Page 101 of This Blood That Breaks Us

Zach was on the ground of the atrium covered in blood, shaking. I didn’t understand. Why do this? Why physically torture us to test the bond. My brother knew all along Sirius was capable of this and more.

“There. That’s the fight I wanted to see.”

I lunged for Sirius, pushing him back a few steps. I didn’t care how old he was or how experienced. I’d fight him now. I’d kill him if he thought he could so much as look in my brother’s direction.

“This is who you need to be here. Not cowering on the floor. This bond is not your excuse to be weak.”

I stepped forward again, but Zach grabbed my leg. “Luke, don’t. Please, let it go.”

“We’re not cowards. This bond doesn’t make us weak. It will make us the strongest to ever set foot on The Guard. It makes me strong enough to kill you.”

“Want to test the theory, Calem?” Sirius’s eyes sparkled with the challenge.

“Yeah, I do.” I stared into his eyes, our faces inches apart.

I’d missed the fire in my veins, but it had been there all this time, lying dormant and waiting to strike.

“That’s enough,” Ezra’s voice came from behind and pulled me back.

“No, let’s see. Maybe Sirius’s time is up.”

Sirius didn’t shrink away from me, and I waited patiently for his advance.

Ezra grabbed my face in his hands, and his blue eyes steadied me. “Stop. Go comfort your brother.”

I turned back to Zach shaking on the floor. His entire arm was covered in blood, with long gashes. A few of his fingernails were cut and pried up.

The emotion of it all hit me like a freight train. I fell on the floor next to him, pulling him into an embrace. Finally, the tears came and we wept. The pain pulsed everywhere. Aching. His wounds were open, barely starting to close, and it hurt. Physically, it hurt, but I couldn’t tell if it was worse than the emotional pain as the fear of it left us. This would be a process and another series of days stuck hurting.

“Don’t do that again.” Zach cried into my shoulder.

“Do what? Save you?”

He said nothing as he buried his head into my shoulder. It felt good to comfort him this time. Holding him was holding me together. It eased all the pain rushing through me. We’d get through this like we always had.

Sirius and Ezra bickered while a few lower members filtered in to watch, including Connell. He, too, appeared to be crying.

“This is over the line.”

“The bond needs to be tested. We need them to be prepared.”

“They’ve already been through a lot.”

“Haven’t we all? They don’t get a pass for being damaged. It’s up to us to make sure they can face what lies ahead. You of all people know The Divine Path speaks of great enemies coming. What will happen if they catch us here like this?”

Damaged.Squeezing Zach tighter, I understood the fear he held now. Sirius was calloused, and his heart was cold. He called us brothers but treated us like soldiers. Replaceable, beatable, things for him to mold.

“The bond will snap into place when it’s ready. It doesn’t need molding or testing. You need to apologize,” Ezra said.

The hairs raised on the back of my neck at Her presence.

My brother’s and my head hit the floor in a bow before we could blink. All of us were on our faces before Her. I didn’t need to see Her to feel Her presence, but She rarely left Her room and not without an escort.

I caught sight of the tail end of Her dress as She walked to Sirius, who was kneeling too.

“My queen, I didn’t intend to cause harm.”

“Do not speak. You carried this mission out on your own volition. For three days, leave my sight. You will not pray. You will not speak to me or anyone. Your punishment is your own loss of connection and a fasting from blood.”