Page 159 of Lifebound

“She was tricked.Killedby another maid.”

“Oh, my God, Rune…”

“It’s fine. I’ve made my peace with it.”

Except I knew that that made no difference whatsoever. “What happened to the maid?”

“She was charged with murder. Was executed the next day.”

So much went through my mind the next second. Fuck, I couldn’t believe howruthlessthe fae were.

“I’m sorry, Rune,” I whispered. If I could take that pain reflected in his eyes for myself, I would in a heartbeat. I’d carry all of it for the rest of eternity so he didn’t have to.

“It’s okay. It was a long time ago,” he said, but that meant nothing, either. I’d lost my mom, too. Time didn’t make anythingokay.Not for this.

I blinked fast to get rid of the tears pricking my eyes. I didn’t want to cry, not now.

“Will you save this book for me?” I said instead because to my idiot mind that was a way toguaranteethat I’d see him again when I was done healing the prince. Because I was notgoing anywhere without my book, and if Rune had it, I’dhaveto see him to get it.

“I’ll guard it with my life,” he whispered, and his hand glowed again before that little ball of darkness appeared, and he simplyputthe book inside it, like it really was a fucking pocket.

“That is really,reallycool, Mr. Moody,” I said, and my eyes were still teared up, my heart still breaking for what he had to go through, but I was also smiling.

The shadow pocket disappeared, and Rune said, “Not ascoolas you using Seelie magic right in front of my eyes.”

I swallowed hard, my muscles locked tightly, and Rune pulled me closer to himself. We were lying on rocks and right now I had no idea where we were, just that we were safe if he wasn’t freaking out or telling me we needed to leave. It was enough.

“Wildcat,” Rune whispered, bringing his fingers to my cheek. “Since when?”

Taking in a deep breath, I forced myself to look up at him. This was going to suck, no doubt about it, but I also knew that it was time to come clean.

“Since the prince healed me, I think,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “I, um…sometimes I lost control back home and I could make the things in my room float in the air until I calmed down—but that’s it.”

Silence.

My heart beat like a drum.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rune asked.

“I wanted to, Rune, but I couldn’t. I promised myself that I would never say those words to anyone ever again because…well, because chances were it wasn’t even real.”

God, I must have sounded like a lunatic to him right now, but I was too vulnerable to even think about picking my words.

“Why not? Why wouldn’t you say those words again—why?”

Another deep breath to calm my chaotic thoughts. As much as I wanted to run away right now, I was going to lie here and tell him everything, both because Rune deserved to know, and because I needed to get it all off my chest for once. Tell someone who would believe me. Who’d seen me with his own eyes—but who would have believed me, I realized now, even if he hadn’t.

And he’d have never needed proof.

“I did it for the first time when my mother died, and I…well, I told people about it. I told everyone, and then, um…then they asked me t-t-to show them.” Why in the hell were so many tears coming to me so quickly all of a sudden?

Rune pulled me to his chest, squeezed me hard, but I wasn’t going to let myself stop now. “So, I tried to do it—I tried, I swear it. I just…I-I-I couldn’t.” The laughs, the words, their fingers pointed at me—fuck,since when did all of thatstill hurt?

I’d gotten over it, damn it! I was so over all that bullshit.

Rune kissed the top of my head and held me to him, my cheek pressed to his chest so I heard how hard his heart was beating. How fast. How he was right there with me, wherever I was, in this fucked up state.

I wasn’t alone.

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