Page 59 of Whispers of the Water

“Why does she want to test Bria so much?” Greshim asked, looking up at Rune.

Rune smiled at him and patted his head. “It’s nothing, guys. Why don’t you two go get cleaned up and get ready for bed. I bet Marlow and Avana will let you sleep with them in their room.”

Marlow’s glossy eyes passed between Rune and the twins as he grinned. “I like having friends over. I do, I do.”

Newt leapt toward Marlow and asked, “Can we m-m-make a water slid-de like last time?”

Marlow nodded with eager eyes. The twins quickly left the room, saying goodnight to everyone as they raced to get ready for bed with Marlow in tow. With them gone, we all sat down and tried to figure out our next move. Myra would definitely have something else up her sleeve, but we had no idea what it would be. I found my resolve getting weaker and my anxiety growing stronger the more we talked about it.

We finally dropped it when the air in the room had gotten so heavy that it was hard to breathe. The stress from dinner eventually caught up to everyone, so we parted ways for our respective rooms. I think everyone was eager to decompress.

“Are you okay?” Rune asked once we were alone in our room.

I sank onto the edge of the bed and pulled my fox tail around me to run my hands through the soft fur. “Just tired from that dinner. Who knew sitting in silence with a bunch of strangers who won’t stop staring at you could be so exhausting.”

He nodded in understanding as he came to stand in front of me. Tucking some hair behind my ear, he asked, “Is there anything I can do to help you unwind?”

I bit my lip as my mind immediately went to very dirty, hot, and naked places. There were most definitely some things we could do to unwind, but first, I really felt like getting some fresh air.

“I’m gonna take a walk outside real quick. But after that, yes, please.”

The corner of his mouth tilted up. “You take your walk. I’ll make some popcorn and drinks. We can watch that movie you got me.”

I beamed at him. “That sounds great.”

We weaved through the halls together and made sure to keep our voices low. We didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention by alerting people to our presence. When we reached the first floor, we parted ways.

As I traveled down the carpeted hall, I took note of the walls on either side of me. They were barren. No photos. No art. Nothing to showcase any sense of family, something I’d noticed the day the twins gave me a tour. In actuality, there were hardly any personal touches throughout the house at all. I found it pretty sad. The home felt like an empty shell, a husk of what could’ve been.

When I had nearly reached the French doors, I saw what looked to be a sunroom to my right. It was one of Myra’s offices, which had been closed the day of the tour. Inside, straight across from the door, sat a fireplace, and hung proudly above the mantel was a picture.

The painting was of Myra, but she wasn’t alone. Standing next to her was a man with long, platinum hair, pulled back in a ponytail with a single red ribbon. He wore a white suit with a blood-red rose in the left-hand breast pocket. Myra’s hair—shorter than what it was now but still long and lush—cascaded down her back. She wore a long, A-line gown that matched the same shade of white as the man’s attire, and both were in Fox Fae form.

They were captured in a warm embrace. Myra’s hands were wrapped around his neck, and dangling from her slender fingers was a bouquet of red roses. The two individuals smiled brightly at one another, their sharp Fox Fae canines glistening. I could practically feel the love radiating between them just from looking at the piece.

Wanting to see the image up-close, I turned to step into the room when I felt a sudden presence behind me. I quickly spun, gasping slightly. Myra stood there with a blank expression. She had her clawed hands folded neatly in front of her, and she stood poised and proper as always. She glanced from me to the picture. When she met my eyes again, I swallowed hard. This was it. She was surely going to snap at me for snooping, especially since she’d made it obvious that I wasn’t wanted here.

“My previous husband and I,” she said, her voice devoid of emotion.

She glided past me and walked into the sunroom. I looked after her, unsure if I was supposed to follow or not. She approached the painting until she stood directly in front of it, staring up at the wonderful event it depicted. She turned back to me again.

“I look much different, do I not?” she said with a bitter smile.

I let out a silent, nervous breath and dared to take small steps into the room. “Y–You are still just as beautiful. I envy how stunning you are, both then and now.”

Her attention turned back to the picture. “Flattery will get you nowhere with me.”

I ceased walking and held my breath again. Complimenting her was obviously the wrong move. While I worked to recover from my blunder, I noticed her eyes growing softer as she continued to gaze at the man in the picture.

“Still, I feel like that is something Balgair would have said, too.” She glanced at me, then added, “Balgair was my husband before Alvaro. He’s Rune’s father. He was taken from me—from all of us—by Water Fae. I’m sure Rune has told you that already.”

“He did,” I answered softly.

I was reeling. It felt like I’d stepped into an alternate universe, because Myra was talking to me. About personal things. Maybe she was feeling ill.

As if sensing my thoughts, she spun around to look directly at me. Her face became blank and unreadable once more. “Fox Fae only fall in love once. Loving someone is extremely difficult. The mere idea is sickening. Fox Fae think of ourselves first and foremost. To care about someone more than ourselves is extremely rare. Most simply come together for the purpose of breeding and creating powerful offspring. I was one of the few who learned to love another person more than I loved anything else. Then he was stolen from me, and with the end of his life, was the end of mine.

“Rune hates the idea of love, relationships, or even caring about someone. He has never shown interest in anyone, just like every other Fox Fae. So, I’m sure you understand why it is so easy for me to see that this relationship between the two of you is nothing more than a farce. A game. That being said, I am a master of games, and I always come out victorious. You should back down now for your own sake and for Rune’s.”

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