Page 155 of Empowering the Wolf's Heart

That was when I saw him. Dressed in that Red hood. Standing between me and my prey. My once-friend who betrayed us all and now fought forher.

“Graham,” I said, my voice a low threat. “Don’t you see what has happened? What’s been done?”

Graham drew his favorite tiny blades. As kids, we’d complemented each other. I’d had my blow dart for range, Brandt had been stout enough for a broadsword. Graham was a sneaky bastard who would kill from behind. It was something we had practiced—my darts and Brandt’s baiting—until whatever creature we were hunting didn’t even know it was dead until Graham pulled out his stiletto.

Graham smiled. Those eyes of his were dark, nearly molten gray. “I serve my matriarch, Alia. She promised to save you. You don’t see it now, but you aren’t the Alia I grew up with. And it’s all because ofthem,” he said, pointing to the creatures all around us. “You’ll be free of them soon. I promise.”

I shook my head, my heart aching in my chest. “Graham, people change. I just sawthemfor what they are: people, just like us. Creatures of Source who deserve our protection, not to be killed because of what they are. I serve the true Book of Codes, the one we should all follow. Don’t you know me well enough by now?”

His stilettos dropped a hair. “What Book of Codes?”

A rogue tried to sneak up behind me. I ducked its claws, sliced its neck, and heard it gurgle. I watched the rogue fall, clutching its neck.

Could it be so simple? Did he not know about the book? Buthow? Then it hit me. I hadn’t seen him after Grandmother had called him in for his testimony. We’d stuck him right in the dungeon right after. “Did you truly believe I wouldn’t change everything without good reason? That the Reds would fight for me without a cause?”

“Lies,” he hissed, hands clenching around his blade handles. His voice was uncertain, though.

“I’m not the liar here, and you know it?—“

He pounced. I blocked the first blade, ducked the second, and ran my face right into his upturned knee with the help of his hand on the back of my head. I grabbed his knee and threw him to the ground as I blinked away stars from my eyes. My nose and forehead ached.

I swept his legs out from under him just as he gained his feet. But he jumped, dodging my leg. When he landed, his eyes widened at something behind me. I knew better than to fall for that.

He dropped the stilettos and ran at me. I tried to stab him, but he merely ducked beneath my blade and spun until he was staring at me with those blue eyes and a tight smile, his hands on my waist as if we were dancing. His body jerked as something rammed into him.

Those blue eyes hazed with fear and pain, his ever-messy blonde hair now streaked with red. His hands squeezed my waist as something sad and knowing overcame the both of us.

“I always loved you, you know,” he said. Then he gave me a dopey smile. “Anyone ever told you how mighty slow you move, Miss Matriarch?"

Hisneedstruck me as if I were the one who was stabbed in the back. That was when I realized he’d taken a hit for me. A stone from the mage Brandt fought stuck from Graham’s chest like an icy hand of death. It was coated in blood so dark it was nearly black.

Time froze as he grinned at me and I stood, not able to comprehend.

Graham crumbled in on himself when his legs gave out. I screamed, catching him with one arm. I blew on my blow dart with the other and sent the mage behind him spiraling into sleepy land. At the same time, Brandt dodged a flying rock and drove his blade through the mage’s heart.

I cradled Graham in my arms even though he was one heck of a heavy son of a blade and had once betrayed me.

“Hey, stay with me,” I begged, regretting having let Shen use the mage stone.

“It was… an honor…” He coughed and blood dribbled from his mouth.

Brandt came to a sliding halt beside us. Memories raced through my mind. It was us three against the world for years—studying together, killing together, laughing together. Brandt stared down at Graham with something in his eyes I’d never seen before. His smile was gone, almost as if it had never been. I turned back to Graham, whose chest was heaving with pants, his lungs unable to get enough air.

“You are a warrior, through and through. It was an honor fighting beside you,” I said, pushing blonde hair back from his sweaty forehead.

“I was... wrong, Alia. Forgive me. I was all wrong."

"Shhh, all's forgiven, Graham, ok? It’s old news."

His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Don’t… let the… matriarchy get to your head,” he teased as a unicorn rammed into a rogue coming for us.

“I’ll have you here to keep me from getting a big head,” I said, a trembling smile parting my lips.

He smiled, his eyes lighting with sadness tinged with knowing; we both knew he wouldn’t make it off this field of death.

“Keep her… humble,” Graham said, looking over at Brandt. “Brother.”

Brandt gave him a grave nod.

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