“I…” I lean my elbows on my knees. “I think they are madness. The Vitalis is likely a book written to read to children before they slumber. Nothing more than a tale of greed.”
Greed. That’s exactly what Sable would be after.
Why didn’t I see the pattern before?
Does that mean there is a book?
“You think runes never existed?”
“I didn’t say that,” I bark. Reality settles into my bones. “I think they existed; you can’t have smoke without a fire. I don’t think they were ever as powerful as the stories claim.”
“Why not?”
“Nothing that powerful can be silenced, which makes me question their power in the first place. Maybe a mage just cleverly crafted an enchantment, and people embellished it over time.”
“I have to believe those bedtime stories are true, Selene. Everett said that when I find the Vitalis, his time-weaving magic will return to the land. I’ll be free.”
“And then what?” I question sternly.
His tongue twists. His answer is sour, but he’s going to force it down. “Everett wanted me to rule and keep the runes safe,” he admits bitterly.
“Rule?” My eyes blink more frequently than ripples dance across the water after someone throws a stone in. “So, it’s a crown you seek,” I spew.
“The crown Everett placed on my head is that of a melting delusion. If I could pull the crown off, I would. I never lusted for power, only freedom and safety for my family. I don’t want castle walls made of slick, polished stone to cage me, Selene. I want a stone that is rough, not fancy. Porous, so memories of my family can seep into them. I want to sleep knowing that when I wake, I do not have to fight for a man who hides behind high walls and wears a crown, collecting more maps of land he owns, but never earned! But here I am!”
He slaps the floor of the castle.
“Tasked with finding an old book, but then what, Selene? If this book is so powerful, do I just cast it aside, give it to Galen to use? Or another king? I didn’t want this! But I’m brave, or foolish enough, to see this task through. One battle at a time, I will end this. I will find the book, I will understand the runes, and I will keep them safe.”
“You are one man against an army, Titus.”
“That is the life of a soldier, Selene.”
Why do I want to hug him, scoop him up, and place him somewhere safe?
His chest heaves. “I know my words are treason,” he mutters in fear.
“That does not scare me.” I smirk. “I plot to kill Galen daily.”
Titus’s nostrils flare as he shifts back an inch.
“Joking.”
“Who is lying now?” His lips twitch in amusement.
For the next few moments, we both sit in silence as the weight of everything settles upon us. “I will help you,” I voice, but he stays silent. His burden is so heavy, it’s hard for him totalk, eat, or even see the rising sun and feel the freedom of a new day.
I think it was I who was meant to free you, Titus.
I try to make Titus laugh because his smile is like spotting a rainbow. “Your silence is spreading wider than a mistress’s thighs, Titus. Say something. Amuse me.” I poke his side, but all I feel is hard muscle.
Good, that caused some color to splash onto his pale cheeks again.
“Where is my ‘thank you’?” I add.
“I feel like I owe you an apology, Queen Selene.”
“Friends do not use fancy titles. When it is just us, I am Selene. But be careful. No one can suspect what our truth is,” I warn.
