Page 103 of Blood So Brutal

Healing wasn’t something I did often. Hells, before I healed Huntyr in Moira, it had been years.

There had always been a force in my mind urging me to keep it a secret from my father. Even now, my ears strained in the forest, listening for any rustling, any sign that he might be awake.

Still, Huntyr was the only one who knew I could heal.

She stirred softly as my magic touched her skin, caressed her body. An electric sensation washed through me as my magic healed her, something that never happened before.

It felt like my power belonged to her, like it recognized her, like itwantedto heal her.

“Sleep,” I whispered against her temple as she leaned into me further. “Sleep, Huntress.”

The next day was uneventful, aside from the fact that I was damn hungry. The group of us traveled together in silence, nothing but the subtle complaint or the rare command from Asmodeus to keep us going, to walk faster.

But that familiar, dull aching in my stomach grew. It sat in my body like a rock at the bottom of the river.

Huntyr and I walked together in the back of the group, just feet behind Rummy and Jessiah, while the others marched ahead. She surveyed her sore feet in the morning but said nothing, though she did send me a glance and wink before we were ordered to keep walking.

“Stop that,” she whispered as she stepped over a fallen log on the thick forest path.

“Stop what?”

“Stop thinking about blood. I don’t need that distraction right now.” She crossed her arms over her torso and hugged herself.

I took a long breath. “Ithasbeen a while. I can’t exactly control the hunger, Huntress. You of all people should know that.”

She shot me a sideways glance. “Unless you’re planning on sinking your teeth into one of them,” she motioned to the front of the group, “you’ll think of something else.”

We walked for hours. The sun rose to the peak in the sky, beating down on all of us with a subtle fierceness that, on most days, would be nice.

But not today.

“We’ll stop here for water,” Asmodeus called out as we reached a river. “Just a few minutes, then we’ll cross and be on our way.”

I immediately glanced at Huntyr. Unless something drastic changed between when she nearly drowned in Moira and now, she couldn’t swim.

But she just lifted her chin and clenched her jaw, eyes shooting daggers at Asmodeus, who quickly dropped to his knees by the running river.

It wasn’t too wide, but the river ran roughly with the new rain from the last storm.

“You’ll be fine,” I whispered to her. “Jessiah will fly you across. Save your wings for when you’ll need them.”

“Yeah,” she whispered back. “This entire situation isjust fine.”

Jessiah and Rummy knelt by the river a few feet away, enough distance between us and the others that they wouldn’t be able to hear us talking unless they strained for it.

Huntyr eyed her friend. Her gaze changed from anger and hatred to sadness. Kindness. Grief.

“Go on,” I ushered. “Nobody is paying attention now. Kneel beside her and pretend to be drinking.”

Huntyr’s eyes sparkled with rebellion. “Are you sure?” she asked. “He won’t like it if he sees us talking.”

I nodded. “What’s the worst he can do to you, anyway? He already mentioned he needs you alive.”

She waited a second longer before nodding and scurrying to kneel beside her friend at the river. Only a few feet away, she turned her head slightly to speak while she knelt and cupped the water in her hands.

They both looked so damn tired.

My father would pay for this. They all would.

---