39. Huntyr
Chapter 39
Huntyr
W ith the harsh snap of Lord’s words, I was back in Midgrave, back in that crumbling house. Back at his mercy.
How many times had I given in? How many times had I let him strike me, let him paint me as weak and unworthy?
It all happened so damn fast.
Rummy scrambled away as Lord marched in my direction, fist raised.
Normally, I would have shut my eyes and braced myself. I would have awaited whatever punishment Lord thought I deserved, because he knew best. He always knew what I needed, and he was the one who saved my life, who raised me out of the goodness of his heart.
But that all changed.
I no longer looked at Lord as my savior, but as my enemy. He was working with them , the evil angels who corrupted The Golden City, who wanted to take over Scarlata Empire.
No. I wouldn’t put up with that anymore.
Lord raised his hand to strike me, but I moved faster. I pulled Venom from the sheath at my thigh—grateful for the long cut in my dress—and sliced at his shins.
He lost his balance and stumbled, but before he could regain his position on solid ground, I launched Venom up at his torso.
And pushed.
Blood sprayed as Lord stumbled into the running water of the river.
Fucking bastard. He got away with hurting me for far too long.
He resurfaced a second later, gasping and howling in pain.
Asmodeus and Luseyar appeared out of nowhere. “What in all hells is happening over here?”
“He attacked me,” I explained, heart pounding. “I had to protect myself.” For once , I wasn’t going to let him hurt me.
Wolf shook with anger as he rushed forward. The river pushed Lord a few feet down the riverbank before he caught the edge and hoisted himself up.
“You ungrateful swine!” Lord spat through gritted teeth. “I told you what would happen if you were caught talking to her!”
Lord hoisted himself to his feet and looked at Rummy, but Jessiah quickly sidestepped, putting himself between the two of them.
You won’t fucking touch her.
“I’m growing tired of these antics,” Asmodeus said. The smell of Lord’s blood wafted through the air, but it was neither appetizing nor pleasant. It was sour, disturbing. I wasn’t sure if it was because I hated him so much or because he was truly such a vile, evil being that even his blood wasn’t any good in this world.
Wolf’s hand fell to my back. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I glanced over my shoulder at Rummy, who stared at me with a set jaw and glittering eyes.
Even just a few seconds of speaking to her settled my heart. Dirty clothes, a bruised body, exhausted spirit, but she was still a fighter, still the badass, unstoppable Rummy I knew in Midgrave.
Maybe we would survive this shit after all.
“Water break is over,” Luseyar announced. He waved his hand toward the other side of the river. “Let’s keep moving.”
Of our group, Asmodeus, Luseyar, and Jessiah had wings.
And me, but Asmodeus was waiting on me to display more of my magic, and I wasn’t about to summon my wings with him watching. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
Asmodeus was already expanding his white-feathered wings, ready to launch himself across the flowing water. Luseyar, however, eyed our group.
“I’ll take care of them,” Jessiah announced before Luseyar could take a single step in my direction. “You worry about that one.” He nodded his head to Lord, who busied himself with the wounds on his body.
They could have been worse. I could have pushed that blade in a lot deeper.
“Fine,” Luseyar said. “But do it quickly.”
Rummy was first. She hesitantly put an arm around Jessiah’s neck as he pumped his wings once, twice, then launched them across the river. She let out a shaking squeal as they landed.
Just like everyone in Midgrave, she had never seen an angel. Not before Jessiah. There was no magic in Midgrave, no reason for angels or even powerful fae to stick around in those slums. Hells, they didn’t even know angels still existed.
Luseyar and Lord went next, and damn, it was satisfying as all hells to see the two men struggling to grasp each other well enough to fly.
“Promise me you’re okay,” Wolf whispered now that we were alone on this side of the riverbank. His hands fell to the small of my back as his breath hit my ear from behind. “Promise me we’re going to make it through this.”
I leaned back into him, reveling in his touch. “I promise.”
My fucking husband. My life. My other half. The wedding may have been for Asmodeus’s plans, but something felt different between us now. Something changed. And it wasn’t just the wedding ceremony—it wasn’t just the words Wolf had chanted to bind us together for eternity.
Jessiah landed back on our side of the river with a thud. “Ready?” he asked, holding a hand out to me.
“Not just yet,” Wolf answered for me. He spun me around by my hips, fast enough that I caught myself on his shoulders to steady my feet.
Then he kissed me. Harsh and fierce, his mouth pressed against mine with a million promises he could never say out loud. It was a promise for the future, a promise that we would survive. A promise that he would fix all of this.
And dammit, I kissed him back.
It only lasted a couple of seconds, but my entire body felt lighter at the gesture. I didn’t realize just how badly I needed this, just how much I missed Wolf and I together.
He pulled away too soon. “Something to think about when you’re wrapped in his arms,” Wolf teased. “You’re my wife. Don’t forget that.”
I rolled my eyes and pressed against his chest, pushing him away before turning to Jessiah, who only stared at us with an eyebrow raised.
“Not a word,” I ordered.
He held his hands up in defense. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
I snaked an arm around Jessiah’s neck before he scooped my legs up under my knees, pumping his wings again and launching us both into the air.
My magic called to me, pushing me to extend my own wings, but I fought the urge. My body wanted to fly. It was the most natural thing in the world for me now, to extend my wings, to soar into the sky.
But Asmodeus was too close to seeing my magic. He wanted it too badly, and frankly, so did Lord.
It only took a few seconds to fly across the river.
Jessiah landed gently before dropping me to my feet right beside Rummy.
Luseyar attempted to help Lord wrap up the wounds on his shins and his torso with extra fabric from his shirt. Hells, he deserved those. He deserved much, much worse. He deserved to have his back whipped over and over and over again after any slight mistake or failure.
Would he think of this as a failure? Would he hate me for who I had become? For the magic I now possessed?
Probably. It would never be good enough for him. I would never be good enough for him.
Suddenly, my stomach sank. Memories of my childhood flashed in my mind, memories of Lord taking care of me. Of him feeding me. Of him smiling and even occasionally laughing.
But those were quickly replaced with cruel, nonstop moments of violence. Torture. Hatred.
And the killing.
So much damn blood dripped from my hands. I killed and killed and killed at his orders.
I blinked the memories away and shook my head. I couldn’t go back to that place, not when so much mattered right here, right now.
I brushed Rummy’s shoulder as I turned and watched Jessiah launch himself back across the riverbank.
Hells, it hurt that Wolf couldn’t fly himself across. I knew every single time he had to watch Jessiah fly me instead, he felt the pain of those wings being taken over and over again.
Asmodeus would pay for what he did to Wolf. He would pay for all of it.
The roar of the river drowned out whatever the brothers were saying to each other.
“Hurry up!” Asmodeus yelled.
But the brothers ignored them, turning their attention to the forest behind them.
“What is—” My words were ripped from my mouth as an arrow pierced the air, flying above Wolf and Jessiah, landing just a few paces away from my feet.