The atmosphere is grim, and halfway through to the town, my anger dissipates. The captain of Rune’s guard—Queen Zephyr wouldn’t let me head out alone, since I am carrying the ‘royal baby’—leads us through the towns and we go from bedazzling buildings high enough to touch the skies to the ruins left behind by the Void.
There is darkness, smoke and rot and I wheeze at the putrid stench of it all. A few onlookers notice my group as we pass by—myself, Boris and a maid who holds all of our supplies—and they watch with bleak, fatigued gazes.
I have seen this before, and it takes me back to the plague. Shivers run down my spine as I see uniformed guards lifting the wailing children into carriages. There are burning piles and the stench of incinerated flesh greets me as we ride deeper into the village.
The situation worsens, and I can't help but gag, hurriedly covering my mouth to stifle the urge to vomit.
“We could turn around, Your Grace. You should not have to see any of this,” the captain mutters, sadness creasing his features.
But I must. It instills a fear and sense of urgency into me. To understand what world I am birthing this child into and just how broken it is. In Wolvendom, the Void is only a starting threat, not this fast growing menace. Shaking my head, I jut my chin forward. “Take me to Rune.”
Several minutes later, I am sweaty, out of breath, wheezing, itching to get out of my tight leather pants, and the captain halts before a group of armed guards who seem to be inspecting. . .bodies.
My stomach rises to my throat and I reel it in. I can’t throw up here. Or anywhere around this land. Every spot is a graveyard and there are people wailing. It would be absolutely disrespectful and insensitive to the families of the dead. It’s just. . .I had heard of the deaths, but I’d never seen the bodies. Broken. Mangled. Pale as sheet. Eyes vacant and staring at nothing in particular. Lips parted like they barely had time to scream before they died.
I pivot from the horse, finding shrubs or grass to empty out my stomach, but it’s all wilted. I heave anyway, tears rushing to my eyes as I vomit. I feel eyes on me, both judging and angry. Maybe I should have stayed inside. Maybe Ginevra is the support the people need at a time like this.
"You do not make such decisions without my consent!" Rune's voice reverberates through the air as he yells at someone, causing me to straighten at the familiar tug within my chest. He storms toward me, his green eyes shimmering with anger. "What the fuck are you doing here?! You were meant to remain in the castle!"
“Why? So you can spend the night with Gin and tell her you love her and can’t exist without her?!” I yell, smearing puke on my lips as I try to wipe it off.
He pauses, expression tightening even further. “That’s not—“ He shakes his head and motions to the captain. “Take her to the inn. Guard her with your life. Anything happens to her, so much as a scratch, I will kill you myself.”
I want to protest, but when I turn and see more bodies, I gag again. Yeah. I can’t stay here.
******************
The inn is nothing comfortable, and I wonder just how much of a ‘trip’ this might have been for Ginevra. I can understand her thought processes though. There is not one room that has double beds. Just cramped up spaces with beds that can only be shared by cuddling.
Tonight, a horde of people a seeking shelter and by the time I was led in, there is only one room left. Boris and the maid unaccounted for. There was only one logical decision. I stay with the maid, Boris sticks with Rune. Though, I’m pretty sure Boris would have loved sharing the room with the maid, Elaine, instead, if his delectable frown was any indication.
But I’m too angry to stay with Rune tonight.
After wiping my wet hair, I step out of the bathroom, dressed in warm silky pajamas—a snug top and loose-fitting pants that swish around my ankles. I pause when I spot Elaine peering out, discreetly opening the door and sneaking away.
"Where are you going?" I ask, causing her to jump and let out a frightened yelp.
"Your Grace! I... I was hoping to go down and get us some dinner—"
"But we already made arrangements with the innkeeper. It will be delivered to us in due time," I interrupt, but I pause as I catch a whiff of scented oils and perfumes, noticing the blush on Elaine's cheeks, the cherry lipstick adorning her small mouth, and the colorful eyeshadow. My eyes travel down to her outfit, and it's not the hideous uniform she was wearing when we arrived. Instead, she's clad in a short floral-patterned gown that accentuates her every curve.
You don't dress like that to grab dinner. You dress like that to seduce someone.
I dismiss her with a wave of my hand, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Sure, go ahead and 'grab dinner.' Say hi to Boris for me."
Her cheeks turn crimson, and she rushes out of the room.
I sigh, throwing myself onto the bed and wincing at the hardness of the mattress. I stare up at the plain, unattractive ceiling, wondering what Rune is doing. But then I remember that he would rather spend the night with Gin, right after finding out that I'm carrying his child. I roll over in bed, burying my head in the pillow and closing my eyes.
My stomach growls and I scowl, flattening my fingers against it. For a moment, I consider speaking to the child growing in my stomach, but I don’t know what to say to it. “Hi, it’s mom?” Somehow, the word ‘mom’ has my mind whirling in directions it never has before.
Will I be a good mother? Do I have the slightest clue about caring for children? And what comes after? Will I ever go back to school? Does school even matter anymore? What will my life be like from this point onward? The news hasn't spread yet, but when it does... What will become of me? And what about my relationship with Rune? Will Gin always be in the picture?
Lost in my thoughts and worries, I'm lulled to sleep. I jerk awake when the bed dips beside me. "Elaine?" I mutter, my voice heavy with sleep. "The food—"
Arms wrap around me, and my heart leaps as my back meets the solid chest behind me. Panic starts to set in, but my muscles tense as I catch Rune's scent, his nose burying into my hair.
I push back against him. "I'm not Gin."
His arms tighten around me, and I tilt my head despite myself, giving him more access. “Just. . .let me hold you. I’ll be gone soon,” He pauses, and his voice cracks on a whisper, “I promise.”
I relax, allowing him to hold me. My racing heart begins to calm as I focus on the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, merging with mine. One, two, three... One, two, three... Lub dub, lub dub...
"It hurts," Rune breathes against my neck, and something in his voice tugs at my heart. I turn to look at him, but he holds me in place, nuzzling even closer, inhaling deeply. "It hurts."
My anger is long forgotten and worry replaces it. “What does?” I ask softly, reaching for the arms around me, and I hold them, stroking softly. Almost lovingly.
"Getting close to the Void brings back memories. I relive them—the sight of her dying, killing them, the unbearable pain... It feels like dying, and I..." His voice breaks, and I feel a warm droplet trickle down my neck. He's crying.
I twist again, and this time he doesn't stop me. I gaze up at him, my head against the pillow. Somehow, this moment feels more intimate than anything I've ever experienced. Meeting his tear-filled eyes, our noses nearly touching, and his head tilted down towards me. A single tear escapes his eyes, and without thinking, I bridge the gap between us, kissing it away because words fail me. I've never been skilled at saying the right things. I'm flawed, lacking manners, selfish to the core—an entitled brat.
But as I look at Rune, tears sting my own eyes. I do not think of myself for the first time, or the way he makes me feel when he is this close to me. My fingers rise to cup his cheek and I lean in, pressing my lips against his. All I think of as I part his lips with mine is taking it all away. The tears, the hurt and devastation. The loneliness. The despair.
His breath hitches and I pull back, just enough to stare into his bejeweled eyes. I search them and I reach deep down, where Sloan rests. She stirs slightly, and I feel the subtle shift in me. The sharpening of my senses and my claws jutting out, as well as my canines. It is the only way I can reach him. So I call out to him, “Hekate.”
Rune stiffens, and his eyelids droop, closing. When he opens then again, they are pitch black. Dark veins spread out, etching beautiful lines on his perfect face, but I do not miss the hurt in those eyes, and the hollowness to them today. There is no amusement or laughter in them. Just. . .pain.
“Princess,” he breathes.
“You’re hurting,” I tell him, and his eyes shutter when I stroke his cheek. “Tell me what I need to do to make it stop.”
“Nothing.” His voice ripples through me in layers, causing the air on my skin to rise, but he leans further into my touch, breathing out slowly. It is strange, having a being whose age surpasses the rise of the three realms, a man who conquered and nearly destroyed an entire realm, a man who could kill me by merely thinking it, it is strange having him in my arms.
“That’s not fair. How exactly am I going to fix this if I don’t know how to?” I ask, brows rising, and his eyes slant open, narrowing further as he looks at me.
“I do not need fixing, princess. Rid yourself of that notion and perhaps, I will let you keep. . .touching me.”
My lips twitch, but I don’t laugh at him. “You like my touch,” I tell him, and I notice the slight intake of his breath when I stroke his chin softly. I let my fingers wonder and they caress his lips. “Shall I kiss you then? Distract you and find out just what fetishes you might have?”
He blinks rapidly, and I dare say Hekate blushes. “Don’t do that.”
“What?” I ask, feigning innocence and I snuggle closer, pressing my chest against his.
I look silly as hell, but with each word I speak, the clouds in his eyes dissipate. The pain disappears, and he looks like he's about to jump out of bed if I utter another word or make another move.
"What do you want?" he asks, his voice husky, his eyes dropping to my mouth.
"To help. It will never stop hurting if you don't let go, Hekate," I pause as he begins to pull away, gripping his shoulders tightly. "Wait. Just hear me out. Three hours, every day."
He frowns. "Explain."
“Rune lets you out for three hours every day, and we’ll walk through getting rid of this curse together.”
“Bold of you to assume that I do not want this realm to perish and the people who have wronged me dead.”
I lick my lips, maintaining his intense gaze. "You have no choice unless you want me and our child dead as well."
His stills, eyes widening. “Child?”
I smile nervously. “We’re having a baby.”
And apparently, that’s enough to scare Hekate off because he jerks and sighs and his eyes shut. When they open again, there is nothing left of him. Emerald depths meet mine and without a moment to adjust to the sudden shift, Rune's hands firmly grasp my waist. In a matter of seconds, I'm pressed beneath him, his lips crashing passionately against mine.