Page 60 of Whispers of the Water

She gave me a wicked smile as she started to make an exit. When her shoulder met mine, she stopped. I stared straight ahead, my body paralyzed under the weight of fear as she laughed darkly, whispering, “Of course, I do not know why I’m giving you a history lesson in our kind since you are one of us, too. Silly me.”

She resumed her exit until I was the only one left in the room. My stomach was in my throat, and all the air seemed to have left with her. She knew. She knew that Rune and I weren’t really together, and she knew I wasn’t Fox Fae. The room spun around me in dizzying twirls. I had to do something. I had to convince her that she was wrong, if not about my being Fox Fae, about her idea of my relationship with Rune. Anything to salvage our hard work for this trip. There was too much on the line—Rune’s future, the twins’ well-being, my safety—for it to end like this, for Myra to figure it all out. There had to be something I could do or say to turn this around.

I raced after her. She had just reached the main entryway by the time I caught up to her, and she was starting to take a step up the staircase when she saw me. My clawed hands shook as I crinkled my dress in my nervous grasp. I swallowed hard, preparing myself for what I was about to say.

“I know I’m not who you picked out for Rune. I’m probably nothing like what you want for him. I mean, when you compare me to someone like Aidan, whom you did deem worthy of him, I obviously don’t compare. She must be from a good family line and is just as frighteningly confident and headstrong as you.”

I looked down at my feet and let out another breath. Squeezing my eyes shut, I barreled onward. “But I love Rune. Your son means more to me than I could even put into words. I’ve grown to love and accept his snarky, prideful, sarcastic side, as well as the part of him that’s caring, sympathetic, and human. I love the man he is inside, and that won’t change.”

Releasing my dress, I stood up straighter and took a deep breath. With my head raised to stare straight into Myra’s cold eyes, I said, “I love Rune, Myra. You can all throw insults at me, you can try to make me doubt everything, but it won’t work. He and I are together, whether you want to accept it or not. We are dating, and we’ll continue to do so, with or without your approval.”

I tried calming my thundering heart as her narrowed eyes never wavered from mine. If not for her slitted eyes, I would’ve thought she hadn’t heard me from how still she stood. It was like she was waiting for me to speak again or make some sort of motion. The silence filling the grand hall tightened my stomach until I thought I might heave.

Not able to take any more of this awkward air of stillness surrounding us, I opened my mouth to speak as she slowly turned away from me. Her attention went to the top of the steps, and I could practically hear the cynical smile in her voice as she said, “Well? What did you think about that?”

Confused as to who the hell she was talking to, my eyes followed her line of sight. As soon as I saw him, all the color drained from my face.

Rune stood at the top of the steps, and he stared down at me with his mouth hanging slightly open. His eyes were wide in surprise, and he started to take a small step down the stairs.

My heart tripped over itself, and I subconsciously stumbled back.

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Rune heard me!

What I said was true. Every word. But I’d never said anything so honest about my feelings to Rune’s face. Sure, I’d said I loved him before, but never like that.

I needed out.

I needed water.

Whether it was suspicious or not, I couldn’t stand here with Rune looking at me like I’d stolen all the air from his lungs and Myra bearing witness to my first real, lengthy confession to him.

Swallowing hard, I squared my shoulders and addressed Myra. “Since Rune’s here, you can take up any issues, concerns, or suspicions with him. I don’t answer to you.”

Without another word, I turned on my heel and yanked open the front door.

Myra’s laugh followed me outside as she cooed, “Lovely talking with you, Bria.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

“CRAP ON A freaking cracker!” I roared.

The water whipped up and out of the stream. It raced toward me until it wrapped around me like a second skin. Once I was encased in the cool current, my frustration and embarrassment slowly dissipated. I closed my eyes and focused on that sense of calm. There was no sense in getting worked up over what had already been done. Rune knew how I felt now, which meant the ball was in his court. He’d have to figure out what to do about that confession.

I took a final deep breath beneath the water’s current, and when I released it, the water moved away from my skin until it hovered in front of me as an ever-shifting, shapeless form.

After racing out the front door, I’d retreated to the woods where Dallas and I had trained briefly. I needed the peace and quiet to sort through the situation, and plus, I could feel the buzz of my powers vibrating softly in my fingertips the closer I got to the lake. I knew that I was bound to have an accidental, magical outburst, so I thought it would be best to retreat to the privacy of this stream.

The shapeless water still hovered in front of me as if waiting for further command. Smiling, I said, “Thank you for calming me down. I’m okay now.”

With my reassurance, the water bounced. It flipped backward, splashing into its place in the stream.

As I made my way back through the woods, the gravity of how I’d spoken to Myra really hit me. I’d been a mess of emotions at the time, and my anger had won. Part of me began to drown in worry. I’d wanted to impress her and the rest of Rune’s family for the sake of the charade, but I was starting to gather that may be impossible. I’d definitely not be accepted once they knew the truth about who—or rather, what—I was.

Lights lit the back of the house from various windows, and I focused on that glow to guide me the remaining distance. From here, the expansive home looked inviting and warm, flooded with signs of family life.

Oh, how looks could be deceiving.

Family had your back at all times, and their faith in you was unwavering. Family loved you, despite your faults and mistakes. Family supported you and believed in you, despite obstacles that got in your way. Myra wasn’t Rune’s family. They shared blood, but that was the extent of it. His real family were the people right beside him, the people who’d flown all the way here to have his back. So, I’d forget about Myra. I’d stop worrying over what she genuinely thought of me. I’d stop caring what Rune’s grandparents, aunt, and uncle thought when they looked at me. Because their opinion didn’t matter. Rune’s real family had already given me their approval.

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