Huntyr and I sat on the rooftop of one of the nearby buildings, overlooking the rest of Scarlata. She didn’t ask me about my bond with Jessiah. She didn’t have to.
Now, I understood why she and Wolf were so close.
Even though Jessiah was nowhere near, I could feel him etched into my bones. He was like a scent of pine in the wind, grazing over my skin every second and occupying each of my thoughts.
Huntyr knew exactly what I was going through.
We sat in silence like that for a long, long time. Not asking questions. Not explaining anything.
Just breathing.
“You okay?” I asked after a while, nudging her with the tip of my boot.
Smiling, she turned, her black curly hair blowing in the breeze. “You’re askingmethat? Aren’t you the one about to undergo an insane magical ritual?”
I shrugged, ignoring the way my throat tightened with nerves. “I’ll be fine. I always am.”
The skin around her eyes wrinkled. “You don’t have to do that, you know.”
“Do what?” The question was ridiculous, but lowering my defenses didn’t come easily to me.
“You don’t have to pretend like you’re impenetrable.”
I scoffed. “That’s a lot coming from you.”
Huntyr always put on a brave face. She was the damn blood queen, for crying out loud. Nothing passed those thick walls of hers.
The two of us were quite the pair when it came to vulnerability. After the way we grew up and the lives we’d lived, we were all but forced to become these people. We were forced to be this rigid.
She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “I just wish I could help you. I hate that you have to do this alone.”
“But I’m not alone,” I reminded her. “Not anymore.”
Her eyes flashed with excitement. “Right. You and Jessiah, then? When did that happen, because the last time we talked, you absolutely despised each other.”
I let out a breath. “I guess that freaky magical bond has a way of bringing out the truth.”
She laughed and leaned back onto her elbows, swinging her feet back and forth, and zeroed in on me. “That is something I can perpetually understand.”
We sat under the night sky, and I told her everything. Everything about my magic, about Jessiah, about what happened all those years ago. She listened and nodded, not once judging me. Not once telling me I was wrong or vile or cruel.
I talked until the sun started to peak over the horizon. Until there was nothing left to distract us from what lay ahead.
Before the day was over, I would inherit a portion of her magic. Wolf’s, too. And goddess knows who else’s.
I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t prepared.
But I kept my expression even. What I said before was true—I wasn’t alone anymore. Part of me felt stronger, more capable.
Besides, Hunt was my best friend, and she had taken on so much more than she should have to handle.
For her? I could be strong. For this kingdom she built? I would sacrifice anything.
Chapter 34
Jessiah
I’d never grown completely comfortable with the thought of possessing magic. Maybe it was because of my father, who’d abused his own talents to gain control of the people. Or maybe it was because I’d seen the damage magic could do.
