Page 93 of A Rift in the House of Bruin

They wasted no time discarding the bodies and marching out the next prisoners. My heart squeezed when I saw Sawyer’s massive frame leading the way. Blood matted his silver hair and wolfsbane bindings dug into his wrist as they dragged him forward.

Johan stood. “This one gave us more trouble than all the rest. But like the others, he is nothing before the crown. His death will cripple that pitiful rebellion. No one will rise against me again.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ignore him and come up with something that resembled a plan. I couldn’t let this happen.

I felt them before I even opened my eyes. The air shifted—the energy pulling taut as Finn and Hunter were marched into the square. Iron chains hung heavy over the wolfsbane binding their hands. I gasped at the sight of them. Their faces were gaunt and bruises in varying stages of healing covered their skin. And still—they walked with their heads high.

The crowd pelted them with rotten food, but they didn’t flinch. Hunter’s piercing eyes burned with restrained fury, but he kept his focus on the gallows. Finn’s gaze locked onto mine.

“Do not look away.”His voice echoed in my head, barely a whisper at the edge of thought. The wolfsbane dulled his magic, but he was still there, pressing against my thoughts.

“Stay with me, Finn. They’re coming. We’ll get you both out of this.”Tears blurred the scene, but I didn’t look away.

The drums began again. Slow. Steady. A death knell ringing over the courtyard.Johan accepted a scroll from his valet and unrolled it with practiced formality. His voice was deep and measured, as though he’d recited this speech a thousand times.

“Finn and Hunter, sons of the fallen House of Bruin. I hereby declare you guilty of treason, conspiracy, and rebellion against the rightful crown.”

The crowd roared as guards tightened the ropes around their necks. I should’ve been searching the crowd for help. I should’ve had a plan. But I couldn’t tear my gaze away from them.

“We’ll have time to love each other in the next life,” Finnwhispered.

“Don’t say that,”I breathed.“I’m not letting you die today!”I needed him to believe it. Tofight.But his eyes held the calm, distant look of someone who’d already said goodbye.

Once the crowd settled, Johan raised his arm, and the moments seemed to slow into an eternity. Each agonizing tick of the clock could be the last before my world shattered. I reached into my bodice, my fingers finding Jase’s dagger. If I could sink the blade into Johan’s neck, maybe taking out the head of the snake would end all of this? It would likely cost me my life, but it would be worth it.

All eyes were on Johan, waiting for his signal. This was my moment, and I steeled myself for whatever the consequences might be. Before I could make my move, the whistle of an arrow filled the silence. It breezed past my face, landing with a sickening thunk. Johan’s valet dropped at his feet with an arrow in his chest. I turned back to the crowd, all of them parting to reveal a cloaked male with a bow in hand. He pulled his hood back and my heart leapt—Lucius.

“You!” Johan seethed.

An explosion rocked the courtyard. The ground trembled as rebels surged into the square. I lost sight of Lucius as the crowd dissolved into chaos, panic-stricken faces scattering in all directions. Johan was instantly surrounded by his personal guard. Urgent fingers dug into my flesh as a guard seized me. This time, I was ready. I plunged the dagger into his thigh with a scream. He dropped me with a cry of his own, and I didn’t waste the moment. I twisted the blade and ripped it free. I threw all my weight into him. Before he hit the ground, I was in motion, throwing myself over the railing and into the crowd. I headed straight for the gallows, running as fast as the iron shackles allowed.

“Executioner! Finish it now!” Johan boomed from behind me.

The executioner pulled the lever. A deafeningcrackechoed through the square as the trapdoors dropped open. My heart seized in my chest as I watched Hunter, Finn, and Sawyer plunge downward, each falling until the ropes snapped taut around their necks.

“No!” My scream ricocheted off the courtyard walls. I wasn’t close enough. The crowd was too thick. I couldn’t get to them.

Dark shadows curled from every corner.

“The dagger, Michaela. Throw the dagger.”Gunner’s voiceechoed in my mind and I froze, momentarily blindsided by the sound of my lost Bruin.

“There’s no way I can make the shot.”I was too far, and the ropes were too small of a target.

“You can do it. Do it now.”His voice was calm, a pillar of strength in my frantic mind. I felt the warmth of him at my back and I allowed it to wash over me.

I pulled in a centering breath, gripping the dagger firmly in my hand. Blue lines of power swirled around my wrist. I took a heartbeat to aim before I let the dagger fly. The rope snapped, and Hunter fell to the ground. Relief surged through me, but Finn and Sawyer still hung, their faces turning purple as they struggled against the ropes.

“Michaela!” Nico’s voice cut through the chaos. I turned to his voice, his eyes meeting mine. He was only a few feet away from me, but there were still so many bodies between us. “Get down!”

He pointed skyward. A volley of arrows swarmed above. I dropped a second before they struck. Screams erupted from the crowd and bodies fell all around me. I felt the impact before the pain raced up my thigh, and my own scream joined the rest.

My name rang out from every direction, as if all of my fated could feel my pain. A crack of thunder shuddered the air, and the sky opened up, pouring down on us. The thunderebbed, replaced by the guttural roars of my beasts. The gallows splintered and collapsed. Finn had shifted despite the wolfsbane—his bear lay atop the rubble. Sawyer curled in on himself, barely conscious.

Nico reached me, kneeling by my side. “Little bird, are you… your leg.”

“How did he do it? How did he shift?”

“They all did—for you. The need to protect you was stronger than the wolfsbane,” he said as he pulled off his belt and cinched it around my thigh. “We have to get you out of here. Take a deep breath. I have to remove the arrow.”

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