Page 81 of The Hunt of Night

My stomach turns as I take his hand with my other arm and stand. “That’s going to mean nausea, isn’t it?” The thought of moving anywhere above the speed of a snail is completely off-putting right now.

“No, I’ve got you, Dagger,” he breathes, stroking a loose tendril of hair back off my face. Thank goodness for his badass mage abilities. I like him even more now.

He pulls me in close, ready to move us, when I plant a hand on his chest. “Wait, what about Flora and Arlo?” I balk, remembering their involvement, but I’ve been so caught up in myself that I don’t even know where they are, and that doesn’t sit well with me.

“They’re both good. They returned to the academy with Tora and the spectating assholes,” Cassian grunts, making his presence known as his gaze rakes over me from head to toe.

I roll my eyes at the mention of the students who quite happily did nothing before my mind drifts back to seeing Flora in action.

“She was unreal,” I mutter, and Brody squeezes my good arm in comfort.

“She was awesome.”

“She was,” I confirm, beaming at the strength Flora showed. Alowly fucking faedoing far more than anyone else.

“So was he,” Kryll adds, referring to Arlo, and I nod as Cassian rolls his eyes.

“Sure,” he grumbles, not appreciating the praise going anywhere else.

“But—”

“Not as awesome as you, Princess,” Kryll states, interrupting my retort and distracting me altogether.

“Stop,” I grumble, waving him off, and he grins.

Before anyone can say another word, the ground shifts beneath our feet and Cassian steps in, touching my neck and Brody’s arm as Kryll reaches for the wolf. When the world stills around us again, I quickly recognize the room we’re in.

“Cassian’s?” I ask as everyone takes a step back, and the man himself shrugs.

“It’s the biggest we’ve got access to since Raiden’s not here,” he offers, and the mention of my vampire has my gut clenching with worry and fear all over again.

“He was bleeding bad,” I murmur, my hand lifting to my neck instinctively.

“But it stopped, so don’t worry. What you need to worry about is how he’s going to replenish himself,” Cassian says, an almost snicker at his lips, and I frown.

“What?”

“You know,” Brody interrupts, snapping his teeth together before pretending to suck from his wrist and rub his belly in delight.

I gulp, recalling the ferocious pain that burned through my body when Vallie did the exact same thing to me, and it sends a shiver down my spine.

“I worry for his victim,” I admit, shaking my head when Cassian gives me a surprised look.

“I thought you would be a willing target.”

My head rears back. “After Vallie’s attack? No fucking way.”

Brody leans in, cupping my cheek and arching my face to stare into his eyes. “I mean, she let her pointy tips poison you. That’s what I was healing. Raiden wouldn’t do that. Besides, I’ve been told it’s quite an experience,” he offers, wagging his eyebrows and leaving my brain like mush.

“That sounds like someone has experienced it to know,” I blurt, raising my eyebrows at him, but he just shrugs.Fuckingshrugs.

“Jealous?” he asks, booping my nose again, and I sigh.

“Very.”

“Of it being done, or?—”

“Of someone doing it to you,” I snap, my irritation hard to hide as the green-eyed monster takes hold of me.

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