About Rune
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Let's take a sneak peak at what you'll find in book two about Rune.
WHO IS RUNE?
Rune Jenkins had a perfect life on the outside, but she's been living someone else's expectations. She's smart, strong and capable but is suffocating with guilt over abandoning her brother Ryker. Stepping into her Venator strengths will require her to trust who she really is instead of who she's been told to be. Unfortunately, navigating her inner truth and her inner Venator is proving volatile.
Strengths; Speed, Strength, Cunning, Strategy
Weakness; Gold-tipped weapons, Ryker, the inner Venator
EXCERPT
“Two days!” Rune’s shout echoed off the stone walls of the dungeon.
“It’s the best I can do. Two days, and we will get you out for the ball—”
“The what!”
“Stop interrupting me,” Verida said through clenched teeth. “Be grateful we found anything at all. We will get you out, you will play nice, schmooze the guests, let the council show off their pet Venator, and . . . Shut that mouth right now, Rune. I swear to Rana, if you interrupt me a third time to tell me you’re not a pet, I’m going to reach through these bars and strangle you.”
“Grey is missing, and they’re throwing a ball?” Rune threw her hands in the air and stormed to the back of the cell. “They’re doing this out of spite! To teach me a lesson.”
“It was already scheduled.”
“Sure it was.” Rune took two sharp steps toward the bars, jabbing with one finger. “My grandma had a saying for this. It’s called shooting yourself in the foot.”
Verida’s nose crinkled. “That’s just stupid.”
“That’s the point! The council is pissed off at me, so they lock me down here to prove a point, all while putting in jeopardy the thing they want most—two loyal and living Venators! They’re throwing this stupid ball to spite Grey and me for not doing everything exactly the way they want it done, and they’re hurting themselves as much as they’re hurting us. How can you not see—?”
“The ball was already scheduled!” Verida shouted. “Do you think they’re going to cancel it with an announcement that the festivities can’t proceed because their Venator wandered into enemy territory and is lost? I know you’re not from here, but use your head.”
“Gah!” Rune kicked at the bars and sunk into a crouch, wrapping her hands around the back of her neck and breathing hard.
She wanted to continue to argue on principle. This was a man’s life they were talking about . . . This was Grey’s life. But as much as she didn’t want to admit it, Rune understood what Verida was saying, and it didn’t really matter how utterly wrong it was.
The council—at least, any sides of the council she’d seen—would never voluntarily show weakness. To admit they’d lost a Venator or had been unable to control the living weapon the entire land was terrified of would be shameful and humiliating and would probably, if she had to venture a guess, call into question their right to govern Eon.
Rune had two choices—she could play the game, or she could forfeit.