Page 100 of Edge of the Wild

“I heard it from one of my guards,” he said, trying to cover his reluctance with gruffness. It was charming, if she admitted it. “One of the young and stupid ones.”

“Ah.”

“He was flirting with them, the sheep head, and he came running back to me – to me, like I wanted to know anything about it – saying that thatEstrid” – he said her name like a curse – “was going on and on about having seen Rune and the Lady Tessa coming out of Olaf’s surgery together. That Tessa looked, and I quote, ‘peaky,’ and ‘green.’”

Revna’s pulse gave a quiet jump of alarm. But she said, “Tessa and Rune are rarely far apart these days. I think she’s taken it upon herself to entertain him through his recovery.”

“Entertain him how?”

They’d reached the foot of the spiral staircase. Revna took two steps up, and then turned to face him, so they were on eye level – hers narrowing as she fixed him in place with a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He snorted. “Come on, now, Rev. She likes him, he likes her – I know you’ve seen the way he gazes after her. And Tessa’s a sweet girl: it would be easy for a man, especially one as young as Rune, to get the wrong idea.”

She arched a single brow, gratified by the slight twitch of his face, that little reaction to the gesture. “Even if Rune were in any sort of physical shape to force himself on a girl, he’d never do it.”

“No, I know that. But I don’t think it would take much encouragement before she went along with it willingly.”

“He wouldn’t do that to Leif,” she said, but could hear the way her tone wavered. She’d seen the two of them, that morning in the solar. Rune kneeling on the sofa, Tessa’s hands white-knuckled on the back of it as she swayed toward him. If Revna had been a half-second later entering the room, she would have found them with their lips locked.

The smile he gave her was wry. “He wouldn’t do anything to hurt Leif on purpose, no. But not everyone is so gutless as to stand back and watch the girl they love get married to someone else.” His brows lifted a fraction, and his dark eyes traced her face – far too intimately. It hit her like a blow, that look. Pushed all the air out of her lungs, an unsteady exhale that she wanted instantly to take back.

That look, half-forlorn, half-full of regret, said,Not everyone’s stupid enough to keep quiet; as sorry enough to never speak up in the first place.

How could you still want me?she wanted to ask.After all this time? After Tor? How could I still mean that much to you?

It was a kind of devotion too deep, too blind, too enduring for her to grapple with. It always had been.

She scowled to cover whatever else her face might have done, involuntarily. “Until he can get up out of that bed, I’m not too worried about palace gossip.” She turned and headed up the steps.

With a sigh, he followed. “You know, most highborn ladies worry at least alittlebit about what their people are saying.”

“Lucky for me I’m not most ladies.”

His chuckle sounded wry. “No. Indeed you’re not.”

No need to dwell onthat.

He followed her down the next hallway to the royal apartments, no doubt exchanged nods with the two guards on duty, though she didn’t look over her shoulder to check. She didn’t know what else he wanted to say to her – was probably only bored without Erik around to talk to – but she had a sinking feeling it would result in more little reminiscent comments that left her reeling.

When they were inside, and the door was shut, Bjorn asked, “Wine?”

“We haven’t even had supper–”

A scream broke the quiet.

A scream coming from Rune’s chamber.

Revna picked up her skirts and dashed that way, Bjorn hot at her heels. In the time it took to race down the hallway, a dozen horrible scenarios flashed through her mind: Rune’s wound come open, blood pooling on the sheets; Rune unconscious and limp, face sheet-white; Rune fallen from his bed, hurt even worse than he was already. It had been a woman’s scream, and Bjorn’s words returned to her. Tessa must be horrified, must be–

She skidded to a halt in the open doorway of the room, and all her panic bled out in a dizzying rush. Hilda was the one who was horrified, a broken teacup at her feet, both plump hands clapped over her mouth, gaze fixed on the bed.

Where Tessa was currently seated in Rune’s lap, both hands inside his open shirt. Rune and Tessa wore matching, goggle-eyed looks of horror, and there was no mistaking what had been happening. Thank the gods Tessa was still fully dressed, and both of Rune’s hands were visible.

Revna had no intention of turning around and verifying theI told you solook Bjorn must be wearing.

Hilda let her hands fall, and she sucked in a huge breath.

“Don’t scream again,” Revna said, shouldering in past her, stepping over the broken teacup. She shook out her skirts, pinned Rune with her sharpest look, but kept her tone sweet and mild when she said, “Children. Whatareyou doing?”

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