Page 99 of Blood So Brutal

I darted toward Huntyr’s friend, but Lord dragged her ahead of us, not letting her go for even a second as he followed Luseyar through the small, dark tunnels.

Asmodeus tailed behind us, and Jessiah caught up to us at the first turn. “Is everyone alright?” he asked. “What is going on out there? Are we being attacked?”

Luseyar didn’t slow down for a second. We turned right, then left, then another right.

“Where are we going?” I asked when nobody responded to Jessiah. “Where are you taking us?”

“Somewhere safe,” Luseyar answered. “Somewhere we aren’t being attacked.”

“Why would anybody attack us here?” Huntyr asked. “I thought people wanted this union to happen!”

We reached the end of a tunnel and Luseyar stopped. He turned so quickly, we all almost ran into each other. “Why don’t you ask Wolf?” He pushed open a door above him, one that opened to the outside. The sun was just setting, which left plenty of light for us to see.

Luseyar jumped out first. Lord lifted Rummy next, and she didn’t resist as Luseyar pulled her from the top.

“Here,” Lord said to Huntyr. “I’ll help you up.”

“I don’t think so,” I answered. Jessiah stepped forward.

“You go,” Jessiah pushed. “We’ll help her.” Damn him for being so calm in a situation like this. Damn all of them, actually.

That was our one fucking chance at getting out of this.

Lord hoisted himself out of the tunnel. Jessiah went next, then leaned down to offer Huntyr a hand. I lifted her from the waist while he pulled her up.

I moved to push myself out of the tunnel, but a hand came down on the back of my neck.

“Is this your doing?” my father asked, voice sharp. “Did you plan an attack on the castle to try and escape the wedding?”

“No,” I answered. “I’m not a damn fool, Father. I would never put Huntyr in danger like that.”

He considered my words for a second as I tried to swallow down my fear. I wouldn't put it above my father to slice my throat right now for even thinking I might be involved in an attack like this.

But he knew about my bond with Huntyr. He knew I would do anything to protect her.

“Go.” He let go of my neck and I pushed through the door.

Huntyr was already rushing over to Rummy and pulling her into her arms. Lord stepped back for just a moment while they held each other.

My chest tightened. They dragged that woman here to ensure Huntyr would obey. Why my father’s cruelness still effected me, I wasn’t sure. I stopped being surprised by his actions long, long ago.

Still. Seeing the two of them cry together put a sinking feeling in my chest.

They didn’t deserve this. Neither of them fucking did, and I wasn’t sure how much more Huntyr could take.

“Are you alright?” Huntyr asked, pulling away just enough to examine her friend.

“I’m fine,” Rummy answered. She tried her best to calm Huntyr, to brush off her own injuries. “I’ve just been worried about you. I didn’t know if you—I didn’t know if you were alive or dead this whole fucking time.”

Huntyr smiled. A real smile. “I’m not that easy to kill, apparently.”

Fuck. I was going to do whatever it took to get us out of this.

“What was that back there?” Jessiah asked. His voice was low, and he spoke only to me.

“I don’t know,” I answered, but I shot him a low glare.Not now.

Jessiah knew nothing of the attack. He knew nothing of the rebels, or of what we were building in the blood kingdom.

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