Page 71 of Reign of the Talon
Oh, no.
Haneul Rui’s definitions of “minor setbacks” typically refer to conflicts of the earth-shattering variety. Suspicion flares up inside of me as I throw down my washcloth, tilt his head up until his eyes are fully open, and sign with cutting sharpness.Rui. What has happened?
Peering into his face, I note that those lines of stress have deepened. That his silver eyes have lost all of their sly, mischievous glitter. And gods, how my heart breaks.
Something is very wrong.
His throat bobs as he swallows hard. Through the bond, I feel apprehension, cresting on a wave of intense fear and guilt and hurt that soon crashes. His mask of indifference is crashing, and crashing hard. When his shoulders begin to shake, I do not think—I simplyact.
The red thread flickers, appearing in all its scarlet glory as I wrap my arms around him, and draw him close to me. He grabs me, holds me so godsdamn tightly against him, face nestled against my stomach as he trembles. Rui’s breaths are coming fast, too fast, and I stroke his back, pressing him closer.
How long has it been since I have held him like this?
Rui’s breath hitches as he hyperventilates, and I almost speak, then. Almost murmur comforting words. They bloom on my tongue, tasting bitter and sweet all at once. Yet when I part my lips, debilitating fear and horrible shame slashes through me, and I find myself sealing my lips once more, settling for holding my—myhusbandas he is overcome with a terrible panic that I feel through the red thread of fate. We stay like this for a long, long moment, until he begins to coax his sudden terror back down.
I watch him pull away and desperately try to don the mask he wore for so long—that casual, cool mien signifying wry amusement. But the cracks in it have become so deep that I wonder if he will ever wear it again.
Tell me, Rui, I sign.Let me help. Whatever it is.
“Well,” he says, and I watch as he tries to smile in that old, sharp way, “I think that the gods have decided to kill me. Tonight, in fact.”
Blood roars in my ears. My hands shake.
No. This is…bad. This is very bad indeed. My stomach plummets, and bile threatens to creep up my throat, but I attempt to remain calm for Rui. I have seen his despair; I will not add to it. Yet through the red thread, my fear hits him so strongly that he winces, glancing down at the red thread.
“I do not find this plot of theirs much to my liking. It goes against Fate herself.”
Will they not listen to reason?I ask desperately, and his eyes darken.
“Gameunjang warned me not to speak of the ‘secrets of fate,’” he replies quietly. “I do not know if doing so would be ruinous. If somehow it would…warp the outcome.”
Perhaps if Gameunjang herself was not on our side, I would grapple with this. I would wonder if we should allow this, this sacrifice, for the greater good. Yet the Goddess of Fate herself is attempting to help us stop this Prophecy. We must heed her urgings.
What will you do?I ask Rui instead, with the terrible feeling that we are balancing ever so carefully upon a deadly precipice.
Rui grimaces. And Iknowthat look of his so well that it is all I can do not to slap my hands against my forehead.
Rui.I give him a scathing glare.Please tell me that you are not going to try and fight deities on your own.
The fallout…it would be disastrous… Surely that’s not what Gameunjang wishes.
After a long pause, he says, “I am not going to try and fight deities on my own.”
I am glad to hear it.
His mouth twitches. “I’m going to do something even worse.”
What could possibly be worse—
“Oh, dear. Look at the time,” Rui suddenly says, eyes flicking to his bare wrist. He stands from the bed, turning half his face into shadow, hiding from the merry fire crackling in the hearth. “I fear I have to leave now—”
Rui—
“—but I’ll return soon, my love—”
Don’t call me that and then run away from my question, you insufferable Dokkaebi—
“—farewell—”
