Page 26 of A Blackened Bond

However, I didn’t want to hide anything from Micai. Opening up all those old and festered wounds and bleeding out in front of her, wasn’t something I was willing to do just yet. I needed a little more time.

I hear Annex chuckling. His hand reaches for Micai before she playfully slaps it away, her eyes sparkling as his grin widens.

Annex. I worry for my brother each time he comes back from death’s grip. He doesn’t tell us much about what he goes through, though his mind becomes more splintered each time. His family’s madness rooting itself deeper in his core.

His mind becomes more muddled, his senses lost as the madness tries to claim him as its own. He becomes violent, lashing out at even me, Creed, and Mallyn. The only thing that seems to help him come out of it, usually involves a lot of bloodshed and carnage.

I was anxious about seeing Micai with him, worried his madness would take over and that he would lash out at Micai too. But he’s been calmer than I’ve ever seen him after returning. Maybe even a little clearer-minded than before too.

My brows pull together as I watch them talking. His eyes curve upwards at something she’s said, his smile growing with his whole face lighting up in laughter at her words.

I had never seen my demented brother happier than when he was with Micai, or more lost when he was without her. Looking at him was like looking in a mirror these days.

My eyes narrow further in thought. Was there a deeper bond between the two than I initially thought? Could Annex also be…Micai’smate?

I shake my head. Maybe that’s just what I wanted to believe; us as a family and all together, with Micai as the glue to our crazy dysfunctional group.

I could see Mallyn warming up to her—I think he already has if the look he was giving her on our way back to the academy meant anything.

Even before that, he had stopped inching away from her, his gaze following her and listening carefully to her when she was around.

My quiet brother had a giant barrier around him. He had already been betrayed by the people he loved and was unwilling to open up again—but she was changing him.

She was changing us all,even Creed.

Not that he would ever admit that.

Mr. Stubborn incarnate would be a harder one to crack than Mallyn. But if she’s willing to put up with his stubborn shit for a while, I’m sure she would be able to break down evenhisdefences.

Creed and Mallyn were staying in Creed’s dorm room down the hall. We didn’t exactly tell them about our trip to Micai’s room since neither of us wanted to deal with Creed’s lecturing.

Micai had proven herself to be one of us. She even put herself in danger to protect all of us when she thought Mallyn’s beast was a threat.

And when Annex died…I could see the pain and devastation on my mate’s face at his loss. I couldtasteit in the air around her.

I rub the centre of my chest, an ache rolling inside me with the memory of the look on her face and the devastation in her cries.

I could see a piece of her break when she thought he had left her, and I never wanted to see such devastation on my mate’s face again.

I’ll do everything I can to ensure she never makes a face like that again while I’m breathing.

My hand reaches into my pocket, pulling out the small wrapped piece of cloth. I head over to the wooden desk on the other side of the room and hurriedly place it in its drawer, closing it harder than normal before moving away from it.

Whatever that metal bracelet was, it wasn’t something I wanted here for long. The energy and magic seeping off of it was…stagnant and twisted.

It was weaker when I wasn’t touching it, but I could feel it draining magic from me, evenpullingmy energy into it. Absorbing it almost.

And Micai had it.

Seriahad given it to her.

Even thinking that name ignites a blazing flame burning in the pit of my stomach.

I knew there was something off about her; the way she looked at Micai, how she behaved around us, and all those damn rumours.

From the first day, she tried to manipulate that situation with Micai, I should have known she was the mastermind behind it all.

When she tried to touch me that day…it felt like bugs were trying to slither along my skin. She had been trying to use whatever spell or ability she had on me. And it had felt heavy and dirty, like trying to breathe through sludge.

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