Page 2 of Whispers of the Water

The sight of Rune never failed to turn my legs into jelly. Tall and built like an ancient god, he towered over my small frame. Stray pieces of his long white hair fell into his eyes, which sat above high cheekbones and lush lips that I swore were made for kissing. His toned arms flexed as he reached for a bottle of water.

I gratefully accepted the drink and instantly downed half the bottle. Water had always been my safe place, something that managed to calm me down even in my most frenzied state. My obsession with water should’ve been an indicator that something was off about me, yet I never pieced it together.

Meeting his eyes, I grinned. “Thanks. I know I shouldn’t be this stressed. We’ve worked hard for this. I obviously knew this trip was coming, but the fact that it’s actually here, we’re actually going, is a surreal feeling. It’s also nerve-wracking since, you know, my life could be in danger if we’re caught lying.”

“They won’t figure it out if we’re careful and follow the plan.”

“Right. The plan. Can we go over that one last time?”

Rune nodded. “The plan is to convince my mother that you’re the right partner for me, showing her that you’re just as good, if not better, than whomever she has picked out for me.”

“Because you absolutely want to avoid a real marriage and procreating,” I finished.

He smirked. “Hey, the baby-making process I’m down for. It’s everything that comes after that I’d like to avoid.”

I rolled my eyes and took another swig of water. “And how do I convince her I’m the right candidate? Remind me what she’ll be looking for.”

“Just hold your head high. When you walk into a room, pretend that you command it and everyone inside. You don’t have to be overly affectionate toward me. In fact, that would give the opposite impression of what we want since my mother knows I’m not like that. My mother cares about power, strength, and intelligence. As long as we can show her you have those things, which you do, we can convince her that my mate should be you.”

The pressure on my shoulders to be this jaw-dropping potential partner for Rune was a lot, but it wasn’t anything surprising. I knew I’d be faced with this challenging task, but that didn’t make carrying it out any easier. The normal drive to impress a lover’s parents was tripled in this case, because if I were deemed unworthy and found out to be Water Fae, not only would Rune’s entire world change, but my life could be at stake. From all I knew about Myra, Rune’s mother, she didn’t seem like a forgiving woman, and I didn’t think she’d take too kindly to being tricked.

Especially not by a Water Fae like me.

Twirling the plastic bottle in my hands, I leveled my curious eyes on Rune once more. “What happens if I fail? What if she still demands you marry her pick? Can’t you say no?”

Rune’s eyes darkened a fraction, and his jaw hardened. “If that happens, I don’t think I’ll have much of a choice. I’ll have to do as she says.”

Absolutely baffled at Rune’s sudden lack of fight, I furrowed my brow and asked, “Why? I didn’t think there were too many people who could make you do anything.”

He closed his eyes briefly before whispering, “She has my brothers. That’s always been her leverage against me.” He looked away from me, his brow furrowing with the burden of his words. “If I don’t give her what she wants, they suffer for it. It’s why I’ve stayed away from them for so long. My being there means putting them in danger, because one step out of line on my part results in something severe for them, especially Newt. That’s part of the reason why we have to be careful this week. If we get too defiant or deviate from what Myra wants, the twins will pay the consequences.”

I inhaled sharply, remembering the photo of the two smiling boys that Rune had given me. They were just little kids, and for Myra to use them as a sort of bargaining chip made me sick. It also made my need to do well even more profound, because I didn’t want these boys enduring any hardship over something I did or didn’t do to Myra’s liking.

“I didn’t think it was possible, but the more I hear about this woman, the more I dislike her,” I grumbled.

“Yeah, she’s definitely not the mother she used to be.”

Rune’s shoulders stiffened, and his gaze took on a distant note. Despite his looking away from me, there was no missing the forlorn expression taking over his features.

“What is it?” I asked softly, taking his hand in mine. “What’s wrong?”

He swallowed hard and closed his eyes as he shook his head. “She used to be … different. I just—I want—” His head fell back, and he seemed to struggle to find the words. “I know it’s dumb, but I really hope that seeing me this week, seeing me happy and us together, will somehow remind her—”

The words died on his tongue, and he hung his head. Clearly, things were complicated between him and his mother, but this was the first time he’d expressed something more vulnerable about their relationship with me. Typically, he kept his feelings locked up tightly, and it was only recently that he’d started letting me have a glimpse behind the curtain that shielded those emotions. It was still hard for him, but with time, I hoped he’d open up fully to me.

And I wanted to do the same with him.

Just not right now. We had enough on our plates without the added stress of who and what I was.

I squeezed his hand. “I’m here for you, you know.”

That caused some of the trouble clouding his features to retreat, giving way to a soft smile. “I know. Thank you. For everything. And I want you to remember as we go through this week that you aren’t alone. We’re going to be with you every step of the way.”

They were words we’d shared just last night and this morning. Rune had taken me out for an afternoon full of normalcy, and while we’d picnicked, we’d laid ourselves bare to one another emotionally. Rune was hesitant to expose such feelings then as well, but I’d worked hard to reassure him that opening himself up was not only worth it, but necessary.

Now we were in this weird place where we knew how much the other cared, but it was still unclear what that made us. That lingering question had been plaguing me and would continue to do so if I didn’t get a clear answer.

Not needing any distractions like that during this trip where my very life was on the line, I finally decided to broach the subject. “There’s something else I’ve been wanting to talk to you about. Um, it has to do with last night.”

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