Page 95 of Calling of the Crown

Unease pricked my insides. “What do you mean? Why would you—”

“Because half of the fucking Lylora Woods is charred,” Rune snapped, his lip curled in a snarl, showing his canines. “The sky has been full of smoke all morning, you were missing, and Lylora Woods is burning. What happened to you?”

The crowd around us shifted at the rising tension radiating off Rune as his gaze pleaded with mine for answers. I wanted to brush it off and pretend I’d just fallen asleep in the water during a midnight swim. That would be easier than the truth, but I couldn’t lie to him.

“I went to meet with Myra last night,” I whispered, yet it was like the wind carried my voice to everyone gathered.

Rune reared back like I’d hit him, and his fox ears laid back. Dallas started spewing profanities. My other friends came closer, firing questions at me. I didn’t look away from Rune, though, and as the seconds ticked by, I could see the anger rising inside of him like a pot of boiling water about to spill over.

Finally, he asked through clenched teeth, “Why?”

I swallowed hard. “I tried to convince her to join us.” I left the real meaning unsaid, but by the tightening of his eyes, he knew what I was really saying.

I tried to convince her to come back to you.

Barreling on, I finished, “I—I let her see Balgair in an effort to get her to join our side.”

“Balgair?” Ardley asked, confusion clearly swarming his features.

I nodded. “It’s an ability Water Fae had. Or have. I don’t know. Muna told me about it while I was there, and I, well, I sort of taught myself how to do it.”

The Water Fae around me suddenly started rattling off questions at me about this new power. Before I could answer any or even really make out what they were asking, Rune got to his feet. His nostrils flared, and his clawed fists clenched as he walked away from us, heading back to the palace.

A vision of silent rage.

“Is he okay?” Khalani whispered to Ardley.

“No,” Ardley and Akria answered at the same time.

Knowing I needed to go to Rune, I got to my feet, gave everyone my reassurances that I really was fine, and ran off to find my fuming husband.

Taking a guess as to where he’d gone, I went down the stairs that led to the underground training room and gym. When I entered the vast main room, I heard huffs and thuds coming from the adjoining space. Rune was there, swinging his fists at a punching bag—one made for Fae, not humans, since a Fae could take a human one out with a mere flick of a finger.

Closing the door behind me, I leaned against it and watched the muscles and tendons bunch in his bare shoulders and back. He’d pulled his hair into a bun among his fox ears, which were pinned back in agitation. I glanced at my feet where his discarded shirt was, and when I picked it up, I realized he’d clawed the garment to pieces like he’d ripped it off. He was still in Fae form, which meant his hands still had to be clawed, yet there he was with curled fists, punching the shit out of stuff.

“Rune,” I said.

His back tensed, and he slammed his fist into the bag once more, leaving his knuckles pressed to the swinging gear. He looked over his shoulder at me, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he focused on the punching bag and began hitting it again.

“Rune,” I called louder, walking toward him.

Before I reached him, he growled and slammed his fist into the bag so hard, the chain holding it snapped, and the bag exploded in a cloud of dust and fabric. Rune’s breathing came out hard and fast, and his clenched fists fell to his sides. That’s when I saw all the blood pouring from the cracks between his curled fingers.

“Rune!” I cried out in alarm, rushing the rest of the way to his side. I grabbed his hand and pulled his fingers back to see the four deep, crescent-shaped gashes seeping blood onto his palm. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“What was I thinking?” He growled. “What were you thinking?”

“I know you’re mad, but—”

“I’m not fucking mad, Bria,” Rune raged, pulling his hand from my grasp. He stepped away from me. “I’m furious. I’m livid. Sneaking out to go meet my mom in the middle of the night? Not telling anyone where you were going or what you were doing?” His hands gripped the back of his neck, and he hung his head. “Why would you do something like that?”

Taking a calming breath, I said, “You’ve been hurting, Rune. You can deny it all you want, but I know you want your mom here. Newt and Greshim do, too. I thought letting Balgair talk to her would make her want to come back, and for a moment, I think I got through to her. Everything was actually working. Then Elias showed up and got into her head again.”

“Elias?” His head snapped up so he could look at me. “Elias was there, too?”

I cringed, because that was the wrong thing to add. It was just working Rune up more, winding up the Fox until soon, he’d have no option but to explode.

“You could’ve died, and no one would’ve known,” Rune hissed and dropped his hands back to his sides. “I woke up alone, and when I saw the endless smoke coming from the mainland, you—” He sucked in a sharp breath and shook his head. “You have no idea how gut-wrenching it was, seeing that and just knowing that something was wrong.”

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