Page 6 of The Hunt of Night

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, yeah, that pretty much sums it up,” Nora explains, as if she’s offering a secret piece of me. We’ll be having words about this eventually, but once again, his distraction isn’t what I need right now.

Turning to face him, it’s impossible to keep the glare from my face.

“That look doesn’t seem to be working in my favor,” he states, assessing me with a raised eyebrow.

“You’re learning quick. You’ve got this, Fangs,” Nora says with a beaming smile, like we’re not in a crisis.

“Your sister called me that once,” he replies, eyes narrowing while Nora snickers.

“Only once? That’s embarrassing.” His eyebrow rises farther. “What? It’s a good nickname,” she offers, like that’s enough explanation.

“I have a name; a nickname isn’t required,” Raiden grumbles, and a knot in my stomach untangles at the amusement passing between the pair of them.

“Whatever you say, Fangs,” Nora sings, turning to me with a ridiculous wink.

Brody breaks out into a full laugh, drawing my attention his way, but in the process, I notice Kryll frowning slightly and his gaze is aimed at my father.

This is all too much for me.

As if sensing my thoughts, Cassian grunts. “Are we getting a fucking move on, or are we going to remain where we all know it isn’t safe?”

I hate that I agree with him. It gets under my skin even more than when he’s being an asshole.

“I’ll transport us,” Brody offers, clearing his throat as he moves closer to my family. I flinch when he touches Nora and my father, uncertain of his intentions, but when his soft gaze turns my way, I relax a little.

Placing my hand on Nora’s shoulder, I instantly feel a hand on my back. I turn, ready to give Raiden a piece of my mind, but it’s not him I find; it’s Kryll. He offers me a tight smile, one Ifocus on as the world shifts around us, and a moment later, worn tracks stand beneath my feet as trees blow in the distance.

The fresh air dances over my skin, sending a shiver down my spine. It’s bliss. The earthy scent in the air has the ability to ground me, allowing me a moment of reprieve from the torrid panic battling inside of me.

My eyes fall closed as I take a few deep breaths, rolling my shoulders out with each exhale, and when I blink them open again, I feel a little stronger. I’m in no shape to move mountains right now, and I definitely still need to pass the fuck out, but I can focus more, at least.

That is until my eyes settle on my surroundings and everything becomes washed in a red haze. He brought us to the edge of the Heir Academy campus. Is he for real?

“Why the hell would you bring us here?” I bite, turning my attention to a startled Brody, whose eyes continue to widen the more he takes me in.

“I—”

“It’s okay,” Kryll interjects, waving a hand in front of me as he steps between Brody and me. “I can take them somewhere safe,” he adds, the cords in his neck tightening ever so slightly as he stares deep into my eyes.

“Thereisnowhere safe,” I mutter, pinching the bridge of my nose as my eyes fall to half-mast.

“Do you trust me?” he asks, using his thumb and index finger to tilt my chin up just enough that I’m forced to drop my hand from my nose and look at him.

I hesitate. I know he wants me to say yes, and I know even I want to be able to utter that single word, but it’s still a hard thing to offer someone. Trust. Such a simple word yet so powerful in what it stands for, especially when it comes to my family.

“The fact that you didn’t immediately say no gives me hope,” he muses, his thumb stroking over my cheek as the corner of his mouth tips up. “I promise you, I would never put them at risk.”

“I don’t know that,” I admit, my gut twisting as my hands clench at my sides.

“You know it in your heart.” His words are nothing more than a whisper in the wind, yet they flutter around my stomach, sending a sharp gasp to burst from my lips. My heart races, my soul dances, and my breath catches as I try to find some kind of response. “Let me take them to safety. Trust me.” It’s a plea. The sincerity in his voice is like a gentle vice, coaxing my heart to calm down.

“You’re asking me to trust you with everything that matters to me.” My pulse rings in my ears as I sense everyone’s eyes aimed in our direction, but I can’t pay them any attention as I search deep into his irises, looking for something for me to cling to.

“And I would never risk a single hair on either of their heads knowing that fact. Trust me, Princess. No harm will come to them, I swear it.”

His eyes soften, his touch delicate and his breath light against my lips.

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