Page 155 of Brambles and Bellflowers
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The Snallygaster had donewhat I created it to do. It had held on to my anger when I couldn’t. But now, I had to let it go.
“Bianca, are you okay?” Julian asked.
I exhaled and stepped past him, my grip shifting on the hilt. The wind picked up, and the loose strands of my hair brushed my face, but I didn’t waver.
“Give me a minute,” I murmured, reaching the monster.
It didn’t flinch as I cut through it in a sweeping arc. It was like slicing through the mist—there was no impact, only the quiet unraveling of something never meant to exist. Golden light flared at the point of contact, curling outward in delicate strands.
The Snallygaster’s jagged form flickered as the energy holding it together began to fray. After a breath, it dissolved into the air.
I swallowed thickly. It had to go—it wasn’t meant to be here. I knew that. But as the last remnants of light faded into the air, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside me had disappeared with it.
The thought vanished, and I stumbled as Miles crashed into me, but I was righted when he pulled me to his chest.
“You did it!” he said, beaming. “I knew you could!”
“Yeah,” I began. Exhaustion settled in, and my fingers slipped from the hilt. I let the sword fall as I brought my fingers to my cheek. Miles was happy, but…
I wasn’t.
I wasn’t sure what was the matter, but the hollow ache in my chest told me what I already knew.
There was still something wrong with me.
Damen’s presence loomed near us. “So you can swing a sword around.”
I barely opened my eyes. The onmyoji glanced between me and Titus, who stood near us—once more in human form—as he shook out a blanket.
“I told you that I never taught Mu those techniques,”Titus said, knotting the blanket at his waist. His eyes flicked to me, holding there for a beat too long before he looked away. “That was all her.”
Damen’s jaw tightened.
I exhaled, pressing my face into Miles’s chest. “I didn’t do anything impressive,” I said. “I was just reacting.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Damen ran a hand down his face. “And that’s why,” he said, “you’re never to put yourself in harm’s way, especially for my sake, ever again.”
Miles stiffened, but Damen ignored him, stepping in, his fingers pressing into my shoulders as he held me away from the witch.
“Do you understand, baby girl?” he said.
“You can stop acting like I’ll break,” I sighed. “I haven’t yet, have I?”
Damen’s grip faltered, and a breath left him as something flickered behind his eyes. Meanwhile, Julian went still, and Titus’s gaze darkened, a slow tension settling into his frame.
“Why do you—” Damen started, but he leaned back slightly, his expression shifting as if the words had caught in his throat.
Miles exhaled.“Please don’t start,” he said. “We just got back together.”
Damen exhaled as the fire faded from his eyes. “Fuck.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “I don’t know if I can handle this.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Nothing.” Damen sighed. But I caught how Julian, Miles, and Titus looked at him—and how none seemed to believe that.
