7. Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
“Rune?”
His hands spread against my back, keeping me pressed against him, as the ground shook beneath us then rose behind him.
Was the ground helping us up?
I tried to move away, but he kept me close until we were upright, standing when we should have splattered in the grass. I glanced behind him to a dirt ramp that we slid down. It lowered back into the flat earth it was before. That’s when I noticed a smirk out the corner of my eye.
“You did that?” I asked, still being held by the man I’d thought of more times than I should have since parting.
Doors behind us slammed open followed by footsteps and murmuring. “Rune!”
That sounded like Tor.
Leaning to my right, I peered around Rune’s body to see a crowd of people running for us in the gardens.
My mother called for me. A hand blocked my view to move a thick curl away from my face and tucked it behind my ear.
Rune watched me, his lips no longer lifted.
“Great catch. Princess, are you all right?” Tor stopped beside us, wide eyes staring.
Rune released me and took a step back.
My heart raced behind my rib cage. What was happening right now?
Tor’s hand cupped the side of my face and a growling noise echoed from behind me. It was low, deep, and like that of a wild animal giving a warning.
“I’m all right,” I said, watching as Tor looked me over with pinched eyebrows. Then, he looked at Rune.
Did they know each other?
My mother pushed the prince out of the way, and I was too smushed against her neck to analyze them further.
“Guards, grab the intruder!” my father yelled, and I reached out.
“No!” I said at the same time as Tor. He placed his body between Crysian guards and Rune. My mother stepped back and cleared her throat.
“Lachan, honestly. This man saved Sapphira. We all watched her fall, and he dove right over the balcony to catch her. He’s our hero.”
My father scoffed and pointed at Rune who narrowed his eyes at the king.
Tor stepped closer to the king. “He’s my brother. First born heir to the kingdom of Regno De Lupi. He used his power over the earth to subdue those forces in black armor and save the princess.”
My hand warmed and tingled. I think that meant he was telling the truth.
“He was ordered by my father to escort me to the kingdom.” My stomach sank with each word flowing from Tor’s lips. My hand turned icy cold. Lie.
“I apologize for not introducing him before,” Tor continued. “He’d come on another ship that was supposed to arrive in the morning but apparently came sooner than expected.”
Lie, lie, lie.
The king watched the brothers with calculating eyes.
Mother assessed the situation with an arched brow and placed a hand on my father’s shoulder.
“Princes of Regno De Lupi, please follow us inside. There appears much to discuss.” She smiled at them and Tor straightened. “Nyx, please see to Sapphira and make sure she finds her room.”
I’d been so distracted, I hadn’t seen Nyx standing nearby with shaky hands. Given permission, she rushed over, bottom lip quivering as she checked me for injury.
Tor looked at Nyx once with an expressionless face, then his features softened when he faced me. “I’m glad you’re safe, Sapphira. I’ll see you soon.” He bowed his head and shot his brother a look.
His brother.
Rune.
That was not a lie.
“Are you okay?” Nyx whispered as her gaze shifted toward my parents’ retreating forms.
Heat washed over me, and I felt him watching me.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” I said but I wasn’t sure if the words were meant for her or for Rune. He saved me. Dove off the balcony to catch me and used his powers to keep us from death.
Rune’s mouth parted, and I swayed an inch in his direction. His lips shut and he turned without saying anything.
“Goodness. Look at you swaying around. We need to get you inside.” Nyx pulled me into her side and led me forward.
I wasn’t traumatized from the attack or even falling.
I had hope turning my skin hard as diamond would have protected me.
Perhaps that was something I’d test in the future, from shorter distances of course.
What had my stomach churning and my chest tightening was the fact that the stranger I’d felt something powerful and unyielding for was the brother to my future husband.
I was fucked and I didn’t even realize how much this changed the trajectory of my life forever.