“What are you doing?” she cried, hitting his chest with her small fists. “Why! Why would you do this when I finally have you again?”
“Alora…” Rune cupped her face and her tears rolled down her cheek, landing on his. His throat tightened. “Listen to me.”
“No.” Her fingers wrapped around his wrists.
Her hands were warm. Alive. Too alive for the path either of them had chosen.
“What you told me in the throne room,” Alora said, her voice breaking. “That was you declaring me your successor, wasn’t it? You had me sit in your place because you were not going to be here to fill it. After everything we endured, why are you leaving me?”
For a moment, the world narrowed to the space between them.
Rune yanked her down, holding her tightly against his chest.
He had been carefully arranging the pieces as a man prepares his own grave, careful and thorough, so she would not have to. Hoping she would not realize it until it was too late.
“No matter how much we prepare …none of us will survive Vorak’s coming,” Rune murmured. “The only way to stop him is to seal the Rift thatIcreated.”
She pulled back, anger and love warring in her teary gaze “You don’t know that. You have given up before we tried to fight him!”
He sighed. “Songbird?—”
“Why is it that when I need you to be selfish, you choose not to be?”
Because when it truly mattered, his first instinct was to always put her first.
“I have been selfish my entire existence, Alora.” Rune sat up, his throat tightening. “I waited until the last possible day to do this to have as much time as I could with you. You think this isn’t difficult for me? I want a life with you. I wanted everything…that we should have had.” He brushed her stomach lightly and her face fell. “But I will not let you sacrifice yourself for me again.”
Tears welled on her lashes. “Why must it be you?”
Because the Fates had foretold it so from the beginning. He had not forgotten the prophecy they had given him.
When storm-winds swarm and the Heavens bleed,
The curse will wake, and the dark will feed.
To tip the scales, the star must rend,
Or thy bloom will wilt to Death’s own end.
He had always known what star the Fates meant.
The words echoed through the bond and Alora’s eyes widened. Her breath quickened, her complexion going pale.
She shook her head. “No.”
“Alora—”
“I refuse to believe there is no other way.” She launched to her feet and shouted at the sky, “Sunnëva!”
The name reverberated, echoing through shadow and stone.
Rune got to his feet. “Why are you calling her?”
“Because this was what she was waiting for.” Alora scowled. “Sunnëva! I know you hear me!”
Frost bloomed across the floor in answer, creeping along the walls like veins of ice until the air itself chilled. From the misted air Sunnëva appeared, serene as ever, her hair pale as dawn fire, her blue eyes lit with quiet knowing.
Sunnëva smiled with that strange, knowing curve of lips that carried the weight of a thousand veiled riddles. “Took you long enough.”
