Page 98 of Blood So Brutal

Asmodeus let out a roar of anger, animalistic and terrifying. I thought I had seen that man angry, but this was something else entirely. This anger was mixed with a desperation I could hardly fathom. “Is it done?”

“It’s done!” Wolf screamed back. Panic laced his words now, and he gripped me like he would never let go again. “It’s done!”

Instead of running out of the ballroom like the rest of the crowd, Asmodeus turned to Lord. “Bring the girl out here!” he ordered. “Hurry!”

Lord disappeared into the chaos quickly.The girl?Who could he possibly be so worried about? The damn castle was burning!

“We’re going to get out of here,” Wolf whispered to me. “Don’t worry, Huntress. I’m getting you out of this.”

Jessiah was barking orders too, some at us, some at the others. He was trying to get everyone out before we were all killed, I realized.

The room grew hotter with every passing second. Did none of these powerful individuals have the magic to put this damn fire out?Nothing could make this any fucking worse.

Another scream, closer this time. Familiar.

I glanced over to find Lord returning through the crowd, shoving and elbowing as he forced his way. But he was not alone.

My stomach sank to the floor.

Rummy, bruised and bloodied, was being dragged at his side.

Chapter 36

Wolf

Ididn’t know who the girl was, but by the way the blood rushed from Huntyr’s face, it wasn’t hard to guess. Panic rushed at me through our bond, followed by Huntyr’s anger.

“Huntyr,” I warned, pulling at her hand. This was what he meant when he said he would ensure our obedience, I realized. This was what my father planned all along. “This is a trap, Huntyr. Don’t fall for it.”

“Rummy!” she called out. The girl—Rummy—stilled immediately, no longer fighting against Lord’s grasp. She was covered in dirt, and dried blood clung to her lip. Her clothes were worn and ripped at the hems. Whatever journey they had here, it was not kind on her. “Rummy!”

I gripped Huntyr’s arm to stop her from running to them, but she fought against me. “Let me go!” she yelled. “Let me go, Wolf!”

“He’s only doing this to hurt you!” I reminded her.

“I don’t care! I’m not leaving her!”

Asmodeus stepped between us. “If you want your friend to remain safe, you’ll come with us.”

A burning pillar fell from the ballroom ceiling in the distance. Jessiah froze, too, as he realized what happened.

This was no random fire. We were under attack.

I had a vague idea of what was happening, but Huntyr had no clue. All she knew was that we were about to fight for our damn lives to get out of this mess.

My mind snapped back to the girl still tight in Lord’s grip. “Let her go!” Huntyr screamed.

“Come with us, and she’ll be just fine!” Lord yelled.

Huntyr was glancing between us and the front of the ballroom, where most of the crowd now funneled out. “This is a trap,” I whispered against her ear.

“I don’t care. I don’t have a choice, Wolf. They’ll hurt her.”

She pushed her bond open, flooding me with the terror and dread that came with the simple thought of leaving her friend behind. Whoever that girl was, she was important to Huntyr. “We can’t leave her,” she whispered.

My eyes searched her face as she took a deep breath, jaw clenched. “Fine.” I turned my attention to Asmodeus. “Let’s get the fuck out of here before this place crumbles to the ground!”

Then we were moving. Jessiah and Luseyar came with us, pulling us to a tunnel located in the back of the ballroom. Not everyone was going to make it out of the fire. The smoke was thick, almost too thick to breathe. Tears rimmed my eyes, blurred my vision.

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