Page 9 of Witch Unbound
“There is no more time.” The sentinels drew closer and Loke positioned himself between them and me. “Your world still needs you, Cora. Your friends and your mates need you. Your story can’t end here.”
My heart warred with my mind. The thread between me and Rune still thrummed, telling me therewastime, but the sentinels argued otherwise. If I left, then there was no doubt in my mind our connection would be gone, and the seal would be at risk. Maybe we could find a way to plug the hole Rune left, but if I never made it back, there would be no hope for the seal at all.
I couldn’t allow myself to be destroyed because that would mean dooming humanity.
“Cora, hurry,” Loke said.
Instead of taking Loke’s hand, I turned to Rune one last time. “I’m sorry, Rune.”
I grabbed his shoulders, pushed up on tiptoes, and kissed him hard on the mouth, chest swelling with sobs, because this was goodbye for real.
Low growls tore at the silence.
“Dammit, woman.” Loke snagged me around the waist.
I didn’t fight him, but I kept my attention on Rune’s frozen expression, memorizing his every feature for the last time. “I love you, Rune.”
He blinked and focused on me.
“Rune?”
Loke wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest.
Rune’s eyes flew wide. “Cora?”
“Rune!” The world melted away.
* * *
“No!”I thrashed against Loke’s grip, but he was no longer there.
I was back in the amber light with a heavy heart and a scream of frustration trapped in my throat.
“He saw me. Rune saw me. He knew my name, and you made me leave.” I jabbed a finger at the air, rage leaving me shaking.
“Not I, Cora. Tarrifel is a world with its own rules. You did not belong. Your time was up. It’s a testament to your power that you were able to linger for those extra precious moments.”
“Bullshit. Fucking bullshit. I could have reached him. One more minute was all I needed.” I glared at the light. “Fucking show yourself.” I needed a focus for my rage.
“Maybe you did reach him,” she said so softly I almost didn’t catch it.
My breath stalled. “What do you mean?”
“Look inside, Cora.”
What was she talking about? Look inside? Inside myself? The threads…was she talking about the connections? I reached inside and found Tor, Leif, and…Rune. He was there. Still connected.
Oh, shit.
“There is no more time for you, Cora, but there is a little time for Rune. It’s up to him now.”
“Are you saying he can find his way back?”
“It can be done. It has been done. But it’s rare.”
If Rune remembered me, then he’d do everything he could to get back to me, to us. “I need to go home. I need to tell the others.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
