Page 70 of Blood So Brutal

Suddenly, I felt a rush of frustration in my chest. It felt warm and intense, just like the rest of Huntyr’s emotions. I was growing more and more accustomed to them, though. Her emotions, mine—they blended together, and I felt different without the mold of both of them. It was like I needed them both to feel whole again, to feel normal.

The hall grew darker and darker. I kept my ears sharp, but I didn’t hear anyone else in the vicinity. I just felt Huntyr.

And then, I heard her. I heard subtle grunts, low moans of frustration.

Was she down here training?

I made sure my every move was silent as I approached the doorway of the training hall. Darkness helped conceal my presence as I peeked into the room.

Huntyr was training. Sweat coated her body, her black tunic—myblack tunic—clung to her as she knelt on the ground.

She had her hands out in front of her, summoning a small flame over and over and over again.

I went to step into the room but stopped myself.

Huntyr wasn’t just training, wasn’t just sweating from exertion.

She was crying. Her face turned slightly, moonlight pouring into the dark room and reflecting off her wet skin.

Fuck.My chest tightened, and I had to remind myself to keep my bond closed.

They were not silent or peaceful tears, either. They were violent ones, angry ones. They wrecked her body, wrecked her magic.

She dropped her hands as a sob shook her, raised them again with a determined breath, and summoned the flame once more. What she was trying to do was beyond me.

But clearly, she thought she was failing.

“Dammit!” she half-yelled in a hushed whisper. She dropped her hands again and crumpled entirely, her arms wrapping around her body.

Then, her wings appeared.

They appeared quickly, likely in response to her emotion. She didn’t seem to notice at first as she cried in her crumbled position on the ground. But when she did notice, she paused.

Took a breath.

Then she looked up.

Her throat bobbed in the moonlight as she gasped through tears. “Why?” she whispered. “I’m so fucking tired. Why does it always have to be me? I don’t want to fight anymore. I don’t want any of this.” Her eyes flickered closed, but she remained that way—knees on the ground, wings hanging from her shoulders, tears dripping from her chin. “Please, please, help me.”

I never took Huntyr for the type to worship the goddess, but here? On her knees? Shebeggedfor help.

For a break.

I pressed my fingernails into my palms with restraint, forcing myself to back out of the room. Huntyr was strong, I was the first person to know that, but we all had a breaking point.

Had Huntyr finally hit hers?

I made my way back through the hall, back toward my bedroom. I kept the walls of my shield firmly shut. I didn’t know what would leak through the second I lifted them, the second I relaxed for even a second.

I thought I knew pain, but seeing Huntyr like that exposed me to a brand new definition of the word.

Before I could stop myself, I was pounding on Jessiah’s bedroom door.

Thud, thud, thud.I waited a few seconds before lifting my fist again.Thud, thud, thud.“Jessiah!” I called out. “I know you’re in there, Jessiah! I need to talk to you! Now!”

When I went to knock again, the door swung open.

“Hells, Wolf, what? What could possibly be so damn important?”

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