“It does end here, or it’s your life. Your choice. But you know who you’re fucking with if you decide to try anything.” I waited for him to say something, and when he didn’t and glared instead, I glanced at Fergus and jerked my chin at the man-child. “Take him back to his kingdom and leave him. Should he come back, I’ll know.”
I refused to end his life as much as he was begging for it. I hated ending lives, but my warning wasn’t an empty threat by any means.
Two of Fergus’s men stepped forward and grabbed the seething king from the ground as I took a step back. My back pressed more against my horse. He stepped back with me while keeping the contact as I put some space between the men and me.
The man-child fought against the men, yelling and throwing his tantrum as he tried to break their hold. When he headbutted one and dove into the other’s neck and bit a chunk out, I stepped forward and raised my hand as my dagger appeared in my grip. I thrust it into his shoulder, twisted, then pulled it out in a breath. He bellowed, his body sagging for a moment before he twisted harder in the men’s grip. The two who held him didn’t make a sound despite their own pain caused by this fool.
Grabbing his ear from beneath the curtain of his hair, I sliced it off and felt a moment of satisfaction from his pain and screams. Then it was gone. I frowned as I stepped back and threw the bloody ear to the side.
With the pain and a little bit of blood loss, he passed out and slumped in his captors’ hold, who grunted from the dead weight.
Foolish human. With the slightest of torture and pain, he lost conciseness and proved he was weak. His reasons alone for starting this war were weak and human.
“Why are you doing this?” Fergus asked, breaking my gaze from the bloody, unconscious man to him.
I stared at him for a moment, feeling everyone holding their breath again as they waited for my answer. Like anything I said would answer the universe’s biggest questions and give them a higher purpose than to just live life.
Turning away from him, I mounted my horse and grabbed the reins as he sidestepped to get ready for our travel back to our home realm. I glanced at Fergus again and sighed.
“Because her cries kept me up at night. Leave now and go to her.”
Fergus drew his eyebrows together as he gazed at me with curiosity. I didn’t want to answer any more questions and wanted to leave to spend time with the man who always made me feel better after I harmed someone with joy. Giving Fergus a nod goodbye, I squeezed my legs on my horse, and he carried me away from the battlefield.
Thunder rolled with bright flashes of lightning as we rode to the tree line where we came from to go toward the battle. The drums beat a few more times before ending.
I lowered my eyes and watched his wet brown mane flutter in the wind. His head moved along with his gallops, and his breaths huffed as he kept at the same fast pace to get me away from the others. He wanted me safe, even though nothing would ever happen to me.
“We’re stopping somewhere tonight before we head back to Azola,” I murmured, knowing he heard me over the pounding of his hooves and pouring rain.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Snapping my eyes open, I lifted my head and blinked away the blur from sleep. Something woke me up and had me holding my breath as I waited for something to happen. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck and arms raised as something felt off.
What woke me up?
Swallowing to wet my dry mouth and throat, I blinked a few more times to clear my vision. It was dark, and barely any moonlight came from outside, but it gave me enough light to look around the room.
My heart dropped, and my head whipped to the side as I reached behind me for Rune and found his spot empty. My fingers brushed against something hard with a leather feel to it. Turning, my heart dropped when I noticed his sheathed sword at where he had slept.
I scrambled to my feet, barely registering that I was dressed again, which I was sure Rune did for me while I slept.
“Rune?” I whispered as I glanced around the small room for him.
Silence.
Reaching through our link, I searched for him and couldn’t find his touch. Couldn’t find his warmth and familiarity.
Oh god. Oh god...
A lump rose in my throat as I tried to calm my breathing while I stood frozen in my spot. My eyes stared at one place, not able to look away as I tried to calm down and not spiral into a panic attack. And I didn’t know what to do if I went into one because Rune wasn’t here to hold me and tell me I was safe.
Something was wrong.
He wouldn’t leave me and not reach out to me through our link, especially in the middle of the night. It wasn’t like him because he’d comfort me and make sure I knew he was okay. He knew my fears...
Tears stung my eyes as I gasped for breaths and wrapped my arms around my middle. It took every bit of my will to raise my eyes and search for him again as I panted with soft cries.
What was wrong with me?
