Page 48 of A Rift in the House of Bruin

“The fact that Lucius has carnal knowledge of our fated,” he said matter-of-factly, and I momentarily considered throwing my eidris at him, until I remembered this was only a dream.

“Lucius? Really?” Hunter rubbed his chin as he looked at me. “I know we all dreamed of being the first, but I always assumed it would be Nico, or maybe even Luca… but the runt?”

“He’s always been true to me. Genuine in his feelings from the very start. While the rest of you fought with your own reservations over this fated shit. I have no regrets,” I said, lifting my chin.

“Reservations?” Finn shot back. “That’s a little unfair, when you were literally writing down your own reservations just now. Do we not deserve the same grace?” There was an edge to his voice as he stalked toward me, invading my personal space.

“I’m sorry… you’re right. But in my defense, you’ve all had plenty of time to tell me. Even now you’re keeping secrets from me, and it feels like betrayal.”

Finn leaned in, forcing me backward on the bed while he planted two fists on either side of my legs. I tried to pull away from him, but the bed creaked as Hunter crawled up behind me—the two of them sandwiching me in. My heart was in my throat, pounding away at an erratic rhythm. My mind struggled to remember this was only a dream.

Hunter pulled my hair to one side, and I shivered as cool air rushed across my neck.

Finn was so close I could feel his breath on my lips as he spoke. “Maybe it’s to protect you. To keep you in blissful ignorance, so you can go one more day without knowing things that might make you wish you’d never set foot in Hiraeth.”

The air between us was charged. My mind clung to Finn’s words, imagining invisible threads pulling taut—bringing us together.

“Finn, we have to wrap this up. Guards are coming,” Hunter said, grit in his voice. He sucked in a deep breath at my neck before pulling away.

Finn grumbled, leaning forward until his forehead met mine. “Tell my brothers that Johan is planning something.He willcut out the heart of this little revolution if Nico doesn’t act fast. The vulture plans to make the populous bleed until they happily giveyou over. Nico needs to enact his plans now… or consider that all is lost in Hiraeth, and seek safe haven in Neverland.”

Nico, Luca, and Lucius had left at sunset to meet with the Raven’s Hand, promising they’d return in the morning. I’d had the brilliant idea to turn in early, hoping Hunter and Finn might visit me again. If nothing else, I’d take the coward’s way of passing the time until I knew they were safe.

But God, the Divine, or whoever was in charge—had other plans. I tossed and turned as if shifting positions might banish the gnawing thoughts crowding my mind. The more I craved sleep, the farther it slipped from reach.

When dawn’s light finally began to break through the darkness, I gave up. I found Fallon sitting on the steps outside, a cigarette resting between her elegant fingers, staring into the shadowed forest beyond.

“Sleep well?” she asked, not even bothering to look up at me.

“Like shit,” I grumbled, taking a seat beside her. My joints ached, and my thoughts drifted to the sprite ash. Maybe I should dose myself before the boys returned so they wouldn’t worry.

“In that case, we can both be miserable together,” she said, offering me her cigarette. The rich scent I now recognized as brimshade wafted up in scrolled columns of smoke. Apparently, her errands had proven fruitful.

I hesitated for a moment, but decidedwhat the fuck. Maybe it was comparable to the medical-grade marijuana I’d been prescribed back home.

I took a drag. The ember flared cherry red in the dark, and the smoke went down smooth, leaving a subtle tingle in my lungs as I exhaled. The effects were immediate. The tension in my shoulders melted away, and the knot of anxiety in my chest began to ease.

“Now I understand the appeal,” I said, handing it back.“Finn and Hunter visited me yesterday,” I added after a beat, needing to share it with someone. The admission hung in the air while Fallon remained silent, pulling in a deep drag.

I wasn’t sure if she even heard me, or the mention of them had become too painful. But then she asked, “Are they alright?”

“They seemed okay. But it felt like… a goodbye. They told me Johan is planning something.”

She turned toward me, her eyes glassy under the weight of her emotions. “Did they tell you what it was?”

“No. Just that we should leave Hiraeth altogether.”

“Do me a favor, Mic. Don’t tell my brothers.”

“Okay… but why?”

“It’ll only sow seeds of doubt. Johan will always be planning something. They need to focus—not worry about contingency plans. That will only get them killed.”

“What’s your gut say? Think we can win?”

“That depends on how you measure success,” she said. “If you mean, did they relieve the fake king of his iron and his coin tonight—then yes, they were successful. But they’ve poked the bear, so to speak. Johan won’t take this lightly. They’ve won this battle, but the war is only just beginning.”

I didn’t ask her to elaborate. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know more.

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