Page 85 of Boundless

Every time I thought I understood the very words coming out of my mouth, I was shocked by the visual proofof them all over again.

Rune was king. He wastheMidnight King. He ruled over all these people.

The shock kept my mind blank for a long time. A sea of black clothes, black heads and dark eyes watching us stretched on either side, and nobody spoke or called or stopped us. They were there to look, most curious, half smiling, half confused, and more than a few pissed off, if their bloodshot eyes were anything to go by.

The horse never slowed down or sped up as we went deeper, toward the building. Maera and her two wolves remained close behind us, and the fae watched her with even more confusion and curiosity as they did me.

It might have been the longest ride of my life—and it didn’t end there.

The people were curious. Fae in the windows of every single building, on the streets, every few feet, and they’d all stopped whatever they were doing to watch us pass by. To bow when our horse was near them. To whisper among one another, pointing fingers, nodding heads.

Fuck, it was so strange I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but we never stopped. There were Midnight soldiers on their black horses ahead, maybe six or seven, leading the way, andthere were twice as many behind Maera and the wolves as well, just walking behind us. Following.

Rune didn’t speak. I didn’t make a single sound.

And finally, there was the Midnight Palace.

The memories of the first and last time I’d seen those walls, those dark towers, felt the weight of all that magic over my shoulders, trickled into my mind drop by drop. I’d been with Vair then, and we’d gone all around those massive walls to try to find a weak spot because they searched people who went through the front gates.

Except now.

Now, the soldiers ahead made our way, and the horse we rode on followed. The magic fell over us little by little, and though it wasn’t painful or even uncomfortable, it was still intense.Thick,like I might be able to touch it if I reached out a hand.

The courtyard was vast and empty save for guards stationed every few feet near the walls and the fae lights that burned just a little brighter inside the walls than they had out there. There were no trees, no flowers, no benches—only shadows, thicker in the corners,alive,just like the building ahead. The path was wide and pin straight, no lanes or hedges, no statues or lanterns—nothing but thick square cobbles underneath the hooves of the horse. And the palace itself was fuckingwatchingthrough countless windows that were its eyes.

The dark stone glistened like it had been covered in oil. It was tiered with arches and balconies that seemed to go on forever, or simply vanish into the dark sky over us. The windows were mostly tall and narrow, and the glass of them didn’t seem to reflect the lights hovering about in the air.

The massive doors at the end of the wide path were open. In front of them were more guards, and a woman wearing a black velvet dress, with a smile on her face and a crown in her hand.

Rune pulled the reins lightly, and the horse slowed down, then stopped, still a few feet away from the black marble stair the woman stood on.

Two Midnight soldiers were immediately at our sides, and my instincts fired up right away, like always.

But the soldiers merely stood there while Rune jumped off, then turned around and reached his hands for me. I threwmyself to the side without really thinking, without hesitation, and he caught me.

Hands around my waist, and my feet were on the ground.

“Take it away,” Rune said, but he wasn’t talking to me. He was talking to the soldier.

“Yes, Your Highness,” said the Midnight fae, his eyes flashing when they met mine for a second. Then he grabbed the reins of the horse, and led the animal away, and I felt so fucking naked standing there with the attention of all those guards—and that woman—on me.

Behind us, Maera stood between the wolves, head up, eyes dark, and she was even more uncomfortable than before. Yet when our eyes locked, she nodded at me, as if to say that we were okay.

I wasn’t sure if I believed her, but I faced the woman in front of the gates anyway, and I tried to keep control of my emotions. It was easy when I focused on her face and actually saw her.

Holy shit, she looked so much like Rune.

“Come, Wildcat,” Rune whispered, andhewas uncomfortable, too. Every inch of his body was locked tightly, and the way he kept his unblinking eyes forward, and the way his jaws moved as he clenched his teeth—yes, he was just as uncomfortable as me.

Which somehow made perfect sense to me, knowing Rune. He despised attention, and now he was at the very center of it.

“That was a fast trip, brother.” Shivers erupted on my skin when the woman spoke. “Welcome back.”

Rune squeezed my hand in his when we stepped over the marble stair.

“Jasewine,” Rune said, and the tension in his voice alone was enough to let me know that he was more than just uncomfortable—he was on edge.

He was looking at the woman—hissister—like he expected her to grow an extra head—or to attack. That was enough to make my magic go crazy again, and it vibratedinside me, as if it was breaking out of my very bones.