GIDEON
HE FOUND HER IN the waterfall, her back to him, her eyes closed as she turned her face into the spray. Her pale, naked form stood out starkly against the dark gray rock.
With her wet hair pulled over one shoulder, Gideon had a full view of the harm done to her.
Vicious red lines crisscrossed her back, from shoulders to hips. Deep, fresh scars. Gideon’s stomach clenched at the sight.
At the thought of Rune beneath a whip, his rage swelled. He would make Cressida pay for this.
Dismounting Bart’s horse, he strode out onto the flat, glistening rock. “Is this why you’ve avoided me?”
Rune jumped, startled, and turned to face him. Her eyes were red from crying.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” She grabbed a towel resting on a nearby rock, quickly wrapped it around herself—hiding herself from him— and started toward Lady, who was grazing nearby. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
Gideon moved to intercept her, stepping into her path. “And where am I supposed to be?”
No way was he letting her evade this conversation.
With no answer to give, she padded backward on her bare feet, returning to the spray, which quickly drenched her towel.
“Rune. Why didn’t you tell me?” At his question, her face crumpled.
Suddenly, her fear made sense. Rune now knew firsthand what it meant to be at Cressida’s mercy.
She’s terrified.
Gideon stepped toward her, into the falling water. Within seconds, he was as soaked as she was.
“I’m her sister,” she said, as if this might repel him. “I don’t care.”
Or rather, the only reason he cared was because it put her at risk. She looked up, startled. “You … don’t?”
Gideon reached for her wrist so she couldn’t bolt, running his thumb gently over the little knot of bone there. “Let me see your back.”
She seemed about to refuse, so he took her face in his hands. “Let me see. Please.”
Her shoulders slumped and she turned, letting the sodden towel fall to the stone at their feet, leaving her back exposed to him.
He hissed through his teeth at the crisscrossed scars ridging her back, the red lash lines cutting through her pale, smooth skin. Some had healed; others were still raw. It made him want to weep.
“Oh, Rune…”
“I know.” Her voice cracked on the words and she lifted her hands to her face. “I’m hideous.”
“No.” The word burst out of him, angry. How could she think that? Gideon stepped closer and locked his arms around her waist. “Not possible.”
He lowered his mouth to a scar on her shoulder, kissing the raised skin. A breath escaped her. He kissed another scar, and the tension left her body. “You are the kindest, cleverest, bravest girl I’ve ever met.” He kissed more and more scars, tracing them gently with his mouth. “These scars are only further proof of that.”
No pain flared. He was touching her without consequence.
His curse was broken—and here was the cost: Rune in pain; her courage in tatters.
“She could have killed you.” Pulling her closer, he pressed his cheek against the crown of her head. “Why would you risk yourself?”
“Because I couldn’t stand the thought of her making you suffer.” Rune’s hand lifted to his arm, skimming down to his hand, where she linked her fingers with his. “And because…”
Still facing away from him, she turned her head so her temple grazed his jaw, nuzzling him.
“Because I was stupid enough to fall in love with a witch hunter. Stupid enough to hope he might love me back. And if he did, I wasn’t going to let anything come between us again.”
She turned into him, forcing his embrace to loosen. As she studied his face, watery rivulets traced down her cheeks and dripped from her chin.
Her hands lifted to the buttons on his shirt, her eyes asking a silent question. Gideon nodded and let her undo them. Let her peel the soaked garment off him and drop it next to her towel.
Rune stared at the brand on his chest, lifting her palm to the scar. As if she didn’t believe her sacrifice had worked. As if she were waiting for the pain to flare; for the branded lines to turn ember-red.
But they didn’t.
All Gideon felt was pleasure at her warmth, her gentleness. Rune laid her cheek against the scar.
“I would do it again,” she whispered. “Just for this.”
I don’t deserve this girl. He slid his palms against her cheeks and tilted her head back. But I want to. I want to be the man who deserves Rune Winters.
He let his eyes trace the lines of her face before lowering his head to kiss her lips.
Rune’s breath shuddered. She slid her fingers into his hair.
“Were you in my bed last night?” he said against her mouth. “Me? In your bed? You must have been dreaming.”
“Hmm.”
They were touching, skin to skin, as the water rushed over them. Nothing stood between them anymore. No secrets. No curses. There was nothing to stop them …
Rune’s arms came around his neck as she arched against him. His grip on her hips tightened.
“Come with me,” she whispered, running her hands over him. Gideon smiled against her mouth. “Where would you like to go?”
“Anywhere,” she said, trailing kisses down his throat, nipping gently. “Anywhere other than here. We could sail to the other side of the world. We could live, Gideon.”
Ah.
They were right back where they started. He let his hands drop.
“Rune.”
She must have heard the answer in his tone, because she stepped back, her face falling.
“If we leave, Cressida wins,” he said. “Laila, Harrow, Bart, Antonio … every one of them will die. You’re asking me to abandon them? To abandon my home?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes pleading. “To be with me.” He stared at her, feeling torn in half.
Of course he was tempted. A life with Rune? It was worth everything. Which was precisely why he needed to stay and fight. This was where they both belonged. He wanted to save it—for her, for them, more than anyone. Anything less, and he would never be the man she deserved.
Gideon would stand beside her, fight beside her, die beside her. But he wouldn’t run away with her. Running wouldn’t fix anything.
Believe in me, he wanted to say. Trust me to lead us out of this.
“I can’t stay,” she said, defensive. She raised her chin and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t have a choice. You must see that.”
What he saw was the girl he loved, hollowed out by fear.
“This is our home, Rune. Yours, mine. Don’t you think that’s worthy of fighting for?”
Something flickered in her eyes, but whatever it was, she smothered it. “Home is where you’re safe. This island hasn’t been safe for a long time.”
“Then stand with me and fight for a better one.”
She just shook her head sadly and turned, walking to where her clothes lay, pulling them on over her damp body before heading toward Lady.
But Gideon wasn’t about to give up on her. Not yet. Somewhere beneath the fear was the girl he loved. A girl who stared down danger with a smile and a knife. His brave, clever Crimson Moth.
He strode after her, intercepting the path to where her horse grazed.
“I know you’re scared,” he said, walking backward. “I know this is hard. But I need you. Who else can show them the way if not a witch and a witch hunter, fighting side by side?”
He stopped and reached for her arms, bringing her to a stop.
“There is a better world waiting to be born, Rune. A world that belongs to all of us. But it will never arrive if we don’t fight for it.”
“And if you’re wrong?” she demanded. “What if everything that’s broken can’t be restored?”
“What if it can?”
She pulled free of his grasp. “She’ll kill us both.”
Gideon stared at her. “Then it will be an honor to die at your side.”
She made a frustrated sound and shook her head. “Are you even listening to me? I can’t watch you fall into her hands again!” She pressed her palms to her eyes, as if trying to grind the nightmarish visions out of her mind. “I could recover from Nan’s death, and Alex’s. But I won’t recover from yours.” She glanced up at him. “It will shatter me.”
“It won’t,” he said, closing the gap. Touching his forehead to hers. “You’re stronger than that.”
“Maybe I was once,” she whispered. “I’m not anymore.”
He ran his hands up her arms and shoulders, cupping her neck. She started to soften beneath his touch. But when Gideon tried to draw her closer, she stiffened.
“I’ve made up my mind.” She pulled away. “Is this your answer? You won’t come with me?”
He shook his head, miserably. “I can’t. There are too many lives at stake.”
Rune gave a tight, terse nod. She understood, but he was breaking her heart. Her face said it all. “Then this is goodbye.”
She turned and continued down the path toward Lady, then mounted her and rode away.
It nearly killed Gideon to let her go. But he did.
