Page 162 of Lifebound

My hands closed around my mouth. Rune chuckled in my ear, but I was too distracted by this fucking kingdom made out of gold in front of me to feel anything about it.

My God, it was nothing at all like I imagined, nothing like any place in Verenthia had been until now. It was an entire city made of gold and I couldn’t even blink as I took in all the details.

Pillars held up this wide bridge that began at the edge of a forest, over water that didn’t glow, snaking its way all around the outer walls of the Court. The pillars were dressed in gold, and so was the bridge. It led to these wide stairs that ended with large gates, also made out of gold.

Beyond them, from what I could see from the high wall, were just rooftops of houses, white and golden. Ahead in the distance was a castle with a million towers, gleaming golden, reaching so high it probably touched the sky, and the entire place was full of golden lights floating in the air, possibly every few feet.

Flames burned on large torches atop the wall that went so far and so wide I couldn’t see the ends of it. It was massive, so much bigger than I’d imagined, and it looked unreal. A place pulled out of a dream.

But then I looked in the distance on the other side, and I saw more colors in the dark, far,faraway. They burned orange and white and blue, if my eyes could see properly. They kind of looked like the aurora borealis in my world, though I’d never seen it in real life, just pictures on the Internet.

“That’s the Midnight Court,” said Rune when he saw me looking, his voice lower, full of emotion. “Next to it is the Unseelie Court, and between them and the Seelie Court is the Frozen Court.”

I nodded. “The Court of the Queen youdidn’tkill.” Because I’d die before anybody could convince me otherwise. I’d fucking die.

Rune kissed the back of my head and hugged me to his chest from behind. “You’re one of a kind, wildling. In your world and mine.”

My toes curled and I leaned my head to the side, held on to his forearms over my chest.

I’m all yours,I thought but couldn’t say it. Not yet.

“I’m ready, Rune,” I said instead. “I’m ready to put this journey behind us for good and heal the prince.”

Another kiss on my head. “Then climb on my back, and I’ll take you there.”

“I don’t need to—I can walk,” I said, but Rune shook his head.

“It’s safer if I carry you. The terrain is slippery and steep.”

It really was—the rock where we were standing was really high, almost as high as those stairs over the bridge that led to the Seelie Court. It continued farther on the other side where I couldn’t even see in the dark. It was vast, the surface uneven, full of sharp edges—and a hole somewhere in the middle where tendrils of smoke were slowly coming out.

“Is that…”

“Yes,” Rune said. “That’s where we came out. The water is still boiling.”

“How long?”

“About an hour ago.”

“Well, fuck.” That part I hadn’t really thought through. I’d been busy trying to make it out alive.

“Come on, Wildcat.” Rune stepped in front of me and turned his back. “Hop on. We still have a little way to go.”

Taking in a deep breath, I looked up at the sky again and prayed—I wasn’t sure what for specifically, just that everything ended well and there were no more surprises on the way.

Then, I pulled up the skirt of my dress and climbed on Rune’s back, locked my arms and legs around him tightly.

He turned his head to the side. “Comfortable?”

I kissed his cheek with my whole heart. “You’re the most comfortable horse I’ve ever ridden.”

Laughter, pure and loud came out of him, unlike any sound I’d ever heard before. It filled me up with energy like I’d slept for weeks and had just eaten the feast of my life.

“I’m honored, Wildcat,” he said and leaned down to kiss my forearm that was over his shoulder. My heart all but burst into fireworks. “Hold on tight.”

And so, Rune carried me all the way to that bridge on his back without another word.

forty-two

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