Page 15 of Back in the Hunt

“A while?” Nox offered, leaning toward Bryn. “I’ve been alive for less than thirty years. Do you remember howstupidyou were at thirty?”

Bryn drew back. “Okay… But?—”

“No!” Nox wagged a finger at him. “That’s too big of a thing for you tobut. No one at that age should have that kind of power. Not when the consequences of their mistakes could bring about the end of the world.”

“Fine,” Bryn conceded. “I wouldn’t have wanted that kind of power when I was your age?—”

“You want it now?” Nox reached for Bryn’s face. “I think that you could survive the download.”

“What? No!” Bryn pushed his hands away. “I don’t want it.”

“Then, don’t tell me how to use it,” Nox returned sharply, his light, laughing mood slipping as he stared Bryn down. “There are consequences to everything, soul catcher. Don’t you think I would have ended suffering and given the world peace if I had the power?”

“You could try, at least,” Bryn snapped back. “Who are you helping, preaching about the past to a bunch of rich brats and making documentaries? Why save a few people and put away a handful of monsters with the FBI when we could be clearing this place of demons?”

“Come on, Bryn!” Arawn groaned from the back door as he held it open. Nelson guided Everly through the study, the bag of frozen peas and wads of paper towel pressed to his upturned face.

“Is it supposed to hurt?” Everly mumbled from beneath the compress in his soft monotone. It took a little getting used to, but Bryn found the slower cadence and low murmur soothing.

“Sometimes,” Nelson replied with a concerned look at Nox but he held up his hands.

“Good thing it doesn’t?” he guessed, causing Arawn to snort.

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” he offered and followed Everly and Nelson into the foyer and up the stairs.

“I’ll hang out,” Fletcher said as he dropped onto the arm of the sofa, hugging his chest and staring Bryn down, silently lecturing him for offending their host again.

“We’re fine.” Nox waved it off. “I’d rather clear the air and make peace now. Everly’s back on his feet and we have important work to do. A grudge will make our tasks heavier. You want to know why I haven’t started a Hunt?”

Bryn nodded. “The Beltway is teeming with demons and dark witches. There’s far too many for me and Arawn to fight, but you could raise the Hunt again and we could do a lot of good around here.”

“If that’s what you want,” Nox said with an easy shrug and looked at Fletcher. “Are you ready to say goodbye to Arawn and Bryn?”

“That’s not fair,” Bryn ground out. “The Hunt can be whateveryouwant it to be. There’s no guarantee we won’t be back.”

Nox nodded quickly and waved his arms at the door. “Alright! Let’s suit up and hit the road!” he shouted, whistling and clapping his hands. He galloped into the foyer, then circled around and back into the study, giving his invisible reins a hard tug and halting in front of Bryn. “You don’t happen to know how to gather a mystical horde, do you?” he asked and Bryn clenched his jaw, fuming as he shook his head. Nox made a worried sound before waving it off. “No big deal, I’m sure. But you know how to avoid leading us into the End of Times, right? I assume you and Arawn will be at the front.”

“You’ve made your point,” Bryn said stiffly, causing Fletcher to push out a hard snort.

“Are you finally listening, though? Your brother and I both told you,” he sighed at Bryn, another jab at his pride.

Nox held up a hand before Bryn could take a swipe at him. “You don’t know what I’ve done. You only hear what I say in interviews and what’s whispered about me becausethat’s how I want it,” he explained slowly. “It would be theendof peace if I were to proclaim my godliness. Do you think the Christians are going to say ‘Aw, shucks! The grift is up!’ and go away quietly? You think the Jews and the Muslims are going to give up Yahweh and Allah and loveme?”

“No, notyou.You’re a kid who acts like a clown,” Bryn said, sneering and storming past an exasperated Fletcher on his way out.

“Why are you and Nox fighting?” Everly asked in his light, flat tone and startling Bryn when they nearly collided in thefoyer. His big, dark, unblinking gaze darted between Bryn’s and the study as he searched for clues.

“Shhh!” Bryn cupped his cheek and ducked so he could trap Everly’s attention. “Everything’s fine. How’s your face?” He tilted it back, clicking his teeth at the trace of dried blood smeared beneath Everly’s nose and the scab already forming on his chin.

“I can’t feel it,” Everly informed Bryn, his shoulder bouncing an awkward beat later. “And it’ll probably all be gone by morning.”

“Good!” Bryn replied brightly, not wanting to upset Everly by pointing out that “normal” people didn’t heal like that. “Is this your first bloody nose?”

“Yes! None of my foster parents let me doanything, they were so afraid something would happen to me or I would get taken. And I’ve spent the rest of my life hiding from just about everything!”

His eagerness to trust and his purity was tearing Bryn to shreds. He would rip the arms off of any man who hurt Everly but Bryn wasn’t sure how much longerhecould be trusted with the sweet young halfling. “We’re doing our best to find the asshole who’s hunting you, so you won’t have to hide anymore,” Bryn said as he stepped around Everly and jogged up the stairs.

“That’s the thing!” Everly took off after Bryn. “I don’t feel like I’m— Oh—!” he cried when his foot missed the third step and he slipped, clipping his chin on one of the corners.

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