Page 111 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

The second sun was rising when we reached the castle, and I expected Ravv to go back to his room with me so we could get some sleep. Instead, he left me with a searing kiss at the door, and a warning to get some rest, before striding away to begin developing a plan.

Being left behind didn’t hurt anymore, because I knew he was just taking care of me the best way he knew how. I wasn’t a warrior, and all of us knew it.

Gleam collapsed in bed with me while Coarse followed Ravv to the meeting he likely had Elwynne and Orvay putting together, and I fell asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

My growling stomach woke me a few hours later, and I looked around blearily before realizing I was all alone.

Ravv was…

Veil.

Still in a meeting?

My handprint was throbbing a bit, but it had started to do that even when there was only a small amount of distance between us.

“Where are you guys?” I asked Coarse, not wanting to disturb Ravv if he was still having a conversation.

There was no response.

I tried again, and got nothing once again.

Gleam was still snoring, so I didn’t dare wake her up. I’d been up all day and night, but she had been running the whole time.

On second thought, I hoped Coarse was asleep too.

Though I was reluctant to interrupt him, I knew Ravv would be furious if he found out I was hungry and hadn’t told him, so I reached out. “Are you still awake?”

“Unfortunately. Still planning with my generals,” he admitted. “Are you hungry?”

My lips curved upward at the way he had practically read my mind. “Yep.”

“I’m in an office just down the hall. Turn left outside our room, and walk down to the third door on your right. You can sit on my lap and glare at my people while I convince them to settle on a damn plan.”

My smile grew a bit at the idea of sitting on Ravv’s lap while he growled at his generals.

I swapped my dirty dress for one of his shirts before slipping out. I really needed a shower—and to wash all of my clothes—but he did too, so I’d wait for him.

Halfway down the hall, the door I’d been heading to opened, and a man stepped out.

Ravv’s voice met my ears for a moment before the door shut behind him.

The man stared at me as I neared him, and I opened my mouth to say hello in passing.

He moved so fast, I barely saw him swing his fist at my face.

The pain of the collision didn’t register as my world spun for a heartbeat, and then went black.

When I came to, my head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it. My body felt like it was turning too, but I could feel a muscular form against my back, so I knew that wasn’t real.

My mind moved sluggishly, and the sharp pain in the handprint on my arm was enough to make breathing a struggle.

Some part of me could hear Ravv and Coarse speaking into my mind, demanding to know where I was and what had happened, but I wasn’t functioning well enough to connect with them. Their voices and the bonds were there, but I was too weak to get a hold on them.

I forced my eyes open just a crack, and inhaled sharply when I found myself looking down at the city below us. My abductor and I stood on the roof of the castle, with just a thin strip of ice in front of our toes to keep us from plummeting.

Wind blew lightly at me, and I could feel my flames trying to ignite but failing.

Heights—veil, I did not like heights.

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