Rune Stealer

The Boys

I felt my head cave in as a large fist forced me back onto the gray stone of the small room that already held so many memories. Pain erupted from my split lip, swollen cheek, and bruised temple, but I welcomed it. I needed something to snap me back to reality and away from these relentless emotions.

Kian towered over me as I spat red onto the gray floor; his hatred for me was tangible. "How long have you been waiting to do this?" I reposted, but almost instantly regretted it as Kian's foot made contact with my ribs. I needed to learn how to keep my mouth shut. As I sucked in air, Kian reached down and yanked me up by my hair. He looked at me as if I was the end product of a cow's cud. I flashed him my bloody teeth in response.

Just as I opened my mouth to voice another sarcastic comment, Kian tossed me to the stone floor once again then stalked out of the wretched room.

Moments later, Mercy, accompanied by a palace soldier, opened the door and ushered me back to my chambers to clean my bloody face.

At high noon, days later, I sprawled across my enormous bed with my nose buried deep within the emerald book. Even as my eyes flitted across the page, taking in every word, I was ever aware of the guard that was posted outside my door ever since the "incident". I was desperate to go out to the stables and would just about to anything to do so. Unfortunately, the guard didn't have a rune, so I couldn't force my way out. His mind also had a force just about as strong as Kian's, but it felt hollow; just another dumb brute.

I fondled the healing cut on my lip with my tongue as I read about a girl's adventure to find her kidnapped brother whilst finding love along the way. As I read the last words of the book, sadness overcame me. I had just finished a glorious book and I hadn't wanted it to end. Shutting the green book gently, I let my hand rest on the decrepit green cover before hugging the masterpiece to my chest.

I replayed the final chapter in my head and I willed my heart to not feel so empty. I contemplated opening the book once more and reading it all over again when a brown book on my night stand caught my attention. Cress said that that book was good as well, but I couldn't bring myself to pick it up. I was still hung up on the emerald book.

My final option was to go sit in the study for a bit, but I quickly remembered that it was locked from the inside since that day.

Out of options, I turned over to take a nap. Just as my body started to feel heavy, a loud pounding startled me awake. I sat up instantly, groaning loudly and then reluctantly got up and plodded over to the door. My plodding turned into trotting when I realized that it could be food on the other side of that door.

I threw open the door excitably and was extremely disappointed. It was only Kian and he didn't look any happier to see me than I him.

"The King wishes to speak to you," he informed stoically. I groaned as my stomach growled sadly.

"And so he shall," I sighed.

***

"Oh Saar!" I exclaimed when I threw open the door to the familiar room. "How I have missed your face." Saar looked up from a scroll he was reading while he sat at a desk and smiled weakly as I sauntered into the room.

"And I, you," said King Saar, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"I have noticed," I began as I placed my palms on the desk and leaned toward him, "that your left eyebrow twitches when you lie."

Saar's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. "Well that's absurd."

"There you go again," I chimed, pointing at the King's eyebrow. "Twitch." I let Saar breathe a couple angry breaths before I snatched the scroll from his hands and pretended to read it. "So who am I going to torment next," I asked nonchalantly.