Page 26

Later that same night, I sat at my desk, with my chin resting against my arm, as I drew random things on a piece of paper. It had been hours since Marnie left that I was beginning to think I had found a new talent in drawing. I hadn’t.

Eventually, I heard a noise. It was faint, but it sounded like the boys were talking.

I sat up, frowning. It wasn’t the usual banter I would hear from them. This was something different.

Standing, I cracked open my door, peering into our small living room. Brandon and Silas were awkwardly carrying someone between them—someone slumped, their feet dragging against the floor. I cleared my throat, and as soon as they heard me, they panicked, dropping the person behind the sofa.

Both Brandon and Silas were the picture of fake innocence as I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.

“What did you just drop behind there?”

“Nothing,” Brandon and Silas said at the same time, a little too quickly.

Brandon cleared his throat. “You’re up late. That’s no good if you want enough beauty sleep.”

I narrowed my eyes, walking towards them. When I glanced behind the sofa, my eyes widened. “Oh my god!” The words left me in a gasp as I saw that the person they’d dropped so carelessly was Hunter, bloodied, battered, and barely conscious.

I dropped to my knees beside him, my hands hovering over him, unsure of where to even start. “What happened?”

“He went into town,” Silas said, to which Brandon slapped the back of his head.

“What?” I shot back. Concern and, most of all, anger seeped into my chest. “How did he even get into town if there were no buses this weekend? H—how did he not get caught? Actually, scratch that. Who the hell did this ?”

Brandon and Silas exchanged a look.

Silas sighed first. “Well...”

“Well, what?”

“There’s this car,” he admitted. “It’s a rusty old thing, really. We found it years ago in the woods, and Hunter taught himself how to drive it. I’m surprised it still even works.”

I stared at him, then at Brandon, nodding along. “How were you guys ever chosen to be Ascendants?”

“Um, we were chosen before birth?” Silas shrugged and made a face. “So, that’s not really our fault.”

I scowled, feeling a rush of frustration run through my veins. “Why didn’t you take him to the Healers Sector?”

“No one’s allowed out of their designated dorms after nine.” Silas scoffed. “Plus, it’d just be too risky.”

Unbelievable.

“You allowed Hunter to leave the academy when there’s a whole ban set in place and didn’t think that was risky enough?”

I always questioned where Hunter was at times, but I believed him when he said he was meeting Azrael for extra training. I didn’t expect this .

Brandon grimaced. “Grace—”

“Aaron,” Hunter mumbled.

I frowned, glancing back at Brandon. “Aaron?”

Brandon sighed, a heavy look passing between him and Silas. “That’s his brother’s name.”

“His brother?” I said slowly, not understanding anything.

“Yeah,” Silas said, his voice suddenly quiet. “Hunter’s been searching for him.”

I stared at Hunter, at the pain etched on his bruised face. “I thought his brother died?”

“That’s what Cain thought, too,” Silas explained. “But then he got a letter that seemed to be from Aaron, telling Cain he was still alive and needed help.”

“And he believed it?”

“He was so sure that it was Aaron’s handwriting,” Brandon said. “But ever since then, he’s risked himself and his position at the academy by looking for him.”

My heart broke then. Everything I had said to Hunter—the day out in the pit, the moment we were together in the common room... he had been looking for his brother all along.

“Do you think this could be a Riftkeeper’s doing, then?” I asked, glancing at the slash across his chest.

“If it was, I don’t know why they’d keep him alive,” Silas said, and I shook my head at the thought. “It doesn’t make sense, really. It doesn’t even make sense that his brother would still be alive.”

It was hope. Hunter was willing to take the risk if there was even the slightest possibility of his brother being alive. Anyone would.

“Come on,” I said as I stood up. “Help me at least get him to his room.”

The boys gently lifted Hunter by the arms and carried him into his room. We laid him down on the bed, and I quickly turned to Brandon.

“Grab me a bowl of water, disinfectants and some clean cloths.”

Brandon nodded and hurried off while Silas lingered by the doorway, looking torn between wanting to help and feeling guilty.

I sat down beside Hunter, my hands shaking slightly as I began to rip his t-shirt, revealing cuts and skin glistening with sweat and blood.

I blew out a shaky breath just as Brandon came back with the bowl of water and a cloth.

I began to clean the blood from his face, wiping away the dirt and grime.

His injuries weren’t as many as I thought, but whoever had done this had given him a gash that seemed borderline punishing.

His chest rose with every deep breath he took, and I watched as he stirred and winced whenever I touched an injured spot. For once, he looked vulnerable. One could almost assume that he wasn’t the temperamental person I’d seen him be.

I squeezed the excess water into the bowl and dabbed at his skin. He felt warm under my fingers, and I contemplated texting Marnie. I didn’t want to get her in trouble, but something like this should be healed by an actual Healer with abilities, not someone pressing a damp cloth to his body.

His eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, unfocused but soft, like he was barely there. When his hand twitched, it brushed against mine, and I froze.

But it wasn’t the contact that made me stop—it was the glint of gold.

I slowly turned his hand over, and there it was. My ring still wrapped around his pinky.

My throat tightened.

He hadn’t thrown it away like I thought he would have.

“Do you need us to get anything else?” Brandon whispered.

I blinked from my stupor and glanced over my shoulder. “No, it’s fine. I’ll take care of it.”

He seemed skeptical. “You sure?”

I nodded. It wasn’t the first time I had to tend to someone. Often, Joe had gotten into a tiff with a Riftkeeper, prompting us to move from place to place.

Brandon didn’t say another word as he slipped out of Hunter’s room, leaving the door to creak shut behind him. I stayed for a few minutes, perched silently at Hunter’s side, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing as it evened out. Knowing he was in less pain was a strange kind of comfort.

Eventually, I stood, hesitant to leave. My gaze wandered around his room, caught between the urge to stay and the feeling that I might be overstaying.

The walls were painted a cool grey, the exact shade of his eyes when they darkened with thought.

I turned slowly, taking in the small, unassuming details such as posters of old classic cars and bands, until a neatly stacked pile of CDs by his desk caught my attention.

My fingers drifted over the covers, lingering on one with Bon Jovi across it.

Beneath it was a collection of soul music and alternative rock.

A quiet laugh escaped me.

Of course, this was his musical taste.

On the left side of the desk, a CD player stood out among the otherwise sparse space.

I grabbed a CD from the stack, slipping the disc into the player and pressing play.

A familiar melody began to fill the room, and I checked the back of the CD cover to see it was the song Power of Love by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.

A smile tugged at my lips as I closed my eyes, letting the music seep into my chest. The rhythm swayed through me, gentle and steady. Without thinking, I let myself move to it, my body rocking softly to the sound.

“Grace?”

My eyes widened as I spun around, almost knocking my back into Hunter’s desk. He was there on his bed, his eyes half-lidded, staring at me.

Panic embedded itself in my chest, and I rushed toward him, pressing the back of my hand to his forehead. “Shit, you’re burning up. I think I have painkillers in my room, or if you want, I can text Marnie. She might still be awake, and maybe I could try to sneak out and get her to come—”

He shook his head, pulling me towards him.

I fell onto the bed, my hands landing on his chest as my curls went all over my face.

He brushed a few strands behind my ear. “You stayed .” His voice was a mixture of anger and something else—something weakening as his thumb lingered on my cheek.

“You stayed even when I didn’t want you to.

You keep staying, Grace, and I wish you wouldn’t. ”

Even in a feverish state, he continued to want me gone. “You need to rest.”

His jaw tensed. “I will after I find Aaron.”

I huffed, knowing there would be no point in arguing with him. Not when he was like this.

His fingers brushed against my temple, and I froze, caught in the intensity of his gaze.

His eyes, usually so guarded, softened as he murmured, “He would’ve liked you, you know.

My brother.” A shiver ran down my spine at the touch of his hand.

“The way you challenge me, make me smile when all I want is to despise you... it’s maddening. Infuriating .”

I let out a startled laugh—more of a snort, really.

His brows furrowed. “What’s so funny?”

I licked my lips, the smile still tugging at them. “Nothing, it’s just... in the morning, you’ll realize everything you’ve said and regret it.”

He shook his head, a faint smile curling at the edges of his mouth as his teeth grazed his bottom lip. “I won’t.”

I tilted my head, my smile fading into something softer... maybe even sadder. “You will,” I whispered, and when I went to stand, his hand shot out, catching mine with a gentle but firm grip.

“Stay with me,” he whispered, his voice breaking just enough to make my heart clench. He wasn’t fully aware of what he was asking, or maybe he was, but the way he looked at me as if me leaving would shatter him left me no choice but to say yes.

Slowly, I nodded, my heart racing. “Okay,” I whispered, squeezing his hand gently. “I’ll stay.”

He exhaled a soft, relieved sound, and I carefully lay down beside him. My body was tense at first, unsure of where to position myself, but it became clear that space was nothing but a myth to him as his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling my back flush against his chest.

I swallowed hard, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing against my neck.

His warmth seeped into my skin, and I was afraid of moving and grazing one of his wounds, but it didn’t seem to matter to him.

He held me with a consuming and comforting fierceness, as if letting go wasn’t an option.

“Bambi?” he murmured against my hair.

“Yeah?” I breathed.

His lips brushed lightly against my temple, and he whispered, “You’ve done the impossible. You made the huntsman put down his bow.”

The irony was not lost on me even as my heart went up in flames, leaving me completely and utterly undone.

It was quiet now, and I knew Hunter had fallen asleep within seconds of saying that to me. Still, I stayed there, heart racing against the steady rhythm of his.