“There was another murder, just like the one I confessed to. The sergeant and the magistrate knew it wasn’t me because I was in prison when it happened, so they figured out the real murderer is still out there. They interrogated me again, and I told them the truth. I didn’t want to, at first, but what was the point? And you weren’t there anymore, so...” He let out a sigh. “They let me go with a warning, told me that if I know what’s good for me, I’ll leave Ingolstadt. The sergeant said he never wants to lay eyes on me again.”
“Were you punished?” she asked. “For helping me escape?”
“I was chained in a different cell,” he said. “It didn’t have a window. But you know how strong I am. It wasn’t that bad. I think the sergeant didn’t like that his guards had thrown you in a cell with me. With a man. A creature. So, he let that one go and didn’t punish me too hard for it.”
Seraphina realized she was still holding onto his cloak, her fingers twisted in the fabric, and she let go quickly, heat flooding her face. She took a step back and searched for her stick. What was she thinking, clinging to him like that? He’d just killed a man for her, torn him to bits so his body wouldn’t be found, andshe was shooting questions at him when anyone could walk in on them and see the blood still pooling on the ground.
“Follow me,” she said. “We need to get out of here.”
She led him out of the tunnel and up the stone steps. Rune walked close, so close she could feel him almost breathing down her neck. It was the middle of the day, and the city watch might be looking for her and Hartmann, so she navigated by memory, taking a longer, winding way through streets and alleys.
While she advanced with care, Seraphina couldn’t stop her thoughts from racing. The sergeant had been just in the end, letting Rune go. Men like him rarely admitted they’d been wrong. So, Rune had his freedom back. In a sense, he was freer than she was now, with the description of her face on wanted notices all over the city. But he’d killed someone for her, which meant he’d given up his freedom for her. They were both criminals, both fugitives, and they were stuck together. The thought should have frightened her, but instead, she felt relief. And that relief made her feel guilty. Her revenge plan had become his. She was a burden he didn’t deserve.
Another thing that shocked her was the way she sensed him move. Seraphina knew he didn’t do well in open spaces, but he seemed to be managing now, keeping up with her. That baffled her, because he’d refused to escape with her, but days later, when he’d been released, he’d found her in a crowd.
They reached the chandler’s shop near the western gate, and she led him through the front room, down the narrow hallway, to the little storage space she’d turned into a hideout. She knelt by the pile of broken furniture she’d been using for firewood and struck the tinder, coaxing a flame to life.
“Have you eaten?” she asked.
She pulled out a piece of bread she’d saved from yesterday and the jar of plum jam, which still had a little left clinging to the sides. Rune reached for them without answering, dippingthe bread directly into the jar and scraping the jam off with his fingers. He ate ravenously, and she felt an invisible claw squeeze around her heart. In the windowless cell, had they fed him at all?
“I’m sorry I don’t have more,” she said. “But I have this.”
She took out the kreuzers she’d earned singing and counted them one by one. There was enough to buy more food, maybe enough for a decent meal if she was strategic.
She stood.
“Stay here. I’ll go back to the market.”
“No,” Rune said, standing up as well. “They’re looking for you, but they’re not looking for me. I’m innocent now. Or at least, so they think.”
“How did you find me? How are you able to navigate the city? I know open spaces are hard for you.”
Seraphina knew she was doing it again – throwing questions at him, one after the other. And she knew he wasn’t good with questions. But so much had happened today, and her brain was on fire. She needed to understand, so she could reorient herself.
“I heard you sing,” he said. “I was released this morning, and the first thing I saw when I walked out of the prison was a notice with your description. I tried to force myself to go to the market, but it took hours. I stayed close to buildings, ducked into alcoves when it was too much. I had to stop so many times. But then I heard your voice. You were singing my songs. It was like your voice gave me strength, grounded my thoughts. I focused on you and only you, and I found you. Just in time, too. Hartmann spotted you the same moment I did.”
Seraphina felt heat rise to her face again. She bowed her head, not trusting herself to speak.
“Seraphina,” he said, his voice low. There was a hint of desperation in it that nestled right under her solar plexus. “You are my anchor. Before I heard your voice, I was ready to curl up in an alley and not move until night came. Or not move ever.”
A knot lodged in her throat. She bit her lip and nodded her head, because it was all she could manage. He made it sound like he couldn’t exist without her, not in this world, and it was true she’d once offered to be his guide. With his confession, he was asking her to make good on her promise.
She felt his hand on hers, and it took her a moment to realize he was trying to pry her fingers open. She let him take the coins.
“Wait for me,” he said. “I’ll bring food for both of us.”
“How? It will be hard for you, maybe impossible.”
How could she be his guide and his anchor, like he’d said, when she was a wanted person?
Anchor.
She liked the word more than she should have.
“I’ll know you’re waiting for me, and that will make me brave. I’ll think about your voice.”
Seraphina pressed her hand over her heart. Now she wished he would leave, so she could be alone with her thoughts. And at the same time, no, she didn’t want him to go. Rune was strong, basically invincible, but he was also vulnerable in ways people might take advantage of.
