And I can’t fucking fix it.
We approach the others. Rory’s still tense, and I know fucking me would help him more. But there’s no time for that.
“She told me to stop, Raphael,” Jude explains. “She said she would jump; she’d fall if I made a move toward him. He would’ve called the others before I reached him. And I knew, Raph. She would have done it.”
“I don’t give a fuck. I gave you one order. One goddamn command. You failed me, Jude. For the first time in your life, youfailed.”
The look he gives Jude chills me to the bone. I’ve never seen him like this. Nothing but cold detachment, icy hatred for his partner.
“It’s on you now,” Raphael continues. “If anything happens to her, it’s on you. And for every mark, for every hurt, for every tear she cries between now and when we find her, get herback, Kinship punishment will be tenfold. You will get on your goddamn knees before me. You will give me every inch of your body to whip. Is that understood?”
I’m holding my breath. We all are.
I watch the fight leave Jude in slow, reluctant waves—his eyes sharpen on Raphael, jaw like steel, but his shoulders sag under the weight of it all. His chest rises once, twice, like he’s swallowing his own fire, before he finally nods.
“I’ll submit to whatever punishment you see fit, Raphael.”
“If she dies, you die.”
Holy fucking shit. For God’s sake. He means it. We all know it.
Jude uses every inch of his height on Raphael but still lowers his chin in respect. “If she dies, I will eat a bullet myself.”
We all will.
Vincent steps in. “Come on. We need to get out of here. Make sure her sacrifice wasn’t for nothing.”
Jude reaches into his pocket, shaky, and hands Raphael the keys.
“The Prophet’s car. It’ll get us out.”
Raphael swipes them from his palm. Nods once before turning to each of us in turn, jaw tight.
“Let’s move.”
We leave the mine.
We leave everything.
I take one last look at the place I bled for. The pit she climbed out of like a beautiful, mad bone witch. The dungeon where she survived the Initiation. The greenhouse where she hummed and smiled at me. The main cabin where we played games. I played. She won. Where we played Truth or Dare, and how she swooned when I gave her the cane.
I built it all.
And now? We’re hunting her. And there’s no better hunter than Raphael.
We’re coming, Briella Darling.
We’re coming with hell in our hands.
70
Briella
HIS CHURCH OF PSYCHOLOGICAL BREAKDOWNS…AND HOLLOW HEARTS.
Citizen Soldier Playlist
“Empty Cup”
