Chapter 16

" I think we all could use a drink," I said, wiping away the speckles of blood scattered across my brow.

Frya nodded, her complexion still ghostly. Glasses clinked beneath her quaking hands as she poured three bourbons. Draining hers, then refilling, she returned to where we sat, passing each of us our drinks. It wasn't until we had finished two rounds did Arcturas trot inside, unrecognizable under scraps of sickly, grayish skin and dried blood.

Looking upon her, Frya gasped, her glass shattering across the floor. I jumped to collect the shards. Rune grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to my feet.

"Ell…Your back. It's… it's healed. There's nothing but scars there." He traced the patterns of raised, purple scar tissue across my skin.

Before I could lean into his touch, he jerked away, suddenly remembering who I truly was. I continued picking up the final shards of glass, hoping to distract myself from the feel of his fingers against my skin and the ripped tunic that now partially exposed my undergarments.

"I'm not really sure the extent of this power yet. It was enough to heal my wounds, I guess." Beckoning Arcturas over, I started picking the flesh from her fur. Her blood-soaked paws left prints across the hardwood and Frya, scowling about her floors, hobbled to the kitchen for a bucket of warm water.

"I guess you're probably wondering what the hell that was about." I glanced cautiously at Rune after discarding a bit of muscle tissue on to the hearth. He locked eyes with the flesh charring against hot coals.

"Maybe a little." He took the final swig of his drink, grimacing as it washed down his throat, and reached for the bottle Frya had brought over for a refill.

Continuing to groom Arcturas, who now lay contently on her side with legs fully stretched, I recounted my story to Rune. The key from Vikar, the creature in the flatlands, even my nightmares and what actually happened in the temple.

Once I began, I couldn't stop. Words escaped from my mouth like a landslide gaining momentum with each sentence. Everything poured from me until there was nothing left. I leaned my head into my hands, barely breathing, awaiting Rune's response.

"I see." He crossed his legs, tapping his empty glass with a slender index finger. "That explains a lot."

"I'm sorry I lied to you. I shouldn't have brought you into this. It was selfish of me." My voice trembled as I spoke. "I put you and Frya in danger."

"The bloodshed tonight was… shocking, but you don't scare me. I'm here. Frya's here. Regardless of who you are." Rune leaned across the table and kissed me softly. His touch was all the comfort I needed. I wanted to melt into him, leave the night behind, and float away in his scent.

So, what are we going to do now?" Frya cleared her throat from the kitchenette window.

Rune's lips parted from mine, leaving me yearning to fill the space they'd taken up.

"I'm assuming that others will come looking when those three," she nodded towards the courtyard, "don't return. It breaks my heart to say this, but you can't stay here, let alone in the city."

"I'll leave now, get out of the North. The sooner I'm away from here, the sooner you're safe," I said, sucking in a breath.

"You don't think I'll let you go alone, do you?" Rune's eyes ignited a molten gold as the corner of his mouth curled slightly into a mischievous smile.

"You're not coming. I can't ask that of you. You'd never be able to return. If they didn't think you were guilty of helping me now, they would if they caught both of us." Before I could continue to protest, he reached across the table and placed his hands on top of mine.

Staring at me with a burning intensity, his words were low, but unwavering as he spoke, "My life in Ursae was over the second I met you, Elpis. I'm coming with you."

It took a moment to comprehend the depth of his words. My full name whispered across his lips like an intoxicating melody. It took all of my strength to keep my jaw from dropping to the stained, rough tabletop beneath me.

"I don't have a plan, Rune. I don't know where I'm going or how I'll get there. How could I ask that of you? It's too dangerous."

"All the more reason for me to come with you. Plus, I have an idea, but it might be a little crazy." He squeezed my hand in reassurance.

Raising my gaze from our interlaced fingers, I noticed something about his features I hadn't recognized before. There was a shimmer, almost like the blur of heat rising off a concrete surface on a torched summer's day, drifting across his eyes. It was strange, but maybe it was the bourbon or the flicker of candlelight playing tricks.

"Venia," he said, and my back straightened against my chair. "No one goes in or out. You'd be safe there. No one would recognize you; you could start anew. Create the life you've always wanted. I have a distant family member remaining there. She wouldn't ask questions."

"I don't know…" I trailed off, lowering my eyes to my feet. I thought of the blonde goddess wrapping her long, burning fingers around my throat, the tips of her nails digging into my skin.

Rune was a genius or a complete madman for suggesting we willfully travel into her realm. I realized either way, we'd likely be killed. If we stayed, more city guards would come sniffing. If we went, we risked a fate against the Queen of Spring herself.

"Look, I'd say Canissa, but the North has pull there. Some loyalist would recognize you and report back to the Elders. I'm telling you, we could hide in plain sight in Venia. City folk are so focused on themselves, they would never notice us. I promise, this could work."

Rune's argument was convincing, but I was still hesitant. Something inside told me to find another route.

"He's right. They'll find you in Canissa and Aquilae is too far to travel. It's at least a two week long ride." Frya returned with warmed cinnamon biscuits and jam, plopping a sudsy bucket and rag beside me. "Plus, those roads are treacherous, especially for those wishing to remain unseen. The only safe passage is the main trade line and you can be sure it'll be flooded with guards. Venia is the unexpected plan."

"Yeah, because no one in their right mind would willingly visit the Eastern Realm." I countered, "Unfortunately, all other plans end in imprisonment or death so… I hope we don't regret this."

Rune stood from his seat and knelt before me and rested his hands on both of my knees. He looked up at me through brown, unkempt locks. "I promise you, Lady Elpis, I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe with me."

He smiled, then erupted into laughter, his shoulders shaking with each escaping snicker.

"Who am I kidding?" he snorted. "You'll be the one protecting my ass. Tell me, did you actually melt the skin from that horrible woman, or was I imagining that?"

I couldn't help but chuckle along with him, feeling the weight of my lungs lessen. It should have been concerning how lightheartedly we spoke of melting flesh and gruesome bloodshed, but I embraced the easiness of the room around us and allowed myself a smile.

"I'm not sure, but that definitely was real." The laughter faded as we looked at each other. Entirely aware that his hands still rested gently on my kneecaps, I adjusted uncomfortably and cleared my throat.

"You are such a strange creature," he said, and a shimmer around his face flickered. Rune must have caught my expression as I watched the blur shift across his nose, because he rose to his feet abruptly, collected the glasses and empty bourbon bottle, and returned them to the bar.

"Are you going to be okay here?" I asked the barkeep I cherished so deeply.

"Dear, I've been okay here longer than you've even been alive. I'll be fine. The guards'll come asking questions, but nothing I can't handle."

"I wish you could come with us, but I can't ask you to take any more risks than you already have. You've done so much already."

She smiled sadly and stroked Arcturas behind the ear.

"Hand me that rag," Frya said, washing away the remaining grime from her pelt. "Stay until dawn. I'll pack you some rations for the travel and there's some old clothes upstairs you can take."

There was a forcefulness in her tone, as if she were holding back tears. I stared into the soapy bucket, afraid that if I looked at the barkeep, I, too, would lose control.

"Frya, I…" my voice cracked, and I swallowed the sob now rising in my throat, "I don't know if I could ever thank you enough."

She took my hand. The wrinkled skin was rough and colder than the snow falling outside, but I didn't jerk away. I squeezed her fingers between mine and risked a glance up at her, feeling a tear roll down my cheek.

"You'll always have a home here," she said, her eyes glistening. With a sad goodnight, Frya retired upstairs. Only the embers popping from the hearth filled the quiet.

"I should dash home, say my goodbyes to my uncle, and pack a bag. I'll be back before dawn," Rune said, interrupting the thoughts racing through my mind. Leaning next to me, he tipped my chin up towards him so our noses nearly touched.

"It'll be okay," he whispered, the sound like velvet in my ear. He lowered his lips and brushed a gentle kiss across mine, causing a flutter to push the heartache away.

"I know," I lied. The weight of the night pressed the walls in on me, and I knew in my bones that nothing would be okay again. Not for Rune, not for Frya, and most certainly not for me.

Later, laying beneath my scratchy quilt, sleep didn't find me. The worry of what tomorrow would yield tightened its grip around my neck, and the inexplicable events of tonight clawed at my throat. I unleashed something within me, let it rise to the surface and take control. Something filled with darkness, so violently all-consuming.

Images of Hela's boiling skin flashed every time my eyes drifted shut- another nightmare to add to my collection, I supposed. I let my hatred towards the old chambermaid take hold.

Polaris had told me this unmeasurable power had always been there, but that unsettled me more. There was something, once locked away, that was now coursing through me. How long until it devoured anything and everything that remained of me?

Arcturas, feeling my body trembling, nuzzled against my chest and tucked her snout into the crease of my neck. Her slow, steady heartbeat calmed my own as I focused on the feel of her fur against my cheek and the cold wetness of her nose by my ear. Collecting my thoughts with each gentle stroke down her muscular back, I couldn't help but feel our connection pulsating between us. Like an electric current, jolting from wolf to mortal.

From monster to monster.

We were the same, the two of us. She didn't hesitate to pounce when I needed her, just as I didn't hesitate to pluck her tiny body up from the barren, frozen ground.

Heartbeats syncing into one monotonous rhythm, we both finally drifted to sleep, with only a few hours remaining before dawn's approach .