Page 54 of Blood So Brutal

Another chill ran through me. “And my blood? My magic?”

His eyes glistened when he looked at me. “Your blood will change the world.”

“You’re not even trying,” Jessiah called from the other side of the roof. I kept my eyes closed as I dropped my hands to my sides and let out a long sigh.

“I am trying! I told you I don’t have strong magic! Wolf can attest to that.”

He stood up from his lounged position, making his way over to me. “Except youdohave strong magic. Wolf has attested to that partmanytimes.”

“Well, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about then. I’ve only used my magic a handful of times, and none of them were controlled. It only became useful after Wolf and I—” I stopped myself from finishing the sentence.

“Bonded?” Jessiah finished for me. I cursed under my breath. “We all know. It’s not like it’s a big secret.”

“Still,” I pushed. “It’s not something I’m particularly proud of. We did what we had to do to survive, but that was before Wolf betrayed me. If I knew then what I know now, I may have reconsidered.”

Jessiah paused a few feet away from me. “Everything he has done is to keep you alive, Huntyr. My brother is an arrogant prick, but he cares about you. He cares about your safety.”

I rolled my eyes. “Can we not talk about this right now?”

“Fine,” he said. “We don’t have to talk. You can summon your wings instead.”

Anger flooded my senses. I stood on that roof trying to summon those damn wings for hours now, and I felt nothing, not even the slightest sensation on my back.

“I told you, I can’t do it. Maybe I’m not strong enough to have my own wings.”

Jessiah took one more step closer, coming just an arm’s length away. His white wings flared out on either side of him, and I had to stop myself from staring. Even the sheer size of them, the sheer strength, was enough to tell you just how powerful he was, just how close in heritage he was to the almighty archangel.

“Why are you so afraid?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I’m not afraid,” I spat.

“You are; you’re blocking yourself from unleashing the full potential of your power.”

“That’s ridiculous.” I turned away. “The only thing blocking my full potential is my lack of power.”

He stepped closer. I backed up naturally, coming even closer to the edge of the roof. “Maybe you just need to feel it,” he said. “Maybe some motivation will force you to unleash it.”

“Motiva—” My words were cut off by Jessiah hauling himself toward me then catapulting both of us over the roof’s edge.

A scream built in my throat, but as the tower disappeared from beneath my feet, Jessiah wrapped his large arms around me and held me. Tight. I gripped his shoulders with all my strength, slamming my eyes shut.

But we didn’t fall.

Not even slightly.

A few wooshes of his powerful wings, and we were going higher, lifting into the sky.

Jessiah held me effortlessly, his arms around my waist. “See?” he pushed. I finally lifted my head from his shoulder, peeking slowly. “This is what you’ve been missing this whole time. This is what you’re holding yourself back from.”

He pumped his wings again and again, launching us even closer to the dark clouds above the kingdom. I opened my eyes fully, taking in the surrounding forest and the sheer beauty of it all.

A giggle bubbled in my throat before erupting outward, blending with the sound of air gliding against Jessiah’s feathers.

I had flown with Wolf before, but this was different. This was a window into what my future could look like, into what I could accomplish.

“Goddess above,” I mumbled. “This is incredible.”

“Is this motivating you at all?” Jessiah adjusted me in his grip before diving down, lowering us to skim just the tips of thecrumbling buildings. My stomach dropped out, and I laughed again as I clung to Jessiah’s neck.

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