Page 103 of Whispers of the Water

When her eyes found mine, her features softened in apology.

“I’ll be fine,” I insisted. “I’ll be there soon. Give me time and trust them.”

She clenched and unclenched her fists, tapping her foot, as she fought to agree. Finally, she reluctantly said, “Okay. Okay, fine. Take your time. We’ll wait at the cars.”

Smiling, I said, “Thank you.”

The Water Fae made their retreat, and our group slowly trickled back up the yard for the house.

“Akira,” Rune said. “I don’t want Bria walking through the house with everyone in there. Will you fly her up to our balcony?”

Akira grinned, unfurling his wings, which had folded against his back at some point. “Of course.”

Akira closed the space between us.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I held on tightly, and he did the same around my waist. As soon as my feet left the ground, my arms tightened their hold, which made him chuckle.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” Akira reassured me.

The air rushed along my skin the higher we went, and before I knew it, my feet were planted firmly on the balcony. Looking up at Akira, I smiled. “Thanks.”

He gave a dismissive wave. “No problem.” He bit the inside of his cheek before daring to ask, “How are you holding up?”

Swallowing hard, I glanced away from him. “It–It’s a lot to take in. I’m honestly kind of overwhelmed. There’s so much I need to do, and I just don’t want to do it wrong.”

That last word came out strangled. I was anxious about messing up and making things worse. I mean, hell, I didn’t even know what I was getting into. Yet here I was, declaring that I’d bring peace between Land and Water Fae. Part of me thought doing so was naive and stupid. Who was I to do those things?

I was just an orphan from Tennessee who wanted to paint, binge junk food with her best friend, and sleep beside Rune every night.

“We’ll be here for you. You aren’t alone in this,” Akira said, squeezing my hand.

I smiled but didn’t quite feel it. My mind was too raw and too chaotic right now.

The bedroom door clicked as Rune came in and shut the door behind him. He and Akira shared a nod before Akira waved at me and left the way we’d come.

I turned to face Rune, and his jaw worked as he approached me. His eyes weren’t on mine, but rather, they were trained on my neck. With the attention there, it hit me that my throat no longer hurt, and when Rune’s fingers swept over the skin of my neck, no pain followed.

“Your healing is getting quicker,” Rune commented, his voice quiet.

I swallowed hard and searched his distant gaze. A thousand worries, questions, and concerns darted around my head—more than I could process at the moment, but the burden in Rune’s eyes took precedence.

“Rune,” I whispered, wrapping my hand around his, which was still coasting along my throat.

“I thought—” Rune started. He stopped, closed his eyes, and started again. “I thought she would change. I was hopeful that one day, she’d get better. That she’d go back to being the mother I remember. It was always a wish I kept tucked away, though one I rarely vocalized, because I was afraid saying it aloud would somehow jinx it. But I truly believed that one day she’d learn how to love again. Love me again. I thought coming here this week and giving her what she wanted might trigger something inside her. I thought that seeing me in love might remind her what it means to feel.”

He paused to take a deep breath. “It finally hit me down there that she’ll never change. The woman who raised me, who would make silly faces when I was upset, who would sing songs without a care in the world, is gone. She’s never coming back. My mother died the same day my dad did.”

I bit back a sob and reached up to cup Rune’s cheeks. It all made so much more sense now. This week wasn’t just about getting Myra off his back about marriage and kids. It was far more complicated than that. He did all of this to earn her love. And that broke me. No one should have to earn their mother’s love. No one should have to try so hard for their mother’s approval, yet he did, because he loved her. He wanted his mom back to her old self, and I couldn’t blame him for that. If anything, I wanted the same thing—my parents back.

Forcing back my tears, I whispered, “I’m so sorry, Rune.”

It wasn’t much. It wasn’t anything really, but the four words were all I had to offer. I couldn’t change Myra. I couldn’t go back in time and stop my dad from killing Balgair. But I could be here in this moment and act as a rock for Rune to lean on.

Rune grabbed each of my hands, and he gently placed a kiss in each palm. He finally met my eyes again, and the anguish from his confession simmered in his gaze. “I’m sorry that she hurt you. I should’ve been there to stop her or—”

“Don’t. Don’t you dare put any blame on yourself. Myra chose her actions, not you. Let’s just be glad you were there when it mattered most.”

Reluctantly, he nodded. I could tell he wasn’t happy with that, but I was thankful when he dropped it. He picked up my suitcase, placing it on the bed. Glancing at me, he asked, “Bria, are you okay? I know what happened out there wasn’t easy.”

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