Page 55 of Blood So Brutal

“It might be,” I answered through laughter. “But if you drop me, I’ll kill you.”

I felt his own laugh in his chest. “If I drop you, I’m sure Wolf will beat me to it.”

The air caressed us, kissing our bodies as Jessiah demanded we go higher, lower, around the blood kingdom and through the ruins. It had to have been ten minutes that passed, maybe more, before Jessiah finally returned us back to the roof of the tower.

My legs wobbled as he set me down, but he made sure I could stand on my own two feet before removing his arms from my waist. “Next time, that’s all you.”

I met his eyes and smiled—a genuine smile, not one of teasing or jokes or sarcasm. Jessiah made me feel like someone in this world actually cared about me, and I needed a friend more than anything right now.

The hair on the back of my neck stood straight up. I didn’t have to turn around to know that Wolf was back.

“What the fuck do you two think you’re doing?” Each word was a dagger thrown through the air.

Jessiah backed away in an instant. “Relax, brother. I was just helping Huntyr learn to fly.”

“Yeah, it looked like you two were having a great fucking time flying all around the kingdom. Do you know how dangerous that was? You could have gotten hurt or Huntyr could have been killed, Jessiah!”

Wolf stormed forward, seething in anger. His clothes were wrinkled and dirty, his hair a mess. It looked like he didn’t sleep at all last night. He came just inches from his brother, staring at him like he was the enemy.

“We were perfectly safe,” I interrupted.

“Right,” Wolf answered without looking at me. “Jessiah had things under control, didn’t he?”

I stormed forward and put myself between the two brothers. “Calm down, Wolf.” I placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back a step. “What is going on with you? Why are you freaking out? I was just trying to summon my magic.”

“I don’t want you flying with him.” His eyes still didn’t meet mine.

Was he kidding?“And why is that? You don’t think I can handle myself?”

“This has nothing to do with you,” Jessiah answered. “Wolf here has a jealousy problem.”

Wolf’s jaw clenched, and I pushed on his chest again to keep him from killing his brother. “Watch what you say next,” Wolf seethed.

“Am I wrong?” Jessiah asked. “Get over yourself, brother. Huntyr needed someone to teach her how to fly. Did you expect it to be you?”

My own stomach tightened as I watched Wolf’s face drop.

Jessiah kept pushing. “I hate to break it to you, but you can’t help her, Wolf, not the way she needs to be helped right now.”

“Jessiah,” I hissed, spinning around. “Why are you suddenly being so cruel?” This was not the Jessiah I had seen, wasn’t the brother who smiled and laughed and wanted to help me.

He scowled at Wolf with fierce eyes and brows drawn together. “You haven’t known our family long, Huntyr, but Wolf is not the victim he portrays himself to be.”

“I do not portray myself as?—”

“Yes, you do. It’spoor youfor being sacrificed to the goddess, for turning into a vampyre, for being sent to Moira.Poor youfor being the chosen one.Poor youfor being the one with all the attention, with all the skill, with?—”

Wolf stepped forward and roared, “My wings aregone, ripped from my damn body! Would you prefer that fate, brother? Would you prefer to be the one who is tortured, who is killed, who is manipulated, who is–”

A wicked, dull laugh cut through the air. “At least you areseen.” Jessiah’s voice dropped as he walked away from the conversation. “I would rather be a vampyre, have a purpose, have a damn kingdom, than live in the invisible shadows of others for the rest of my life.”

“What are you talking about?” Wolf asked. “You are safe and protected in The Golden City, Jessiah. You and your perfect white wings, your spotless reputation.”

Jessiah looked down at his feet. “Do you know what Father and I talked about when you were gone? When you were in Moira, when you were with Huntyr all those months?”

Wolf blinked.

“We talked about you, brother. Every meal, every conversation, every topic. It was all you.”

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