Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth, #1) (34)
This fight would never truly be his. And it was unfair to expect him to continually put himself at risk for her.
She was being selfish.
A too-familiar ache swelled beneath Rune’s rib cage as she glanced down at the spell book gripped to her chest, thinking of Nan. Remembering a time when she’d felt whole and seen and understood. A time when she hadn’t felt so utterly alone.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Nan is gone. You can’t undo the past. You can only go forward and make things better in the future. That’s what Nan would want you to do.
“If I go back to school, I’ll need somewhere to live,” said Alex, no longer looking at her, but staring toward the window. “There’s a house for sale near the harbor, close enough to the school. If it seems like a good fit, I’m going to buy it.”
Rune nodded, even though she didn’t like the sound of this one bit.
“If I buy it, I want you to come with me.”
“For an entire month?” She shook her head. There was no way. How many witches would die in that time? Even one was too many. “If you help me rescue Seraphine, I promise to go with you—but only for a week.”
“Two weeks,” he pressed, turning his attention to her and folding his arms over his chest, like that was his final offer.
Just then, someone rapped on the door.
They both froze.
“It’s me,” said Verity from the other side.
Rising to her feet, Rune shot Alex a look that said, We can talk about this later, and opened the door.
While Verity scrubbed the blood off her door and Alex mopped the floor, Rune picked up the pieces of her broken vial. Dropping the glass shards into a wastebasket, she glanced over at her childhood friend.
Alexander Sharpe was one of only two people in the world she could trust without a second thought. Imagining him in Caelis, so far away, filled her with a sadness so deep, she wanted to sink to the floor and cry.
What would she do without him?
* * *
WHEN RUNE RETURNED TO Wintersea House, a telegram was waiting for her.
Expecting it to be a reminder for the Creeds’ masked ball tomorrow night, she opened it intending to skim and set it aside when she noticed the sender had included their address: Old Town. It was an industrial part of the capital, full of tradespeople and day laborers and other working-class families.
None of her friends lived there.
Curious, she turned her full attention on the message.
MISS RUNE WINTERS
WINTERSEA HOUSE
I APOLOGIZE FOR MOVING SO QUICKLY LAST NIGHT. IF YOU’RE NOT PUT OFF BY ME YET, I MAY HAVE A SOLUTION TO YOUR PREDICAMENT REGARDING THE LUMINARIES DINNER.
GIDEON
A solution?
Verity’s warnings clanged through Rune as she remembered how close she’d come to letting Gideon kiss her. How much further would he have gone if she’d let him?
With past suitors, Rune had always drawn a line at kissing. She never, under any circumstances, went further than that. Having this rule made her feel like she was still in control. Like she couldn’t totally lose herself, no matter how desperate things got.
This is a second chance to find out where they’re holding Seraphine, she told herself, silently apologizing to Verity. I have to take it.
She dictated her response to Lizbeth, who took it to the telegraph office.
GIDEON SHARPE
113 PRUDENCE ST, OLD TOWN
I’M INTRIGUED. TELL ME MORE.
RUNE
P.S. IF ANYONE NEEDS TO APOLOGIZE FOR LAST NIGHT, IT’S THE PERSON WHO RUINED YOUR JACKET.
A reply arrived in the afternoon.
IT WILL BE EASIER TO SHOW YOU. ARE YOU FREE TOMORROW AT 10 A.M.? IF SO, MEET ME AT THIS ADDRESS.
GIDEON
P.S. I PROMISE TO GO SLOW THIS TIME.
SEVENTEEN
GIDEON
ON HIS WAY TO the boxing arena that evening, Gideon stopped by the telegraph office and retrieved Rune’s reply.
LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING SLOW.
RUNE
He smiled as he read it. He felt better tonight. Rested and ready. If Rune was the Moth, he would find out tomorrow morning.
He was still smiling as he entered the boxing ring, stripped off his shirt, and slid on his gloves, preparing to warm up. He was so lost in his plans that he didn’t notice when the doors of the arena burst open and his brother stormed in.
“What the hell are you up to?”
The tone of Alex’s voice wiped the smile off Gideon’s face. He turned to see his brother drop his boxing bag and tug off his shirt. Grabbing his gloves, Alex ducked under the ropes and stepped into the ring with him.
“Nice to see you, too, Alex.”
“Coming to Rune’s party last night? Going off alone with her?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Gideon noticed the other men in the arena glancing their way.
“I—”
“You can’t stand Rune Winters.” Alex dropped into a crouched stance directly across from Gideon without warming up.
He couldn’t tell Alex the truth, because Alex would tell Rune everything. He wouldn’t care that Gideon suspected she might be the Moth, or that he could be in danger. Alex assumed the best of people.
“Maybe I changed my mind,” said Gideon, falling into his fighting stance.