Page 79 of A Rift in the House of Bruin

“I’ve been tolerant of your behavior for Michaela’s sake,” I said, voice low and deadly. “But don’t ever threaten one of your brothers again. If you ever try, I will put you down.”

Silence settled over the room. All three of us glared at each other, tempers cooling just enough for logic to return.

“Let’s look at this from all angles,” I said, more composed now. “We laughed at Jase’s ideas, while Mic embraced them. For all we know, she left with him. We need to keep our heads. Gather our forces. Establish a plan to rescue our brothers, and our girl. It’s time to take back our kingdom.”

I opened her pack. One last hope of proving Lucius wrong.

The contents were ordinary: clothes, a bedroll, rations. What I wasn’t expecting was the leather-bound book nestled at the bottom.

I froze, staring down at the worn cover in stunned disbelief. There were dozens, maybe even hundreds of copies scattered across the realm. Each one a watered-down version of the original. But this was it. The true Book of Astrium. The original text that had been locked away in Mathenholm Castle. How had it ended up in Michaela’s hands?

The supple leather warmed beneath my hands. I opened the ancient tome, flipping straight to the page that had haunted me for years: Michaela’s likeness, drawn by some unknown prophet centuries before her birth. The vibrant blue lines of power connecting her to seven bears.

I traced the lines with my finger, feeling a deep keening need to tear through the woods until she was in my arms again. Had her hands run over the same images? Why hadn’t she said anything?

“What do you got there, brother?” Luca asked, eyeing the book curiously.

“It’s the Book of Astrium,” I whispered.

Luca arched a brow. “The Book of Astrium? Are you sure that blast didn’t addle your brain?”

“How in the Divine did she?—”

“I gave it to her,” Fallon said, entering the shelter.

“You what?” I turned to her, stunned.

“The night of the Crownspire,” she clarified.

“That’s impossible. It was locked away under magical bonds. Only Father—” I paused as the realization hit me. “He gave you the key.”

She nodded. “Right before he died.”

“That doesn’t make sense. The king only passes the key to his successor.”

“Maybe he knew more about his own demise than he let on. And besides, there was no king to pass it down to,” she said, her voice edged with pain. “You weren’t there.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you gave it to Michaela. If anyone had caught her with it?—”

“She’d have been executed,” Fallon finished. “I know. But we were already marked for death, Nico. I told you that before the ceremony. Michaela had the best chance at survival. I wasn’t about to let the book fall into Johan’s hands.”

“Did you explain what it was?”

“No. I meant to. But when was the right time to tell her she’s so deeply woven into the fate of Hiraeth that her face is in our most sacred text? I didn’t want to dump that on her when we don’t even know what it means.”

“Fuck, Loni!” Lucius barked, his wrath swiftly moving over to Fallon. “Did you think she wouldn’t open it? At least you could have warned her. No wonder she thinks we’ve been lying to her.”

“Because you have been lying to her!” Fallon snapped, her gaze searing through us. “You should have told her the truth a long time ago.”

“I’m done with this conversation. Every second we sit here arguing, Jase is taking her farther away from us.” Lucius grumbled, rising with his arms crossed tight over his chest. His amber eyes burned with resolve. His bear stirred beneath his skin, restless and ready to act. “I’m going after her. With or without you.”

I exhaled sharply. “Lu, listen?—”

“No. I’ve listened to you for too long. Are you coming with me, or are you going to sit here and ponder every possible outcome while he drags her deeper into enemy territory?”

He stepped closer, daring me to stop him. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. He was running on instinct. I had to be the balance.

“Thinking is not wasting time,” I said. “Mic isn’t the only one at stake here. Our brothers are set to be executed in a weeks’ time. The entire kingdom?—”

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