Rune Stealer

Cress

"Please explain to me," Started Kian as we walked to the stables, "your rule again."

I narrowed my eyes at him and said, "I only hurt those who deserve it." Kian grasped my arm suddenly and jerked me back to stand in front of me.

"Now explain to me-"

"I do not need to explain myself to you!" I exploded. Kian blinked and opened his mouth to say something, but I beat him to it. "I just do as I'm told because I'm held by your father against my will." I was steaming by now. My blood was boiling hot and I just couldn't stop. "Now why don't you tell me what your rule is? You're not held against your will. You're not blackmailed. You are no better than me you son of a-"

"You have no right to talk to me in that manner!" Kian's blood was just as hot as mine.

My mouth shut with an audible snap. Scowling, I inched dangerously closer to Kian so that I could feel our breaths meet in the air between us.

"You are no better than me, prince," I hissed. "You could very easily march back into that house and give that pitiful man back his money, just like how you want to ever so badly. Then you could go grab some of your thousands of coins and give that to your father." I sucked in a breath, keeping contact with Kian's eyes. "But you won't, will you?" When Kian looked away, I sighed. "Now who's really the bad guy?"

Before Kian could do anything, I spun on my heel and sped walked into the stable. As soon as I got to Story's stable I fumbled with the knot that tied her to the railing.

What's wrong, asked Story noticing my anxiousness.

"Nothing," I said through clenched teeth. Finally, I got the knot undone and I jumped onto Story. Go, I ordered Story.

Yes ma'am.

***

Kian and I did not stop once on the way back to the palace. Neither of us wanted to spend the night together in the forest so we just kept riding till we made it back to the palace. It had just hit twilight when Story and I trotted into the stables and Kian and his horse were a few minutes behind.

Once we got in the palace, Kian led me down unfamiliar hallways; we obviously weren't going to the small room I was oh so familiar with. I came to the conclusion that we were going to the King's chambers to give to him what we had sought out to get.

Kian stopped in front of a door that didn't look any grander than the next. When he raised his hand to knock, I stepped in front of him, twisted the golden knob viciously, and threw the door open wide.

"Saar!" I yelled as the door hit the wall with a loud bang. "I brought presents!" I stepped over the threshold into the small silver walled room.

King Saar flinched at the sound of the door banging. He took one look at me and noticeably cringed into the chair he sat on that was positioned behind a large wooden desk in the center of the room.  

Saar glanced to his left and I followed his gaze to a man that leaned against Saar's desk. This man met my eyes with eyes the color of a green meadow. He was all angles. His jaw was sharp and chiseled; his cheekbones were profound; even his wild, dark brown hair stuck out in many different angles. Freckles were spread across his nose and cheeks and some peaked out from underneath his blue tunic.

My eyes fell to the rest of him, curious as to who this man was. The tunic he wore hung on his strong, but very slender torso. Instead of a sheathed sword strapped around his waist, he had a quiver fastened across his chest and a long bow laid a top of the King's desk. Peeking out from under his collar was a trajectory rune that was fairly strong.