Page 85 of Between Smoke and Shadow
“Yes,” I say, surprised when my voice cracks. A rogue tear slides down my face, and Harrick’s hand is immediately there, wiping it away.
“And Harrick Ademas,” Tora says, shifting to look at him “With your word and your name, do you vow to protect Rune’s heart and love her for the remainder of your days?”
“Yes,” he says. He keeps one hand on my face, and the other grasped between both of mine. He smiles at me with so muchlove it sends a physical ache through my chest. “I will love you forever, Rune.”
“I love you,” I whisper back, fighting another wave of tears.
“Sign here,” Tora says. She lays the parchment on the foot of Harrick’s bed, and he signs his name in beautiful calligraphy. Once he’s done, she turns the paper to me. My hand trembles and there’s a good chance I’ve misspelled my name, but it’s there.
When I return the pen to Tora, she glances over both signatures before adding her own.
“There,” she says. She blows out a heavy breath, pausing to dab at her eyes. “It’s done. Welcome to the family,PrincessRune.”
Hours after marrying Harrick,I walk the third level of the Tower alone. He’d wanted us to spend the rest of the day in his quarters, and it took more willpower than I knew I had to say no. Even now, my body is itching in frustration. I could be lying in a luxurious bed with the world’s most wonderful man—myhusband—and instead I’m here, counting dingy doors on a low level servant floor.
The one I need is marked by peeling paint and a cracked doorway, and within it, Vale sits in the far corner. The brief splinter of light casts over his face, showing his drawn expression. He looks like absolute shit, and I feel an immediate pang of guilt.
I may have had the best day of my life today, but he clearly hasn’t.
“This better be important,” is his greeting.
I leave a crack of light for the room and crouch at his side. I unzip the front of my coverall, just far enough to pull out a single folded map. It’s strange knowing I won’t escape with my faction as I originally planned, but I know deep in my soul, this is for the best. Not only for me, but for all the rebels. For all of Savoa, hopefully.
Once Harrick is king and I am queen, we will work to get that magic redistributed. I haven’t spoken to him about it —he doesn’t even know I’m aware the bunker exists. Still, I know who Harrick is in his heart, and I trust he will do what’s right. It won’t matter if we have to face the Architect himself—we will fight to save this kingdom, and we will do it together. Maybe someday, Vale will come back to help, but for now, I want to give him the thing he desires most: his freedom.
Using the light from the hallway, I show Vale the map.
“Is that?—”
“An escape route,” I confirm. It was crafted by Harrick himself, the surest way to get out without getting caught. “If you can make it through here, you’ll get out before anyone realizes you’re missing.”
There’s a long stretch of silence as Vale studies the map. He scoffs, tapping the exit point.
“This goes into a wall,” he says, lifting an unimpressed eyebrow.
“It’s a secret door, hidden by a bookshelf. You’ll see it once you’re in there. It will lead to some stairs, and at the bottom, a tunnel.”
“A tunnel?” Vale repeats. He narrows his eyes at me. “The Tower doesn’t have tunnels.”
“Just like it doesn’t have a bunker full of magic,” I snap, then soften my voice. “Trust me, Vale. This is your route.”
“I’m supposed to believe you just happen to know about a secret passageway? And that you didn’t know about it untilnow?” he demands. He takes the map from me, turning it as if expecting to find a hidden agenda. “What aren’t you telling me, Rune? And why are you talking like you aren’t coming?”
“Because I’m not,” I say. I let out a tight breath. “I’m working on something, something that I think will help Savoa. I need time though, and I need…I need to be here to do it.”
Vale’s lips form a tight line, and his eyes scrutinize my face. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, only that he’s not convinced.
“Trust me, Vale,” I say. “I realize I’m not giving you much to go off, but I need you to believe me. The map is good, I promise.”
“Fine,” he says.
He’s no more than said the word when he lunges forward. At first, I think he’s attacking. He clamps a hand over my mouth, pressing hard enough my jaw will bruise. It’s only when I hear a distant yell that I realize he’s acting on instinct. Someone is screaming—and they’re coming this way.
I hold my breath, praying it has nothing to do with us. Somehow, deep in my gut, I know it does.
An old man with weathered skin bursts into the closet, throwing the door shut behind him. I only saw a flicker of his face, but it was enough to recognize him. Arnelian. One of the rebels who’d joined in the days before I became Viana’s handmaiden. He collapses against the door, panting hard.
“He. Knows.” Arnelian is breathing so hard he’s difficult to understand. “He knows. And they’re coming.Now.”
