Page 65 of Calling of the Crown

Rune’s eyes scanned me where I still knelt in front of him, and awe clouded his features. “You never cease to amaze me.” He swallowed hard, and he reached forward to cup my cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Bria. I’m so, so sorry.”

I placed my hands over his. “You’re sorry? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disappear the way I did. It was one of the previously lost powers I have taking over, one I’ll try to avoid tapping into from now on.”

I dove into what happened, how the water seemed to make me forget everything outside of it, as well as who I found stuck there.

Rune’s entire body seemed to cling to my words as he repeated. “Your mom? Your mom is alive?”

I nodded with a sad smile. “Alive but stuck. I have to figure out a way to bring her back, Rune.”

“I’ll help. In any way I can. We’ll bring her back.”

I searched his amber eyes. They looked at me with such profound love, and it was something I counted myself lucky to have. I was lucky to have Rune in my life. I was lucky to have his love and support, as well as the opportunity to return that.

It was that love and support I’d have to give him now as I prepared to turn everything he knew about his father’s death on its head.

“Did you …” I paused and tried again. “Did you know anything about a friendship between your dad and my mom?”

Rune’s eyebrows rose in surprise before slowly seeping into confusion. “There were always rumors that my dad had been best friends with Alesta. Before the war. He never talked about it, though, so I never believed them. He always ignored conversations regarding Alesta or Water Fae.”

That made sense. A friendship between the Queen of Water Fae and the Land Fae King’s seemingly prized killer wouldn’t fare well. It wasn’t shocking to hear that Balgair had tried to minimize his friendship with my mom and keep it secret, even from his own family. He probably did it to keep both parties safe.

“I want to show you something,” I said softly. I called water from the ocean once more, and when it reached my outstretched hands, it hovered in front of Rune like a screen. “This is something my mother showed me. Water can act like a viewing screen for us, and with it, we can revisit memories. My mother showed me this skill, because she had a memory she wanted to show me. I think you need to see it, too.”

He seemed to weigh my words, and unease pulled his shoulders taut. “What memory of your mom’s would I need to see?”

I took a deep breath. “My mom and your dad were best friends.”

His brow immediately furrowed. “What?”

I nodded toward the floating water. “Just watch.”

His gaze slowly pulled away from mine to stare at the water, which lit up in the center before images filled the screen. His eyes traced my mother and me on our stools, and he listened intently as Alesta revealed her relationship with Balgair. Then the memory she’d shown me filled the screen, and fresh tears filled Rune’s eyes when Balgair appeared. Rune sat as still as a statue as he watched and listened to the truth with silent tears rolling down his cheeks. I waved my hand over the screen before the fight really broke out, pulling the water back to my hand and stopping the memory.

Rune stared into the space where the memory had been. “Why would he do that?” he asked in a low hiss. “We could’ve figured something out. We could’ve run. We could’ve—”

“He thought he was out of options, so he did what he thought would protect you,” I said, reaching forward to grab his hand. “He did what he thought would keep you and Myra safe.”

Rune tilted his face up to the sky and let out a humorless laugh. “I didn’t ask you to save me, damn it.”

He clenched his teeth, and his shoulders shook. I realized he was yelling, hoping his voice reached wherever Balgair was now. But his words fell for me and the trees alone. Balgair wasn’t here to see the anger and pain haunting his son’s eyes. Balgair wasn’t here to hold Rune and explain why he’d sacrificed himself.

So I pulled Rune into my arms instead. My arms would always be open for him, ready to help, heal, and hold. No matter what happened.

The screech of a raven sounded overhead. Rune and I looked up as the black bird circled above us. I knew right away that was Akira coming to check on us. It also reminded me that Rune and I were still very naked.

Cheeks heating, I wrapped my arms around my bare chest to shield myself and called up, “Akira! All is okay now. Could you fly back to the palace to grab Rune and me some clothes?”

He cawed in response before turning back in the direction he’d come.

Meeting Rune’s eyes once more, I leaned forward to place a soft kiss on his lips. “Let’s go home. Together.”

Chapter Thirty

RUNE AND I, NOW DRESSED, settled in the chairs around the oval meeting table, and the eight other Council of Doctrina members gathered in the other seats. Rune and I sat on either end of the table—a fact Rune wasn’t cool with since it had only been an hour since we got back and he still wasn’t ready to be physically separated from me yet.

“Thank you for meeting here on such short notice,” I started and folded my hands over the tabletop. “I’d like to start with what happened during the days I was gone.”

“We weren’t exactly sure what happened to you,” Jesiah said, his brown eyes locking on mine. “It was still fairly early, so we didn’t want to raise alarm with the Fae of Morardia just yet.”

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