Page 142 of Blood So Brutal

Not shouts of fear or of terror. Not cries of pain or grief.

They were shrieks of excitement. Laughter.

Rummy started running first, yelling “Wolf!” over and over again as I sprinted after her.

Jessiah followed directly on my heels as we made our way back to the kingdom.

Everyone gathered on the other side of those crumbling walls, looking up to the sky, watching something,pointingat something.

Rummy gasped, and I gripped her arm so hard, I probably drew blood.

It was Wolf. I recognized him immediately, my body flooding with relief the second I laid eyes on his form. I would have recognized those sculpted shoulders and broad chest anywhere, even when he was flying through the sky with massive, glowing,goldenangel wings.

I nearly dropped to my knees at the sight. Truly golden, they were nothing like his black wings, though those were damn impressive. These were nothing like the white ones the others wore either. No, these were something special, a gift from the goddess to remind everyone what he went through, what he did for us. They were still black at the base, but the fiery tones of the feathers reflected the sun that still crept over the horizon. It looked as if each black, silky feather was plucked by the goddess herself, dipped in a sea of golden magic and molded to Wolf’s body with divine precision.

Black—because Wolf would never go back to the innocent angel he once was.

And gold—because he was our savior, the one who sacrificedeverything.

Wolf used to hate his black wings; they were a reminder of everything he wasn’t. But these? These wereeverything.His face beamed as he scanned the crowd, searching for me. Wolf wouldneverfeel unworthy with wings like these.

I couldn’t imagine anything moreperfect.

Chapter 55

Wolf

The second I saw Huntyr in the crowd below, I dove for the ground.She’s alive. Fuck, she’s alive.

Nothing stopped me from catapulting down to Earth, covered in blood, landing on both feet directly in front of her.

She stood with Rummy and Jessiah, the three of them staring at me with open mouths and wide eyes.

I didn’t blame them. I had golden fucking wings.

“You’re alive,” Jessiah stated.

I didn’t take my eyes off Huntyr as I answered, “That I am, brother.”

“You were dead,” Huntyr said. “You were dead. I drained you. I felt your body.”

She stiffened as if she couldn’t believe it was really me.

“I did die,” I explained. “I was dead. It had to be done, Huntyr. I needed to die in order for you to take my magic to kill Asmodeus. Ithadto be you. Our powers combined at their full strength was the only thing that was going to save us all.”

“How are you here?” Jessiah asked, taking half a step forward. “How are you alive right now?”

I glanced at him for only a second before returning my eyes to Huntyr. I couldn’t look away from her for more than that. “Erabrought me back. It was all part of the plan; it was all supposed to happen this way.”

The three of them stood motionless, taking in my words.

“Era the goddess?” Rummy asked, finally closing her gaping mouth. “Era brought you back and gave you golden wings?”

“Why?” Jessiah added.

I was still staring at her, still trying to decipher all the emotions running across her face. Without our bond, I couldn’t feel it. I had no fucking clue what she was thinking right now, what was going on inside that head.

“The magic I possessed—it was a gift from her the night Asmodeus sacrificed me. She never wanted The Golden City to turn into this. She never anticipated my father’s thirst for so much power. I knew she had a plan for me, but she liked to keep me in the dark. Apparently, all of it was for this, so we would get to this moment right here.”

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