The Rebel Witch
by Kristen Ciccarelli
Contents
Nineteen. Rune
Overview
Sharing a cramped cabin with Gideon forces Rune to confront how strongly she is attracted to him when she wakes from an intense dream about him. The moment leaves her embarrassed and unsettled, while Gideon’s hesitation when she questions him hints that the tension between them is no longer one-sided. Their false-marriage arrangement grows more emotionally complicated, adding personal risk to their larger mission.
Summary
Rune dreams that she and Gideon are alone in the boiler room, arguing over a cravat as heat and mist surround them. The argument turns physical and then passionate, ending with Gideon kissing her, unbuttoning her shirt, and telling her he does not want to hunt her anymore.
Rune wakes abruptly in the Arcadia cabin she shares with Gideon. Gideon, shirtless and sweating in the stifling room, explains that he woke her because she was thrashing in her sleep. Realizing she has just had an explicit dream about him while lying beside him, Rune is instantly mortified.
Trying to hide herself inside Gideon’s shirt, Rune blames the heat and asks whether she said or did anything in her sleep. Gideon hesitates before denying it, then pours her a glass of water for her headache and says he is going back to sleep. His brief pause suggests he may not be telling her everything, which deepens Rune’s embarrassment.
Once Gideon falls asleep again, Rune stays awake, too uncomfortable to lie back down beside him. She gets dressed, slips out of the cabin alone, and vows to stop drinking after concluding that the wine helped bring on the humiliating dream.
Who Appears
- RuneWakes from a passionate dream about Gideon, feels humiliated, and leaves the cabin unsettled.
- Gideon SharpeWakes Rune from her restless sleep, gives her water, and reacts with restrained hesitation.