37. Huntyr
Chapter 37
Huntyr
I could handle my own pain. I could handle my own fear taking over my shaking body. I could handle being forced to marry one of Asmodeus’s sons. Hells, I could even handle being the damn blood queen if that’s what was required of me.
But to handle seeing Rummy—my longest friend—being dragged through the dirt by the one male who betrayed me most in this world?
It made me fucking sick.
I thought my weaknesses were already exploited, but I guess I was wrong. Because as soon as I laid eyes on Rummy, I knew I was going to do whatever it took to protect her.
Attack on the damn castle or not.
I kept my mouth shut as Luseyar guided us quickly through the surrounding land. We were no longer in the city, but the trees around us were so thick, I could not tell if we were inside or outside the walls. There must’ve been other tunnels that led under the wall, not just the ones in the stables.
By the looks of it, I imagined we were outside.
I tried to inch my way closer to Rummy, but Asmodeus ensured there was a safe distance between us. “Once I know we are safe and there is no longer a risk of attack, you two can speak to each other.” Hells, I fucking hated him. I hated him for dragging her here, for using her like she was a damn tool.
Rummy was strong. She was fierce and bossy and had an attitude that scared nearly everyone in Midgrave, so to see her like this, it broke my fucking heart. But she still wore a brave face. That hadn’t broken her. Not yet.
Which was another reason why I couldn't crack. Rummy needed me to survive. She needed me to fight, so I was going to fight for my damn life.
“This looks familiar,” I said after a while, quiet enough so only Wolf could hear. He glanced around and surveyed the trees, the thin path we were on.
And then, his large, bright eyes met mine. “This is the path to Scarlata Empire.”
Something like fear laced his words, but I didn’t let that get to me. The fact that Asmodeus wanted to make the trip through the forest to the blood kingdom with no protection, no horses, and no food was downright insane.
He must have been truly worried about the attack on the castle, which meant there was actually a threat to him.
I wanted so badly to talk to Wolf alone, to ask him if he knew anything about the attack or who could have been behind it, but I knew better than to ask him those types of questions with so many ears around us.
And I was almost sure I could guess what his answers would be.
So, we kept walking. My feet grew tired quickly. I wasn’t in the clothes to be making a long trip through the forest. Hells, without horses, the journey would take more than a few days.
But there were no signs of slowing down. Even as the sun fell behind the horizon, even as darkness took over, shadowing the path and everything around us, we kept moving forward.
We kept going.
Rummy walked ahead of me with her back straight. Lord eventually moved to the front of the group, leaving Jessiah to guide Rummy, which immediately made me feel better.
I didn’t want that lying bastard anywhere near her.
I knew the type of pain Lord inflicted on me. If he so much as laid a fucking finger on Rummy, he was dead.
Wolf’s hand fell to my back. “You must be getting cold,” he said, interrupting my thoughts.
I kept marching forward. “I’m fine.”
It was a shit lie. The cool night air quickly infiltrated the thin fabric of my dress. The hem dragged along the dirt, adding dampness to the fabric and weighing it down more than necessary. My feet already blistered, but the heaviness of our situation was enough to distract me from my discomfort.
“Here.” Wolf pulled his tunic over his head. He wore a thin undershirt, certainly not enough to keep himself warm, but when he handed me his shirt, I accepted it.
“Thank you,” I mumbled. “This is going to be a long journey without proper supplies.”
Rummy stumbled ahead of us, nearly falling to her knees. Jessiah caught her at the last second and hoisted her back to her feet.
“We can’t keep going like this!” he announced. “We need to take a break. Regroup. This is a dangerous journey as it is.”
Luseyar stopped walking and turned to face Asmodeus, awaiting orders.
But when I looked at Asmodeus, he was staring directly at me, brows drawn, eyes dark.
“Fine,” he said after a handful of moments. “We’ll stop here and rest, only for an hour. The faster we get to Scarlata, the better.”
Wolf shook his head. “We’re in no condition to make the journey by foot.”
“We’ve all endured worse. Wouldn’t you agree, son?” Asmodeus stepped forward, and I fought the urge to step between them, to shield Wolf from his father’s inspection.
Wolf only stared directly back at his father, eye to eye. “I suppose since we cannot all fly, it will have to do.”
His words held no emotions. Only facts. Asmodeus waited a second more and then smiled. Ruthless bastard. He would be the first one to become food for the hungry ones.
“Better rest up,” he ordered. “It’s a long journey ahead.”
Asmodeus disappeared into the bushes, walking around the group to speak with Luseyar privately.
A thick eeriness hung in the air. The journey wasn’t exactly pleasant last time, but we had the horses to guide us, and there had been a near peaceful sense in the forest as we traveled through it.
Very different from this time around.
It felt as if we were being watched every step of the way.
“This doesn’t feel right,” I said to Wolf, but I didn’t take my eyes off Rummy. I tried to take a step toward her but Lord cut me off.
“You heard Asmodeus,” Lord said before he clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “I thought I raised you better than that. Disobeying orders so soon?”
Fiery rage consumed me.
“Do not speak to her,” Wolf said. “We’re out here in the middle of the damn forest. Talking to Rummy isn’t exactly a threat.”
“No, it’s not,” Lord answered. “But Huntyr requires a punishment for her actions.”
“Me? What exactly did I do that requires punishment?” I stepped in front of Wolf, finally facing Lord with the rage that built inside me. “I did everything you asked of me, every single fucking thing!”
He actually looked bored with what I was saying. Rummy shifted behind him, but I kept my attention on Lord.
“And yet, you still disappoint me. Do not try to speak to Rummy again. It will not end well for you.”
And then he, too, disappeared into the thick trees.
My chest rose and fell, rose and fell. I could feel my power responding to the emotion, looking for a release, for a target.
I wanted nothing more than to direct all of it in his direction, to let him know exactly how powerful I really was.
He couldn’t talk to me like that anymore. He had no fucking control over me.
Still, tears stung my eyes. Jessiah separated me from Rummy, guiding her to sit at the base of one of the trees on our path.
Wolf’s hands fell on my shoulder. “Hey,” he whispered. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
“How can you say that? This is… Hells, this is so much worse than I thought today would be.”
He glanced around, making sure nobody else was listening before leaning in and kissing my cheek. He kissed me slowly, working his mouth toward my ear before whispering, “I have a plan.”