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If Rune was that Moth, and Alex was in love with her, he had to do it for Alex most of all. He needed to protect his little brother from yet another dangerous witch.

Rune pulled on her white dress as Gideon reached the beach. Leaving her undergarments, she grabbed the lantern and fled into the woods.

Gideon dragged himself from the sea, shook the water from his hair, and quickly pulled on his trousers. Seizing his shirt, he sprinted after Rune, following the glow of the lantern before he lost her completely.

THIRTY-THREERUNE

RUNE SHIVERED IN THEbreeze as she half walked, half ran back up the path through the woods, trying to put distance between herself and that beach as quickly as possible. The sun was long gone, and the trees were dark silhouettes around her. Her dress clung to her damp legs and her sopping wet hair dripped down her back.

But despite the chill, she was burning up.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

Witches are cruel by nature.If Gideon believed that, and he suspected Rune of being a witch, he would think her no different from Cressida.

Of course he’d pulled away when she kissed him. The girl she pretended to be—the shallow, gossipy socialite—annoyed Gideon. And the girl she really was …he wanted that girl dead.

Rune repulsed him.

How did I misread him?

She wished she knew a spell to disappear for a week straight.

“Rune!”

Her heart skipped. Gideon’s voice was too close. She glanced over her shoulder, but the darkness cloaked everything beyond the glow of her lantern.

Turning toward the house, she quickened her pace.

Not quick enough.

“Stop running from me.”

This time, his voice was right behind her. Rune was about to bolt when he grabbed her wrist, forcing her to stop.

“You did nothing wrong.”

She shook her head, a fiery shame flaring through her. “I shouldn’t have presumed …”

He stepped in front of her, cutting her off from the path leading to Wintersea House. She couldn’t help but notice that, in his haste to chase her down, he hadn’t put on his shirt.

“You presumed correctly.”

Then why pull away?

He’s lying to you. You caught him off guard with that kiss, and it cracked his facade. He doesn’t want to kiss you. He never did. He just knows how to play this game better than you.

Rune was about to dart around him, when a sudden sound echoed through the woods.

Voices.

Gideon turned sharply toward it. Rune, still breathless, spotted the owners of the voices first. The flames of half a dozen torches bobbed like fireflies in the distance, coming down the path.

“Someone’s coming,” said Gideon.

“Obviously,” said Rune, turning out her lamp. She grabbed Gideon’s hand and pulled him off the path.

At the sight of the marks carved into their foreheads, he frowned. “Penitents? They’re trespassing on your property.”