Page 12 of Blood So Brutal

He laughed, and I couldn’t help but smile at my old friend. I used to come here every night before I was sent to Moira. This was my hidden escape from the cruelty of The Golden City, from the evil and darkness that surrounded the place.

“And who’s this?” he asked. His eyes slid to Huntyr, eyeing her skeptically. Nobody knew about my mission to attend Moira and find the princess. Nobody knew who she really was, what she could mean for this kingdom.

It was all part of my father’s plan to keep this as quiet as possible.

“This is Huntyr,” I said, waving my hand in her direction. “She’ll be staying with me for a while.”

She glared at me once before she held her hand out for him to shake. “Nice to meet you,” she said.

Nathan’s smile only grew. “Likewise, Huntyr. We don’t get many newcomers around here. You ought to tell Wolf here to stop being a stranger. We barely see his face around here anymore!”

Huntyr smiled. “The more time he spends here with you, the less time he has to piss me off. I’ll do my best.”

They both laughed. My chest twisted.

“Alright, alright. We’re here to grab some drinks.”

I started to turn toward one of the empty tables when his hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. When I met his gaze, he was already staring at me with wide eyes. “It’s not right, Wolf, what they did to you.”

He motioned to my missing wings.

I clenched my teeth. “You know me,” I smiled. “I probably did something to deserve it.”

He let go of my wrist, but his scowl didn’t disappear. “I seriously doubt that.”

And that was the end of it. I turned and ushered Huntyr to one of the nearby secluded tables where we could talk in private.

I tried to brush off the fresh wave of grief that hit me. Nobody in the castle showed an ounce of empathy over my wings. Jessiah was shocked, yes, but nobody truly cared the same way these people did. These people were my real friends, the ones who actually cared about me, not just about who my father was or where I came from.

No, these people loved me in spite of that.

“Who were they?” Huntyr asked as she sat across from me.

“Just some old friends.”

“And you have to meet here in this secret, secluded pub because…?”

“You’ve met my father,” I pushed. “He likes to know everything that goes on around here. He doesn’t appreciate people meeting like this, not when he can’t control what’s beingdiscussed at all times. He prefers people to be hidden, powerless, and alone.”

Her eyes scanned the room once more as she leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table. “And all these people—they’re angels? Fae? Why wouldn’t they obey your father’s rule?”

I took a long breath before answering. There was so much she didn’t know, years and years of history that would take days to unpack.

“The Golden City used to be everything you’ve dreamed of,” I started. “My father was part of it. Magic ran rampant, elite fae and angels alike lived here, free and powerful.” Her eyes widened, and I kept my mouth shut as the barmaid brought over two large ales. I nodded and waited for her to walk away before I continued. “He was the one who changed things around here. Scarlata had been gone for years; it wasn’t on anyone’s radar that he might want to conquer the vampyres, too. Not when he already had so much power here in The Golden City.”

She nodded as my words landed.

“There are vampyres here now, though. Why would he do that? Why would he bring vampyres here when The Golden City was safe from them for so long?”

“Power. Power will make anyone do reckless things, Huntyr. He brought vampyres here to inflict chaos. They were all vampyres like you and I at first, but then, more hungry ones began turning up, and now, The Golden City is the furthest thing from safe.”

Her eyes darkened. “And he forced you to turn to a vampyre? He used his magic to change you?”

I fought to keep my breath steady. “In his eyes, having a vampyre son would give him more control. I can’t say it’s worked out great for me, though.”

She picked up the ale and took a long drink, her eyebrows raising as she swallowed. “Wow, this is actually really good.”

I smiled. “Better than the ales in Midgrave?”

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