or fancied her. Never had a person managed to unleash such emotion in me, good or bad. But, by the gods, this woman had stirred up feeling inside me I didn’t even know I had. And for someone who had felt numb for most of his entire life, to feel any sort of feeling at all, hate or love, was like the sun kissing a summer field after weeks of storms. And that, as much as I hated it, gave her a power over me that scared me more than death itself.
“Well,” I said, leaning forward to place my elbows on the desk, “I don’t feel like skipping anything to get to the point.”
Her head jerked back in surprise.
“What?”
I shrugged. “After last night, I would like to hear every detail of your plans. From why you are in front of me all dressed up to why the hell you think I’d do anything for you after you disrespected me last night.”
As I watched her, I was surprised by the fact that I could read every subtle emotion on her face. Anger, frustration, and even a little hope. It was fascinating. I knew then that I would never get bored of staring into a face like that.
Wimfred rose and held up the long piece of paper he’d had in his hand since we’d been here.
He cleared his throat. “I can assist with the details of the marriage itself.”
“Thank you, Wimfred, but that’s not what he meant,” Mina said, trying to sound emotionless, but the slight tremble in her voice gave her true feelings away.
“In fact, would you mind giving Rune and me a moment?” she added.
“Not at all,” Wimfred said, fleeing the room. Seconds later, the door was shut, and we were alone.
“The stage is yours,” I said, noticing her trembling hand. I had seen it yesterday at the fire, and now again. All the anger I had for her was gone like a fire extinguished by water.
I shot to my feet.
“Sit,” I said, sounding more commanding than I’d meant to as I offered her Wimfred’s fancy chair. But instead, her hand balled into a fist as her gaze dropped to the floor.
Please don’t cry,I thought. I had killed more men that I could count, had been close to Father Death’s doorsteps more than once myself, but I didn’t think I’d be able to stomach watching her cry.
“I...I didn’t mean...” I tried to apologize but was lost for words. Not because I didn’t want to apologize for my rudeness, but because I never really apologized to people. I wasn’t entirely sure how it was done.
“No,” she said in a soft tone as her eyes lifted to mine. “You have nothing to apologize for. I acted terribly toward you yesterday. You didn’t deserve it. I hope you can forgive me.”
