LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City / Episode 21: Barge Betrayal

Summary

Podcast Summary: LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City / Episode 21: Barge Betrayal

Hosts:

• Natalie Jean (Some Place Under Neith)
• Jackie Zabrowski (Page 7)

Release Date: March 11, 2025

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Overview

In Episode 21 of LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City, hosted by Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski, the duo delves into the intricacies of Sarah J. Maas's adult science fiction novel series, Crescent City, specifically focusing on Chapter 66 through Chapter 72. Titled "Barge Betrayal," this episode dissects pivotal plot developments, character motivations, and the emotional turmoil experienced by the protagonist, Bryce Quinlan, as she navigates unexpected betrayals and shocking revelations.

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1. Introduction and Context

Timestamp: [00:51] – [01:31]

The episode kicks off with Natalie and Jackie welcoming listeners and briefly mentioning their Throne of Glass stream, encouraging audience participation. They recount an amusing anecdote about a listener's ex-mother seeking a nose job inspired by her son's girlfriend, setting a light-hearted tone before transitioning into the main discussion.

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2. Emotional Preparations and Personal Anecdotes

Timestamp: [01:31] – [12:00]

Before diving into the book's content, the hosts share personal stories about costumes and makeup related to their cosplay endeavors. Natalie gifted Fury an iced coffee cup adorned with Crescent City otters in Halloween costumes, highlighting their dedication to immersing themselves in the series' universe. This segment emphasizes their passion and sets the stage for an in-depth analysis.

---

3. Plot Breakdown: Bryce’s Discovery of Hunt’s Betrayal

Timestamp: [12:00] – [25:05]

Natalie and Jackie transition into discussing the harrowing developments in Chapter 66, where Bryce realizes that Hunt Athalar, someone she trusted, is deeply involved in the illicit synth drug trade.

• Bryce’s Realization:
  At [13:09], they describe Bryce’s gut-wrenching moment upon discovering Hunt’s true intentions aboard the synthesis boat. Jackie remarks, “She already had traumas. More traumas now are coming,” highlighting the compounded emotional strain on Bryce.

• Introduced Betrayals:
  Fury reflects on the layers of betrayal, noting Hunt's deceit not only in being part of the drug deal but also withholding critical information about Danika’s involvement and demise. At [22:07], Fury shares, “We are in an uncomfortable portion of the book,” emphasizing the dark turn in the narrative.

• Micah and the Viper Queen’s Schemes:
  The discussion touches upon the manipulation by the Viper Queen and Micah, who orchestrate a sting operation to expose Hunt. Jackie summarizes at [18:27], “The viper queen has conspired to do this. She’s very good at it,” underscoring her cunning nature.

Notable Quote:
Jackie Zabrowski at [13:00]: “We last left Bryce with the gutting realization that one of the figures on the boat doing the deal with the Viper Queen is Hunt.”

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4. Character Analysis: Hunt Athalar

Timestamp: [25:05] – [35:13]

The hosts dissect Hunt Athalar’s character, portraying him as a complex antagonist whose actions sow deep distrust in Bryce.

• Motivations and Actions:
  Fury questions Hunt's integrity, asking, “How can she believe him now?” while Jackie acknowledges his role as a “flawed male.” They explore whether Hunt's actions stem from a genuine desire to protect Bryce or from selfish motives tied to the rebellion against the angels.

• Emotional Impact on Bryce:
  Bryce’s emotional devastation is a focal point, with Jackie noting, “She couldn’t stop shaking,” illustrating the profound impact of the betrayal.

Notable Quote:
Fury at [35:29]: “No, no, no, no. I didn't want to ask. I came all the way down here...”

---

5. The Viper Queen’s Role and Angelic Politics

Timestamp: [35:13] – [45:42]

Natalie and Jackie delve into the Viper Queen’s intricate schemes against the governing angels, highlighting her strategic manipulation to power.

• Conspiracy and Power Play:
  The Viper Queen’s collaboration with Micah to destabilize the angelic hierarchy is examined. Jackie describes her as “very conniving, very scheming,” reinforcing her role as a master strategist.

• Impact on Rebellion Dynamics:
  Fury contemplates the complexity of organizing a rebellion, reflecting on her own limitations compared to the Viper Queen’s ruthlessness.

Notable Quote:
Jackie Zabrowski at [19:03]: “She's very good at it.”

---

6. Bryce’s Emotional and Psychological Turmoil

Timestamp: [45:42] – [60:44]

The episode intensifies as Bryce grapples with the revelations about Danika’s demise and Hunt’s deceit.

• Catatonia and Detachment:
  Jackie discusses Bryce’s state post-revelations, describing her as “catatonic” and detached from reality, struggling to process the overwhelming betrayal.

• Family Support:
  Despite her anguish, Bryce’s brother Ruhn remains a steadfast support, representing a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. At [56:47], Jackie notes, “He always did. He's like, she—”

• Finality of Betrayal:
  The hosts explore the irreversible nature of Bryce’s realization that Hunt may never truly be trustworthy, leaving her in a state of disillusionment and loss.

Notable Quote:
Fury at [58:30]: “Wherever it is, she ain't there.”

---

7. Climactic Confrontation and Consequences

Timestamp: [60:44] – [75:46]

Natalie and Jackie recount the intense showdown between Bryce and Hunt, culminating in Bryce’s rejection of Hunt and Fury’s intervention.

• Throwing the Opal:
  At [49:13], Bryce hurls a white opal at Hunt, symbolizing her severed trust and desire to end their association.

• Viper Queen’s Intervention:
  The arrival of Fury Axar disrupts the confrontation, ensuring Bryce's safety by removing her from the immediate threat posed by Hunt.

• Hunt’s Fate:
  The discussion concludes with Hunt being restrained and facing a grim future, while Bryce is left to process the devastation.

Notable Quote:
Jackie Zabrowski at [49:26]: “I never want to see you again.”

---

8. Reflections and Emotional Resonance

Timestamp: [75:46] – [84:00]

The hosts reflect on the profound emotional impact of Bryce’s experiences, drawing parallels to real-life relationships and betrayals.

• Trust and Vulnerability:
  Fury shares personal insights about trust, heartbreak, and the walls we build, connecting Bryce’s struggles to universal human experiences.

• Resilience and Growth:
  Jackie emphasizes the importance of recognizing growth through pain, acknowledging that such traumatic experiences shape who we become.

Notable Quote:
Fury at [56:40]: “I know, though, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.”

---

9. Conclusion and Teasers for Next Episode

Timestamp: [84:00] – [78:02]

As the episode draws to a close, Natalie and Jackie hint at the upcoming discussions, teasing further plot developments and emotional arcs in the subsequent chapters of Crescent City.

• Upcoming Content:
  Jackie announces, “We are on to part four next week and it is a lot of... very interesting,” building anticipation for listeners.

• Final Thoughts:
  Despite the heavy themes, the hosts maintain an engaging and relatable dialogue, ensuring listeners feel connected to both the characters and the authorship of Sarah J. Maas.

Notable Quote:
Jackie Zabrowski at [69:57]: “We are very upset right now and things are looking bad.”

---

Key Takeaways

• Complex Betrayals:
  The episode underscores the intricate web of betrayals Bryce faces, deepening the narrative's emotional stakes.

• Character Depth:
  Hunt Athalar's flawed and multifaceted character serves as a catalyst for Bryce's transformation and the unfolding rebellion.

• Emotional Resonance:
  Natalie and Jackie adeptly convey the raw emotional turmoil experienced by Bryce, making the discussion both insightful and empathetic.

• Narrative Progression:
  The breaking down of plot points provides listeners with a clear understanding of the story's progression, enhancing their anticipation for future episodes.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Jackie Zabrowski at [13:00]:
   “We last left Bryce with the gutting realization that one of the figures on the boat doing the deal with the Viper Queen is Hunt.”

2. Fury at [35:29]:
   “No, no, no, no. I didn't want to ask. I came all the way down here...”

3. Jackie Zabrowski at [19:03]:
   “She's very good at it.”

4. Fury at [58:30]:
   “Wherever it is, she ain't there.”

5. Jackie Zabrowski at [49:26]:
   “I never want to see you again.”

6. Fury at [56:40]:
   “I know, though, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.”

7. Jackie Zabrowski at [69:57]:
   “We are very upset right now and things are looking bad.”

---

Conclusion

Episode 21 of LPN Deep Dives: Crescent City provides a thorough and emotionally charged analysis of critical chapters in Sarah J. Maas's series. Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski expertly navigate the complex narrative twists and character developments, offering listeners both insightful commentary and relatable reflections. As Bryce Quinlan faces unimaginable betrayals, the hosts ensure that fans remain engaged and eager for the unfolding story in the next installment of this deep dive series.

Transcript

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[Fury]

Welcome to Crescent City with your hosts, Natalie Jean and Jackie Zabrowski.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, that the comment and our Throne of Glass stream, which you should definitely come visit. We do them live and then they go up to YouTube. Eventually we a commenter came on and said that they, their ex, their ex's mother used her nose profile to get a nose job, which is then to say her, her ex's mother wanted to look like her son's girlfriend.

[Fury]

Also, you're keeping out a very important point, which was that she was in high school at the time. And I think that is like, there ain't nothing wrong with being like, I enjoy your side profile. I think that looks really nice. Rather than like, hey there 16 year old, come on over here, let me see what you look like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Can I take your face? Please, Please.

[Fury]

I want to look like my face. I want my son, when he is kissing you, to think about me. Yeah, I get. You know, mother's love cannot be doubted right now. We are currently. Natalie just gave me the cutest gift and it is a cup for our iced coffees because we both like iced coffees. And it is a cup with a bunch of Crescent City otters on it. And all the otters are wearing a Halloween costume.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I believe the company is called Royal Coven. We're not partnered with them, but they have very cute stuff.

[Fury]

Get this cup and you could drink it out of it. Then we could all drink iced coffee together out of this cup.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Except today it's gonna just turn into hot coffee when I'm drinking it.

[Fury]

Yeah. Oh, labor goes, girl. This girl is on fire.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I really feel like next time I do this costume, I just need to paint my entire face orange because you can't tell I have flames on my face.

[Fury]

This. But it does look good. But from far away it does. I will say this is where. Oh, the camera, it goes against you because real life, they really look like flames. You did a very good job with the makeup.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you. I do think I need to be under black light. I think this would really pop.

[Fury]

Yeah. Can we just sit in the dark for the rest of this?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We do have uplights that are black lights, so maybe I'll have to stand in it afterwards.

[Fury]

Yeah, we'll have to see because I. I mean, I'm not going to know if you're truly made of fire or not.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I know. And we got to find out because if I am, we got to get out of this building because it's going to go up.

[Fury]

Gotta get out of this building. I love the fact that we both going to continue to dress like lab up multiple times. We're just going to keep adding weird that you have to also. I'm sad you'll be able to see it in the picture that we post. But Natalie also is adorned with flames of felt fire as well. Did you make those or did you find.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This was a. This was a skilled artisan on Etsy and I really remember right now their name. But it's felt.

[Fury]

It's like this really beautiful. I guess they didn't make it that good.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I'm wearing many. Etsy Accuser Mall currently.

[Fury]

That goes to show that you've been planning ahead of time and I'm very proud of you because usually, and I'm not saying you, I'm saying completely me. I wait until the last minute and then I have to just get whatever I can get really fast. I.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, it's because when I'm feeling super traumatized or procrastinating on reading trauma traumatic things for some place underneath, I then go look at costumes to cope. I don't know if that's healthy.

[Fury]

No, that is what cosplay is here for. Might I introduce to you. Yes. The world of cosplay. Because then rather than reading the news, you can just sit and like start carving out of foam a piece of a costume that maybe you might wear someday.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I am going to learn to do chain mail and I'm gonna make it.

[Fury]

I think that you have the time and you're going to make that happen. I believe in you and I support you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I will say when I'm taking in audio information for stuff, I do need my hands busy. So I do think I could make it work like.

[Fury]

Or you could start churning your own butter.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's so wet.

[Fury]

I know, but it's only wet and sticky for a certain amount of time until it solidifies.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess it would give me really nice butter. I think more Delt.

[Fury]

Oh, yeah. Oh, you're thinking of the working out portion of it. No, I'm only thinking about the butter. I was just thinking that, like, personally, you could start gifting me butter and I will accept it because I'm starting stained glass.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Right. And I can't. I now I have that in the family, which I'm very thankful, which is.

[Fury]

Going to be wonderful. But here's the thing. Stained glass takes a long time, so you're going to get pieces eventually. I got to make them good first, but that takes a lot of time. But butter, you can start just slapping it out there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like it's still difficult.

[Fury]

I don't know. Meghan Markle made at least 50 jams before she started selling her jams, so that's a lot of jams. And she didn't even make them herself.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, that Megan's at it again.

[Fury]

I'm always thinking about Meghan Markle in the back of my head.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't hate her as much as other people seem to hate her.

[Fury]

I'm proud of you for feeling that way.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I have to say that your costume, your Victoria costume is giving John Travolta.

[Fury]

And Pulp Fiction, but like.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, but like a sexy, femme, like, gender bent version. What do you mean? You know.

[Fury]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm fucking. That was flawless.

[Fury]

He's not here. He's not here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's not here. This is. What is this? Look who's talking. But this is like, I feel like a very. Like, I feel like people are going to see this look and be like, oh, really?

[Fury]

Really? See, I was more thinking because, like, I'm doing corporate cosplay more than anything. Like, let. Like, if you erase the slave tattoo, which I won't. She was good. Oh, she wishes you could.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

If you guys know what happens coming.

[Fury]

Up, you wait, because I've got a prop that I will be using that cannot use for the rest of this episode. Espe. Oh, God. Oh, you're gonna hear me complain about this box anyway. We're gonna complain. Oh, that's what that is. I'm sad because I was trying to find a box that I could fit inside of, but turns out those are very expensive. If you want a clear box that's human sized and I don't know why.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You might get on some kind of list.

[Fury]

Well, yeah, but if you're starting to collect them, where are you supposed to show your women?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, the age old question that is that old fable.

[Fury]

You know who did it, right? From wizard of Oz 2 Boogaloo with all the heads.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Return of Oz.

[Fury]

Return Oz. Yeah, yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What's her name?

[Fury]

When she has all the different heads. So. Oh, my God. If we could. Rather than having all these wigs, we just need different heads.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, if only.

[Fury]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I hate being a human, but right now. Mar. I didn't even tell everybody. Mar right now.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. I mean, you are technically just made out of smoke.

[Fury]

I'm. I have no corporeal form. But I think, which I did think about this when I was putting on this wig, that you'd think, even though there are. There's really not a whole lot of fan art out there of Victoria.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Bummer. Because I think she's cool.

[Fury]

But would you, if you had the slave tattoo, would you get bangs? Like, would you at this point want to kind of discourage people from knowing you've got the tattoo up there? Or do you think it's like, that's just an essence that you're going to give off?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think you would be accused of like, I feel like the asteri would be. That would be a. No, no. You can't cover it up.

[Fury]

It's like, I'm not talking about a glamour or anything like that, but it's like you don't even think. Just like a fringe.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think you're supposed to be shamed with it.

[Fury]

Oh, shamed to forever. Never have bangs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And listen, I have a five head and it would really shame me.

[Fury]

It would shame me. Oh, it would shame me. Oh, it would shame me. And I'm scared of bangs and it would shame me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I have a lifelong relationship with bangs and I feel like I'm addicted.

[Fury]

You've got good bangs, though.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Thank you. I still kind of want to grow them out sometimes. I'm really bored with my hair. I'm actually. This wig. I'm just like, oh, should I do my hair?

[Fury]

Like, dude, totally do your hair like this. I feel like you've had it in like a similar color, but I like the ombra, the fire ombre.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I think fire. That's because it's on fire.

[Fury]

It's on. I'm sorry, I. I meant the. The fire that is atop your head right now. If you could get that essence forever, I really think that you could p off very well.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do love this. Like, this little bob is cute, but, like, I don't want to also.

[Fury]

You don't have a five head, by the way. Can we like, scroll back? Cuz I was about to be like, I also have a five head. But then I was like, why Are we saying this about ourselves? You don't have a five head. You have a regular forehead. It is just a regular forehead.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

A guy once said it to me when I was like, 19.

[Fury]

Oh, no. They are always saying it. I'm saying this as a person that also has a friend. I understand. And people have told us to cover up these noggins since the beginning of time.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Women have always been told to cover their.

[Fury]

Knock over those noggins. Damn it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They really do be telling women to cover their heads all the time. I know all different kinds of people.

[Fury]

Yeah. Let me choose if I'm putting it on my head. Thank you very much.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wow.

[Fury]

And I chose to look like John Travolta in Pulp Fiction today. Oh, what are you. I wish I knew. Like, any lines that he says in.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Pulp Fiction talks about.

[Fury]

I don't remember. I'm gonna be real with you. I really like Pulp Fiction, but I've only seen it once, and really, I really, really enjoyed it. I just haven't gotten back around to it. I love. That's my confession.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm unfortunately on Emma Tarantino, apologist most of the time. I know he's not as a person, but as a filmmaker.

[Fury]

I mean, also, though, you have already forgiven SJM for all the feet stuff, so I imagine you forgive him with all the feet stuff.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's the least of my problems. He. Yeah.

[Fury]

I guess I could do the dance. I'm Look. Yeah. Am I looking up quotes? Dance with me. I don't know. That. That. That one.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Farther away from the voice.

[Fury]

That one was. That one was a throwaway. That one. I don't know what just happened. I don't know who just inhabited my body, because again, I am just a wisp of smoke. I am raised.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'm surprised you didn't go more towards Danny Zuko.

[Fury]

Oh, Sandra D. Yeah, I guess I could. I mean, any. He only. Oh, he always sounds like this, Right? I don't know. All I really know about John Travolta's I think you might like it. And even that is a quote of. Not the actual song of I think you might like it, which is the song that he does with Olivia Newton John.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, it's a good song. Also Scientology.

[Fury]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I'll just leave that there.

[Fury]

Well, you know, I just hope nobody starts telling me you're the sp in my life, Natalie, because it would track.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I definitely am every kind of apostate that is possible. So. Sorry, everybody.

[Fury]

And this is coming from a person made of literal fire, literally. That is just A wisp of smoke. So you heard it here first.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't want to do this part. I don't want to do this.

[Fury]

We have to do this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't want to do it.

[Fury]

We have to do this part. It's horrible. I. There's so many parts that are horrible that we have to get through. Natalie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. I hate this part so much. I said last episode that we did that like this, like, legitimately crushed me.

[Fury]

Very upsetting.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I was so unreasonably upset about this scene. So we have left with Bryce discovering that Hunt is on the shipment of synthesis boat. And he has been lying to her, obviously.

[Fury]

And she already had problems with her trust.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She already had traumas. More traumas now are coming.

[Fury]

Yeah, just pour them on. Pour them on the pile.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We last left Bryce with the gutting realization that one of the figures on the boat doing the deal with the Viper Queen is Hunt. Not just Hunt, but Justinian and Victoria, his ox. Co workers slash friendly adjacent people.

[Fury]

Oh, me. Oh, on the boat. I swear, I ain't using the sea on the.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Got a little bit Southern.

[Fury]

I. You know, I feel like by the end of this, you guys are going to be like, who is that chameleon? By the end of this, you guys are gonna like, I'm gonna re. I'm gonna find it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, you gotta. It just takes a minute to get into the space.

[Fury]

Thank you. Like, I feel like I had that with Abraxos this week. You know, the like to. Yeah. To really get in, you have to sink into a character sometimes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. We have dressed up a lot this week. There's a lot of costumes that have happened. And I rode you yesterday.

[Fury]

Yeah, that sounds like something else. Nelly. I don't know if you know this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What? I only know it in reference to somebody dressed like a weaver. I mean, I was a weeding.

[Fury]

This is where it comes. I'm sorry, this is. This is throwing a glass conversation. But in re. Now that I'm re listening to Iron Flame, it's them who say wyverns. That's where in the audiobooks they say wyverns. And that's why I've said wyverns. But I know that it's really wyverns. But it's not wyverns. It's wyverns. I think there is so much debate about this. But then I hear some people that are like, there's never been a debate. I'm like, I don't know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This is real gif jiff. All over again.

[Fury]

It's gif jiff all over again. And this. Yes, this is our. This is the people's gif jiff. Wyvern. Wyvern. Which is it?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think it's whatever your heart tells you.

[Fury]

I'm. And I'm going wyvern because I gotta.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Tell you, I use gif. Even though I'm told it's incorrect, I still say gift every time I say.

[Fury]

I can't remember which one I used to say first. So then I just. Every time I have to use the word, I say gif and jif just to cover my bases. I just say both. And I say don't. Don't try to. Don't tell me which one it is. I don't really care.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Don't tell me what to do.

[Fury]

Tell me what to do when I open up my tropical fruit Waterloo. I could. I would huff this if I could. I'm obsessed with Waterloo tropical fruit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Waterloo's got the best flavors in general.

[Fury]

Sorry. I'm gonna open my Waterloo tropical fruit also. We don't work for them or work with them either.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Please pay us, though.

[Fury]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Please advertise your Waterloo.

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

So she has realized all of the people that she has come to know and somewhat trust are doing this deal, this horrible drug that is killing people. And now she realizes that the reason it took her a minute to recognize Hunt is that his wings are gone. So when she saw him from afar, she didn't realize it was him because he doesn't know his fucking wings.

[Fury]

Line of him is different. Oh, I've been a bad, bad race.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You have been.

[Fury]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

At the start of chapter. At the start of chapter 66, she has somehow gotten onto the barge. She's not sure how, because all she can think about is confronting Hunt, probably hoping against hope that there is some reason for this, that both he and Danika could not have been lying to her this entire time. It's unfathomable to her. What the is this?

[Fury]

She whispered. Rain slashed her face. She couldn't hear. Couldn't get any air down. Couldn't think as she said again, her voice breaking.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What the fuck is this Hunt? Before he can respond, Micah appears so. It's just a big old parade of shit.

[Fury]

Just no good.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It becomes apparent quickly that this was a sting, but not the kind where Hunt is resolved of his presence here. He's a sting on him by Micah. It's the viper queen who's conspired with the governor. So this is quadruple bad, right?

[Fury]

It's really bad.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Not only was he doing this drug deal, not only had he lied to her, but now he has been caught by the angels who are going to not be super nice about it.

[Fury]

No, I'm too pretty to be punished.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know, I agree. I think that's Isaiah and Naomi enter at Micah's side, obviously to aid him and not a part of whatever is happening on the boat. So we have the other people that Hunt is friendishly with who are not a part of this deal.

[Fury]

How could you do this?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's not smart. What's happened? The viper queen finds this all oh so amusing because she's the viper queen and she's a huge. See you next Tuesday. Yeah. And Micah nods when she tells him he now owes her one. So the viper queen has conspired to do this. She. It appears she decided to start the rumor that she had begun dealing in synth just to see who she could flush out in order to win favor with Micah. Very conniving, very scheming.

[Fury]

She's good at what she does, damn it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's very good at it.

[Fury]

I mean, you don't get to be the head of the meat market by not doing dirty, nasty deals.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I don't know if I'd get there.

[Fury]

No. I don't know if we're dirty, nasty enough.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel. I feel bad. Yeah, because you'd have to double cross a lot of people.

[Fury]

You would. And I'm so bad at double crossing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I know. I try all the time.

[Fury]

No, I'm very good at regular crossing, though. And I crossed myself like I am one with Jesus.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, you do have a crown of thorns.

[Fury]

I do have a crown of. Oh, my God. I am the Jesus of the episode. And I've been waiting to be the Jesus of the episode. You must. You must, I guess.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, heck.

[Fury]

Oh, no.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Some fire.

[Fury]

Oh, well, I guess. I hate you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We should be on the shoulders, man.

[Fury]

I know Bible. You ask me Bible and I'll tell you Bible, I think we.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I used to be an angel.

[Fury]

Fallen Right. Fallen angel. I guess. Am I a fault? No. I'm not an angel, though.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No.

[Fury]

Is Hunt a fallen angel, then?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think he's supposed to represent the idea of a fallen angel. Yeah. Because we learn what we learn about him later on that. That clocks.

[Fury]

It does.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Fury]

You know, little things that don't really mean anything, but then in my brain feel like they mean a lot more.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We should be on the shoulders of, like, some hot chick, like, telling her to do good and bad. You know what I mean?

[Fury]

Yes. Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Go out till 4 in the morning.

[Fury]

Wait, am I the good one in this situation?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Technically, yeah. You're the Jesus one.

[Fury]

Oh, I'm. Oh, I forgot. I'm Jesus Christ, man. Really? You just. You forget real fast. They tell you that you do, but you don't realize it until you become Jesus Christ.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You forget. You're like, oh, me?

[Fury]

That's me. I'm like. I drink wine all the time. Is that why I want to be this?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I think that's in the Bible.

[Fury]

Oh, otters. It's a wine cup now. Sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, you gotta change it over.

[Fury]

I just did my Jesus magic and now it's wine. So if you'll excuse me, I'mma be busy getting schloggered over here.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I think you need to work, Work. Work on that a little bit.

[Fury]

It looks like coffee and it smells like coffee, but I'm getting drunk.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Whoa.

[Fury]

Secret drunk.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Cool.

[Fury]

Honestly, if I did work in, like, a corporate place, I feel like I would fit in as the secret drunk. Pretty easy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wow. Cool. Congratulations.

[Fury]

Yeah, guys, you know, I say here often that I'm not very conniving, but, like, I think I could figure it out.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I. I guess that's a skill to be able to hide your alcoholism. So put it on.

[Fury]

They have that in the office, and everybody loves the office. Everybody's always making jokes about the office. They had that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

They did.

[Fury]

So now LPN has it. No, I won't. I only want iced coffee. My honors.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That was a. That was a full emotional breakdown there.

[Fury]

It was too much. I'm sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, you're fine. I don't want to talk about this.

[Fury]

Oh, God. All right. I'm getting back into it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't want to.

[Fury]

I know this is. This is the pro. I'm just. We're in an uncomfortable portion of the book, and this is me just, like, stimming over here because I don't want to deal with it. I think is what is happening right now. But we must. We have to get through that. Okay? Let's just. We need to get through this part.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So the Viper Queen and Micah are sort of exchanging this. All right, now the deal's done, so you owe me a favor. But Bryce is barely paying attention to this. She is only looking at Hunt, waiting for him to explain himself, to make this better, make it not what it seems somehow. But he's not going to do that because it is what it seems. He tells her. Yeah, he might have started out wanting to get the stuff, but he wanted to pull out after the surveillance video they watched. And so he's basically affirming to her that he was going to steal the synth and try to use it and didn't tell her.

[Fury]

No, no, Secret secrets are no fun.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, it's. Honestly, that wouldn't even make a difference to me personally, because it was just the surveillance video that made him pull out. Like he was gonna go through with it and betray her in that way is like. That's the same level of betrayal to me. Yes, you're right, because they just watched that surveillance video.

[Fury]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So he's been planning. When she looks confused by what he's saying, the Viper Queen chimes in. She tells Bryce and the reader what Hunt hasn't expressly said, which is they're hoping to get enough synth to boost their power long enough to overthrow the man, the system, the angels. Seems like a terrible plan.

[Fury]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Frankly. But what do I know about angel rebellion?

[Fury]

Yeah. And I also don't know, like, a lot about, like, setting up a rebellion and, like, doing all those other things. So it's like, who knows what? But I. I feel like anytime I hear about the secret plans of one of the characters of these books, I'm like, you know, this probably could have been done if you had just talked about it. Right? Like, you probably could have figured this out if we had just talked about it. But it's always this idea where it's like, you know, truth is power and knowledge only will hurt someone in the long run. Or at least when it comes to, like, these characters and their past is that the more people know, the more danger they're in.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Right.

[Fury]

So you get the secrets. I understand the reasons. But, like, relationship wise, like, real rough.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also, even on top of that, wouldn't the Asteri just step in? Like, they have, like, supreme power over everything. It's not like they could get the synth and override the ster.

[Fury]

Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So, like, when the Asteri just come and, like, crush them, you would just.

[Fury]

Think with people that have been so, so Traumatized with their past uprisings, that you'd think that all that should be figured out if you're gonna. Right. Go through this. Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. And it sounds like it's almost like desperation.

[Fury]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But Hunt is still, like, technically looking. Well, at least as far as we know right now. He was looking at an exit, obviously, through very deeply, horrifically traumatic means by having to murder a bunch of people. But it doesn't seem like this is gonna make it better. And he at least came to that conclusion eventually, but it seems like a little too late for me. I would still feel the level of, like. Like horror and shock and, like, you know, like, humiliation that Bryce is feeling. And so the viper queen also informs her that he knew about the sin days ago. As in, he knew and pretended like he didn't when Bryce. And he brought it up. Disgusting.

[Fury]

Yeah. Bryce began crying. She hated every tear, every shuddering, stupid gasp. Hated the pain in Hunt's eyes as he stared at her, only her, and said, I'm sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's not really gonna cut it. Not good enough, Hunt.

[Fury]

Her heart. It was her stupid heart that was cracking and cracking and cracking. Oh, God.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, it hurts. It's the worst when someone you love and trust does something, like, truly horrible to you, like, in that. In that way that they're doing a selfish thing, and they just disregard you and your feelings, especially when you're looking.

[Fury]

At them in that moment when you're just, like. When you're, like. You feel like you can physically see your world come crashing down around you when someone has just destroyed your trust so significantly. And, like. And maybe this is just coming from a person that used to have lots of walls up around her heart, but I firmly believe those walls were built brick by brick by people in my past and that right now, you can see that. Like, I've said this before when going through a heartbreak felt like I could feel my heart harden in real time. And that is a. It's not a fun part of being alive, I would say, but it is, unfortunately, a big part of being alive is feeling that and recognizing who you were before it and who you are afterwards. And not that it's bad of what you are now, but just recognizing it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. And the wide range of emotions that are technically like, a gift. Include those moments, but allow for, like, the opposite side of it, which is, like, peace and joy and, like, you know, stability and.

[Fury]

Yes, trust.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But it's. Yeah. When that happens, that feeling never, like, really goes away. Like, you can. At least I can still remember those moments. Of just, like, disbelief and just, like, confusion. And obviously, this is not Henry.

[Fury]

No, no, mine isn't Jeff either, but it. Either. But like. And it's not even so much just a romant. Partner. I've had this with friendships as well. When you're just like, how could you do this to me? Yeah, like, how could you. But I hate to say that, like, I've also had someone say that to me before.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, I'm sure I've caused that feeling in somebody, and I just want.

[Fury]

To say I'm sorry if I've ever caused that feeling in you. The same Z forever sorry. But, you know, it is. It's what makes us who we are. Are every. Every hurt, every pain, but also every joy, every ease makes us who we are.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's true. I've certainly, I will say never done something on this level of Hunt has done.

[Fury]

No, no, no, no. I haven't done this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I made a couple better. I made some. I've made some bad choices. I've made some bad decisions.

[Fury]

Not to. No, not to this level.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That's good. So just so everyone's clear, just if.

[Fury]

You were wondering if we. But also, though, I think that if. Natalie. Well, I don't know. I can't speak for you, Natalie. If I could get a hold of sin. I might. Like, if there was a way to test it. If I could test it or just take a little bit. I kind of want to try it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean. Yeah, I'm glad we don't have that.

[Fury]

I'm glad we don't have it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's good. Better. Better for everyone.

[Fury]

I'm glad we got that out of the way, though. You know, just so everybody knows, I do. Bump, if you can.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Synth. Yeah, of course.

[Fury]

So it's.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Right now we're not sure. Even though I feel like we have perspective of Hunt's being in pov, obviously, because we can hear his thoughts in some of the chapters. We still don't know if that was all a facade. And is he actually just fully betraying her for his own needs in this moment?

[Fury]

Don't know. Not that we're gonna trust it no matter what.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I. Well, yeah. And I was like, in. In this moment, like that. That triggered feeling of. Just like the. The fear of it is just like, is she going to villain flip him? That's really where I. I why I felt like that.

[Fury]

Because you can't trust an sjm. I can't trust her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She did. She's done it before. She damn done it.

[Fury]

She didn't have done it. But this even no matter what, with any everything that happens this first reading this book, I. I believe you used the word destroyed earlier. So upset.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So upset.

[Fury]

Betrayal. Betrayal.

[Micah]

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[Jackie Zabrowski]

He tries to explain himself the hits he did a little bit back in the book, I believe. So he's talking about, you know, I learned about it whenever I was doing the Micah, you know, when I did do my jobs. And I'm pretty sure he's referring to the one that happens right before she bathes him. You know what I mean?

[Fury]

Yes. The one where he was all like shell shocked and came in and. Yeah, because he mentioned scalding and all that.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, he mentions that he had to do like a. There was like a drug lord situation that he.

[Fury]

Right, right, right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So that's basically when he learned. So not only that, he learned the same time that she like opened herself to this vulnerability and to him and then he didn't tell her about it because he wanted to do like this secretive other thing for himself technically, although he probably justified it being like, this is the way Bryce and I can be together. But it's not the way.

[Fury]

No, she's not, Char. Okay, there's some guy. You have to talk about these things, all right? But he doesn't want her to be. To know even more. He wants to protect her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Which is, again, a little bit infantilizing. You're right. Which makes me mad. But he says during this explanation to her, that when he was getting information out of these drug lords that they revealed to him that some synth had leaked out a couple years back is from Rednar Laboratories, and it became a street thing, but then it was. Was out because people became, like, deeply addicted to it. And then basically, how medication turns into street drugs is people figure out how to replicate it, right? Which is what happens in this situation, because they know that there's a bunch of money to be made. And now it was just, like, out on the streets everywhere. And he's trying to say in this. In the moment, I didn't realize that that would have anything to do with this case at the time. Like, I've learned about this a little bit, and I. I didn't think it had anything to do with this. And. And I didn't realize it really, until we saw this footage. And that's not.

[Fury]

It's just not good enough.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No, it's not. It's bullshit. I hate. I hate it. I know that he's not real, but I'm mad at him.

[Fury]

I know. And you should be mad at him.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's so obnoxious. And so.

[Fury]

And I do wonder now, you know, we were talking about this a little bit during the throne of Glass Stream, that a lot of people voiced how much they disliked Hunt Athalar. And I forget all the ebbs and flows of Hunt because I put him up. Well, no, I love big old Pedestal.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I do love him. Ultimately, I think he is a good male, but flawed. Flawed male. Yes.

[Fury]

Absolutely, yes. But I mean, again, you know, he never surpasses us like a Cassian, as far as I'm concerned.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I know. I know. It's.

[Fury]

It. I dream. I dream.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Then she learns something, maybe even worse, when she asks who leaked the synth, he won't answer, but Micah does.

[Fury]

Why? Why?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It was Danica.

[Fury]

No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So.

[Fury]

Jesus, it was. I feel like if I were prized at this point, I'd be like, I just. I don't know. Like, I feel like this is when you start going, like, okay, yeah, I.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Mean, she was really kind of on her own already. And then the only people left who she had, like, connections to have now also just like, her over even, you know, even post Mortem, or whatever you want to call that learning that Danica had been just doing these things, according to Micah, and Hunt knew he knew and didn't tell her. So the next few minutes are sort of just a nightmare for Bryce because not only did Danika do it, according to Micah and Hunt, not only had he kept this info from her, but Hunt reveals an impossibility to Bryce's mind that Danika was using and addicted to synth. So, like acid is coming out of his mouth, he spits more and more unthinkable information to her. Danika went crazy. She killed the students the night of the blackout. No, she killed Maximus Tertian. All Bryce can say is no, no, no. Over and over, Hunt tells Micah to just take him away. Like he hasn't just knocked over Bryce's entire life. But Micah's not quite ready. The Archangel said, aren't you going to tell her the rest? Tharian is already practically holding Bryce up at this point. Hunt tries to dismiss it. He wants to just go, don't tell.

[Fury]

I don't think so, bud.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He's like, oh, I gotta go. I have an appointment.

[Fury]

I don't think so.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But she wants to know. What? That he already knows the truth about Danika's murder?

[Fury]

The Archangel said coldly, bored, as if he'd done this a thousand times in a thousand variations, as if he'd already guessed. Bryce looked at Hunt and saw it in his eyes. She began shaking her head, weeping. No.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hunt spares her from having to hear it from Micah's mouth and tells her himself. Danica overdosed on synth the night of the murders. She lost control and she killed them all, including herself.

[Fury]

Only Tharion's grip was keeping her upright.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It can't be true. She can't be hearing this. But Hunt tells her that's why you don't hear another voice in the audio. The killer isn't apparent. We just hear the wolf pack that Danika pleading is her pleading with herself to stop Danika.

[Fury]

Danika had killed the pack, killed Thorne, killed Connor, and then ripped herself to shreds.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Not a good day. Having a bit of a Monday.

[Fury]

Man alive, I will say. Danica, though, very strong, you know, that's it. Takes a lot of stamina. I know we're not supposed to be impressed right now, but I would still be a little impressed with my best friend.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Glasses half full, kindly, thank you.

[Fury]

You know, I. I am, but rave, you know, here for a little bit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Of s. That is some true girl power.

[Fury]

Yes, yes. Rip yourself to shreds. Bad. Yes. You're stronger than a demon. We don't. We're not happy about this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No. So Hunt goes on to say, the horn, which they. The thing they've been trying to track down this whole time, it probably has nothing to do with what happened. It's just probably another thing that Danika was doing to piss her mom off. That the horn itself, because they're, you know, especially Bryce is trying to theorize, oh, this horn is gone because somebody's trying to enact, like, activate it with synth, right? And Hunt's just like, I don't think it has anything to do with it. They're, you know, every. Or Micah, I mean, I'm sorry, says, oh, no. Hunt says that. So Hunt goes on to say all this. It was just kind of dismissing this theory entirely. Micah, unmoved by Bryce's sobs, tells her lazily that also the Crystalos wasn't a part of the attack, that Crystalis demons are a side effect of using that much synth at once. That having the obsidian salt as an ingredient can unintentionally summon a demon. So the Crystalos demons about the town because a bunch of people are hooked on synth now.

[Fury]

Yikes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Kind of cool, though.

[Fury]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I guess I would probably maybe think a little bit more if I thought that the drugs I was using from the street could just. Demons. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's kind of fun, though.

[Fury]

I mean, it is big, like, in a fun, like, chaos way. Like, chaos reigns, you know? But, like, I feel like in a real way, like, if we were to do that, I think I'd feel a little bad.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Dad. When you're never gonna be the joker, I guess.

[Fury]

I know. I don't want everyone to just suffer. I'm not like the other girls.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. So they seem to have an answer for every corner of this mystery they've solved. Every little. They've closed every door.

[Fury]

Yeah. Wrapped up in a nice little package.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Almost too interesting.

[Fury]

Very interesting.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But that's what they're saying happens, all right. The uptick in bodies that have. They've been finding all these bodies ripped, you know, hollowed out and stuff. But apparently, according to what Micah and Hunter saying, it's from the users tripping out. And then they kill people, and then the Crystallos feeds on the bodies, which is why they're hollowed out. So, again, perfect answer. With all of this terrible information pouring over her. She looks back at Hunt.

[Fury]

You knew.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He tries to apologize, but she screams.

[Fury]

Hunt lunged one step toward her, but.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Then a gun is at his temple. She Recognizes it. Fury Ax Tar appears behind it. I mean, yes, but also.

[Fury]

I know, but also. But it's like, oh, it would have been great if we could have talked before.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Like, great. I'm glad you're here. That's hot as hell.

[Fury]

I know. I'm just sexually attracted to Fury act stars. So in my brain, I go, go, go, go.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But, like, all right, great.

[Fury]

Hunt held up his hands, but his eyes did not leave Bryce as Fury Axar emerged from the shadows beyond the crates of Synth.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And I have to point out, I said she had long hair until the next book. But she has a BOB already in the scene. Just so we're all clear, it was only in the first, like, in the. The prologue type part, I think was her long hair. The way that they do in, like, movies to show time has passed.

[Fury]

Yeah, now it's a bob. Now she's a badass bob.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's a bob. She doesn't seem super, like, jazzed to see fear. She barely registers.

[Fury]

I mean, a lot's going on.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. So which makes sense. She doesn't have it in her to be angry or grateful. She can only watch Hunt and repeat the cold truth over and over. You knew. You knew, you knew. She goes over this realization, and it comes in waves. He lied when she poured her heart out. He kept a secret when she revealed private feelings about Danika, exposed her own pain. Oh, and he lied. And it seems like it was all for getting this antidote for himself.

[Fury]

Oh, my God. Like, she's just being used. Like, all of her feelings and all of her vulnerabilities are just to be.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Used so horrible that. That the idea of feeling that, you know. And she is now coming to the conclusion in her mind that this was all just about the rebellion and she was a useful pawn to him.

[Fury]

Hunt slid to his knees as if he'd beg her for forgiveness.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She can't anymore. Try to be like, I just trust you. I believe you. Even though all of these things. She's now even at the point trying to discern if he was the one who burned her old apartment down and was he willing to kill people. Was he. Is he actually, like, evil as Right. He is crazy as Philip Brigg, willing to take. Kill innocence for his cause or whatever.

[Fury]

Which also though it's like, obviously he is like, if you think about the world that he came from, and obviously that was a long time ago with the. You know, with the rebellion and everything, but I imagine you got to do what you got to do when you're trying to overthrow a government, I would assume. I, I can't imagine I'll ever be necessary necessarily, like, at the forefront of a coup, even though, I mean, I.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Support it, how things are going in two years.

[Fury]

But, yeah, it's just, I, I, I'm just saying I know that I'll never be, like, the head organizer of any such thing like that, because I know that I, I don't know who would ask me to do that. Jackie Zabrowski, you know, we need to get on the case. Jackie Zabrowski. I show up dressed like this, and me. And they go, I'm sorry, that's John Revolta, actually.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like that was getting closer.

[Fury]

Wow. Thank you. I told you I was going to get into the flow.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. He tells her he's not, he's not denying any of the things, the accusations that have just come out. He's telling her the, you're hearing the truth. But he tells her he changed his mind, it was her that he decided he wanted, which is just. What is this? Oh, good, she's all that.

[Fury]

Oh, God.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, is she just a bet? Yeah.

[Fury]

My God. What, do you want me to take my glasses off so I can be hot?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He didn't care about the rebellion anymore because of his feelings for Bryce, and I'm just like, how is she supposed to believe him now? Also, you're being a little wishy washy.

[Fury]

Anyway, because if all of a sudden you don't care about any of the rebellion because you want a girlfriend. I know it's obviously more than that, but, but let's be real, at the end of the day of, like, what are you talking about? I wouldn't want to be with you if you're just gonna throw the rebellion away so that you can kiss me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But also just not just, like, straight up lie to me. Like, all the lies. It's the lies. Yeah, y'all don't be lying to people. I don't personally think that I could just, like, believe him and also just quit lying. Like, don't know. It's that idea of, like, people who have these, like, massive, like, cheating issues and stuff, and they just continue to, like, cheat and cheat on their, their, their partner. It's just, like, just get out of the relationship.

[Fury]

It's so much easier to just go be single and to be open with people. Like, hey, I'm not looking for anything. I just want to bang around the town. That's what, that's all you got to say? Is all you got to say.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I just hate it. I Hate how cowardly that is.

[Fury]

It is.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So he swears that he came, only now he's saying, I didn't want to do it. I actually only came to stop it from happening. He came to stop Justinian and Victoria. But how can she believe that? Sounds like the biggest bullshit lie. It sounds like that show Cheaters. Remember the show Cheaters?

[Fury]

Baby, please.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I came to tell her.

[Fury]

I didn't want to ask. I came all the way down here. All those text messages and all that sexual flirting that we were doing, that was to get her here so could zale her. No, thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You homewrecker. How dare you text me those sexual things.

[Fury]

Man, I loved watching those shows. Oh, baby.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I watchy mid a tv.

[Fury]

Oh, God. What was it? The, like, the dating hell where the, the. Where the little devil would come out and he was. He was dressed. He was dressed as a devil. Oh, you on hell date. You're on hell date.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't remember. Hell.

[Fury]

Hell date was on BET and we used to watch the out of hell date. It was. They would put a person on a date that didn't know that they were on a prank show with a horrible oh, my person, and then they would film them. But at the end of the day, it's like, still, even when the little guy comes out to say, like, like, you're on hell date, when he says that, you still have to be like, wait a second. I wasn't on a date. I thought I was on a date. Like, I talked to you. I thought that we were. I, I talk about trust. Reality TV was wild. The wild west of reality television. Hell date was awesome, but it really did. I'm like, what would you do in a situation like that? And you're watching all these people and you're like, you think, oh, I would leave, but would you? I have definitely finished many a horrific date just because I felt too guilty to leave.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh, I've done that. I've. I've at least shortened to the dates, but I didn't leave. I, I. When you, like, you get to a point where you're like, I'm gonna go.

[Fury]

I'm done. I'm done with this.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I've never actually done that in those.

[Fury]

Situations, but I highly recommend you should never stay on a date if you do not feel comfortable, if you do not want to be on it. I know you don't need to hear this from me, but I'm just trying to. Maybe I'm also trying to remind past me of those things.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I mean, I wish I could go back and be like, just leave.

[Fury]

Just leave, just get out of there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But yeah, now this is what he's saying. I came to just stop them. It doesn't even matter because it doesn't change that he was going to do it. For so long after she had opened herself, herself up to him, he rambles on saying anything he can think of to convince her, but she cuts him off.

[Fury]

She grabbed the white opal from her pocket and hurled it at him. Hurled it so hard it slammed into Hunt's head. Blood flowed from his temple as if the halo itself were bleeding.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I never want to see you again.

[Fury]

She whispered as Hunt gazed at the blood splattered opal on the deck. Also, I will say, I mean, Opal does. I have heard it's got some bad luck connotations. So maybe, maybe if it was given in lie, maybe that doesn't help. I know that it wasn't given as a lie, but like, like it was wreathed in lies. It was just saying.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Micah snarkily tells her that it won't be a problem, that she won't ever have to see him again, which is alluding to some terrible fate for Hunt. And as mad as I am at Hunt, I am also a scared, of.

[Fury]

Course, because like last time, it was just a bop on the nose and they sawed off his wings in front of everybody.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So.

[Fury]

Yeah, and that was a bop on the nose.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, yeah. Cuffed in Gorzian stone, he starts to be led away to whatever horrific fate awaits.

[Fury]

Bryce couldn't stop shaking as she leaned back into Tharion, Fury a silent force beside her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Hunt continues to appeal to Bryce, trying to get out that he just didn't want to see her hurt anymore. But Fury cuts him off. Suddenly she's Charlotte in the Sex and the. I'm sorry, I kept thinking of that fucking scene.

[Fury]

It's just very funny because I. On my two separate shows, I also have page 7 and MJ also is obsessed with the Sex of the City. But like, Hate. Has Hate watched the Sex and the City movies so many times that they refer to them all the time? And you do too. And I feel like at this point, does that mean I have to watch all the movies or does that mean I should continue on never having watched the movies?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I can't believe believe I'm gonna make you watch.

[Fury]

I think now that you know this, I feel like we have to watch all of the movies.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I watch those movies on planes so many times and I hate them every time. And I love Hating.

[Fury]

I just. I hear it referenced in so many different ways that I'm like, maybe I should check these movies. I know they're bad, but maybe I should be watching these movies.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

There is a scene where. Spoiler.

[Fury]

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Big bells on their wedding. On during the. Like, as the wedding's about to start.

[Fury]

Whoa.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And this whole scene makes me think of it, because when he throws the opal, or when she throws the opal at his head, he tries to come back and be like, I'm sorry, I didn't. I changed my mind. And then just Sarah Jessica Parker beats him in the head with her. Her bouquet. And then he tries to come at her again. And then Charlotte grabs just Sarah. What's her name? Carrie.

[Fury]

Carrie.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And she goes. No. And she says it to.

[Fury]

She says, big.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I feel like Fury's being Charlotte.

[Fury]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And Bryce is obviously Carrie.

[Fury]

Obviously.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And Hunt is Big, which makes me disgusted because I hate Big. And I hate the guy who plays Big. And Big sucks.

[Fury]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I also hate Carrie. I hate them all. Truly, I do. But this is kind of. Of reminiscent of that scene.

[Fury]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Just so we're. We're clear. So she basically, Fury says she's done here. Stop trying to talk to her. And kind of pulls her away from the scene and onto the wave skimmer that she had come up to the barge with and warns the governor to stay away from Bryce. And for whatever it's worth, Fury, we still. She's so mysterious. Even though I have my theory face, she actually is powerful enough that even, like, Micah knows to not, like, really.

[Fury]

Not with her, which is, like, sexy.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

What's her deal?

[Fury]

God, man. Oh, just. Oh, woochie poochie. Fury act. Star could do anything to me. Yeah. Whoa. So especially the, like, the less you know about her, too. I'm just like, okay, I'm scared of you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So. Yeah. Now Fury has taken Bryce, put her on the wave skimmer, warns the governor to stay away from. From her. Hunt still continues to call to her.

[Fury]

But not good enough. Not good enough. Not good enough.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

No. And she's also a shell. She can barely even function right now.

[Fury]

She didn't look back at him. As the wind whipped her hair and the wave skimmer launched into the rain and darkness. Hunt roared. She didn't look back. Yeah. Can't look back.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Back at chapter 67, Bryce is arriving at her apartment, and Ruhn is already waiting in the lobby. Fury has obviously contacted him, and both she and Tharian must return to the scene to deal with the aftermath of everything that's just gone down, which is why she called Ruhn to help take care of Bryce, who is barely.

[Fury]

Barely existing.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yes, she's overwhelmed when she gets into her apartment with Ruhn. That Hunt's belongings over the weeks have begun to settle in there. It's that experience of cohabitation, and suddenly it's our apartment, and that's sort of just taking place. You know, he's made his presence known, and now she doesn't know if it was all a psyop, if it was all just a scam to get what he needed out of her. I don't know if it's good, but I relate to this. I hate that feeling so much.

[Fury]

I hate it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You know, just the shock of that kind of betrayal. But she. She vomits where she stands.

[Fury]

Oh, especially, God, about. I just think of so much, like, in my big breakup of having to move out while somebody is at work so that you can just, like, quickly get all your stuff out and then, like, leaving all. Anything that reminds you of them, leaving it behind, which is good in the time. But then you think back and you're like, man, I just left most of my life just because I'm like, that will make me think of him. That will make me think of him that way. And so I just left all of it. And that's so much of a person's existence when you've been together for many years or, like, you know, if you've been together for a long time.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I. I fortunately, personally never had to go through it in that way of a cohabitation. But it was somebody who I was tied to in a business ideal that you can't just leave.

[Fury]

Just leave easily.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And so that is, like, that. I've never. I, thankfully, have never gone through that. And that that process has got to be just terrible. I've had breakups.

[Fury]

You just weren't, like, living together, or I was.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And it just didn't, like, go in that pathway.

[Fury]

Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But, yeah, just. It sucks, man.

[Fury]

Yeah, it really does. But it really. I feel like it's during those times that you can feel faintly in the back of your brain of, like, I guess this is growing up because you can feel in real time, you growing and changing. And I know he doesn't feel like that while you're going through it, but when you look back at it, like Bryce looking back at this moment of, like, wow. Well, right there, that was like, you know, 70 XP points. That was just added to my life experience. Awesome.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. But thankfully, she has this brother that she's tried to push away who's there for her, and she.

[Fury]

He shows up.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

He does. He always did. He's like, she. I understand she's mad, but she's very lucky to have family who actually wants to show up and be there, you know?

[Fury]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And he.

[Fury]

And I know Danika betrayed you, and I know Hunt betrayed you, but there are other people. There are other people, and maybe they won't betray you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, just statistically, somebody's going to not betray you at some point here.

[Fury]

You got to hope so.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's sick all of herself. And run. Runs and grabs her. He picks her up.

[Fury]

Up.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She knows he consent that Hunt and Bryce are different from just work partners. He can tell by the apartment, but he doesn't say anything about it, and he just kind of avoids where there's still blood on the couch from whatever happened before.

[Fury]

Oh, God. And then also seeing that when she come. Oh, my. Of like, a literal physical marker of what just happened between them. Awesome. Cool.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like, man, it's the. So many people have to go through the process of, like, this. But they've had a child together. Can you imagine? Thankfully. Thankfully, I can't thankfully. But.

[Fury]

But I know, though, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And that's what the. That people tell you when you're going through it.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

You're like, thanks.

[Fury]

Go. Good. Oh. Happy for the strength.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wow. I'm so grateful for this. So Bryce is really just far away from herself. She is, like, either deep inside or floating somewhere over her body. She's just detached.

[Fury]

Wherever it is, she ain't there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And her bot. She knows she's sobbing. She is mulling over all of the things that just happened, but she's, like, just floating somewhere in space. Case Hunt suggested she's remembering that she and Danika were junkies, which is a thing that he said to her when he was trying to explain what went on. And he did kind of infer, like, you guys were party.

[Fury]

A bunch of drugs.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah, I mean, that's not exactly what he said. But because of what was revealed about his lies, she had to look at his words through a lens, perhaps that he also thought she was trash.

[Fury]

Yeah, of course. And, like, very judgmental.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Just like everybody else has been calling her trash. She realizes that it might have been him who pinged when she got into Danica's account. And again, it could have been him that set the apartment on fire to destroy evidence that maybe all his honeyed words were just a part of his master plan that his body was used as a distraction to keep her from.

[Fury]

Finding out the truth, especially in this moment. I'm sure she's not even thinking about this yet, but like, all of this is going through her mind. And I think that everyone can assume that, like, it's not that she's never going to see Hunt ever again, but in her brain right at this point in time, it's that she's never going to get these answers. So can you imagine even more how hard you would disassociate of like, those are the answers that were given? That's it. That's the truth. I'm never going to see him ever again. So I'm never going to be even able to question him about his motives and about everything that he said, line by line. Because you would have to go through every single thing you could remember that person said to be like, was that true? Was this true? And that would like. So knowing that you're not never going to get the explanation that you crave also leaves you at such a loss.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's so true. She realizes that if Danika did kill them all in a drug fueled mania, that her making it through the Bone Gate might mean that she is there suffering a veneer meant to have been dumped in the river now in the, you know, in the Bone quarters. And that maybe that means she's being punished. So a lot. A lot.

[Fury]

There's a lot.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I don't know how you would ever recover from that.

[Fury]

I don't know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She is basically catatonic. Not all that different from the night of the murders. Hours pass by and Ruhn stays at her side. He only gets up when Fury arrives to fill him in on the consequences of the night's activities. She can hear them speaking from her hiding place inside her mind at a distance. She's like, you know, just hears like almost them, like they're in another space. So what she learns through their conversation is that Hunt has not been killed yet. He's in a holding cell in the Comedium awaiting his fate. None of them are dead, but it might be preferable.

[Fury]

Oh, hold the phone.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Justinian was. Oh, no. Yes.

[Fury]

Before I put this box on, I need everyone to know that the box. I had to buy many boxes trying to find a box that I could fit over my body. This is box number six.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Wow.

[Fury]

And I got it yesterday. And I had finally, finally my husband was like, why don't you measure your head and then you'll know how big of a box you have to get. And I was like, boring. All right, fine. And then I did and I got this box. And yes, it is smaller than I expected because I thought it would cover more of my body. But also you need all four sides of the box to be a part of the box for it to exist as a box. And I want to put it on my head, but Jeff had to tape the sides of it together because if I didn't have all sides of it, then I don't know if you can hear me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Oh yeah, it sounds like you.

[Fury]

Cuz then I'm in a box. It's not as. Even though I measured, it's not big enough for me to put over my body. I knew it was big enough to put on my head and I was like, jim, how do I. Oh, it felt. I knew, I knew, I knew. It's already falling apart. It's already fallen. This box was like $35. Why is it only a box if it has all four sides to the box, it has to have the lid on it for it to be a box. Why would they make a box such as this?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

That is weird. What is it supposed to be for?

[Fury]

A box for collecting things. And you put like the bottom of the box box. Like the top of the box is really the bottom of the box and you put like a hat in it. And you go, look at my hat. I put it in this box. I bought this thirty dollar box to put my little dolly in. I've been scre. Jeff has had to hear me scream about these boxes many times.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess I'll have to get you a hat to put in your box.

[Fury]

Now I got all these clear boxes and none of them are for anything. What am I gonna do with all these clear boxes?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Natalie, you have to start a collection of what? Sand.

[Fury]

I love it. Yes. Done. That's all I needed to hear. I just need to hear that one word. Sand. Yes. I'm going to go all over the. I'm going to get sand from every desert. I'm going to go to every desert because if you know me. Oh, baby, I love it. Arid. And I say get me out there.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah.

[Fury]

Thank you. I'm sorry.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I'd also like to note that it was stressful for you to be in there for 30 seconds and that's not what's about to be.

[Fury]

That's not what. What's about to happen in Victoria. That's not what's about to happen.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So Justinian was crucified and hanging in the lobby of the committee to show the strength of the government.

[Fury]

Yikes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And what happens to dissenters also, how.

[Fury]

Bad is that lobby gonna smell? Very soon.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Very dense.

[Fury]

It's like, can we just do it out front?

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I guess they want you to never forget what happens if you don't follow the rules.

[Fury]

Follow the rules.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Real monarchy shit.

[Fury]

Yes.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

But I think Victoria's fate is my least favorite fate.

[Fury]

It is something that I think about all the time and it's part of the reason why I really, really wanted to find a full body box. But then it's a clear coffin and apparently clear coffins are a lot of money.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And put you on a watch list.

[Fury]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also I don't know how you transport that or.

[Fury]

Dunno. I was gonna figure it out. I guess I was gonna strap it to the roof of my car. I don't know what I expected. Natalie. When a person's got big dreams, you know, like why put me in the box? I'm here trying to put myself in a box and like you gotta dream big. Yeah. You gotta dream of be.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I agree. I'm glad that you did not succeed. Carry through that dream. Probably for the best.

[Fury]

I just. For that. I wish Jeff could just see the like minute bit that I just got from weeks of me complaining about this box. I mean I same same weeks of it. Because I was like she goes in a box and she has to be put in the box forever. And I need to be if I'm gonna be the character. This is the last time I can be the character and I got to be put in the box.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

So. If you'll recall, she's a wraith. And though she's been in this body body yada for a long time.

[Fury]

Thank you.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

She's not corporeal, so her essence is ripped out of the body. She's occupied via angel mean magic I guess. And is stuffed into a sealed box right now in the chapter. It's resting under Justinian's bleeding out corpse. Which is a lot. What? But it's alleged that they're going to drop her to the bottom of the ocean to slowly go insane.

[Fury]

This is I guess crucify me. I'd rather it's the worst. I think it might be one of the worst punishments I've ever read. That really has nothing to do with blood or gore. I think that it is one of like SJM is so good. I felt that way during the second to last. I'm throwing a glass book and I felt this way during this of like. Wow, this is impressive with how much it hurts my stomach to think about the fact that, like, she's. She's never gonna die, so she's just gonna go insane.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's like being buried alive, but, like, you don't suffocate.

[Fury]

Yeah. So there's no end to it. Cool.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I would. I guess I'd say crucify me. I'd be over in a couple days.

[Fury]

And not to, like, oops, all spoilers this, but, like, they never go to get her.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I mean, I feel as though this.

[Fury]

They must go back to get her at some point. Right.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

This is definitely a discussion online. And I've always thought it is anybody gonna get Victoria from the bottom of the ocean?

[Fury]

Bottom of the fucking ocean. And, like, also, though, how would you find her if there's no tracker on it? How would you ever find her if it's just a little thing? It's gonna, like, I don't know. I must say, blow. But that's not what happens at the bottom of the ocean. It's gonna roll somewhere at some point. Right. There's, like, waves and currents and some shit.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Also, how insane is she going to be when she gets out?

[Fury]

And would she. At that point, or it's like. Or do you just like. Well, at least you'd want her to have an end to her suffering. I would hope somebody would. Natalie. If I ever get put inside of a clear coffin and thrown at the bottom of the fucking ocean that I bought myself, but I didn't measure, so I'm only halfway in it, so you're gonna have to cut off my feet. If that ever happens, please come find me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I would. I would, Coach, please.

[Fury]

Natalie, I need you to come find me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

I wouldn't just go like, well, can't find her. I mean, she. She went down there.

[Fury]

All you could hope is that it's going to be like, I hate to bring up the submersible, but it's like, if you think of it, it's like, will, would it implode if it got not deep Race? Like, would the box? Or would it. I don't know. I don't know. I'm making things up. I don't know anything. I don't know. I don't know.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

It's awful.

[Fury]

Water science is. Is beyond me.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Well, also, I would add that this. They could just make a magic box as well.

[Fury]

Yes. Oh, yeah. With the magic.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yep.

[Fury]

So, yes. I guess crucified. I. I guess I'd rather be crucified.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Yeah. Run wants to know what the outcome for Hunt is going to be. Fury responds that she doesn't know, but she thinks it's going to be worse than the other two. Rune responds. What could be worse than what the other two are enduring?

[Fury]

A long, horrible pause.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

A lot of things Runed in Bryce.

[Fury]

Let the words wash over her. She sat on the couch and stared at the dark screen of the television and stared into the black pit inside herself self.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

And that is the end of part three. We are on to part four next week and it is a lot of is going to happen. Holy so much. There's the ending and then there's a whole another ending.

[Fury]

Yeah, it's a double ending. I It is crazy too, now that we've read all of SJM's books that are out. She's so good at ramping it up up in the end. But what's crazy is she doesn't even need to ramp it up in the end because her books are so chock full of action and plot that it's almost like, oh, we're going even faster. Okay. Oh, all right. I'm not. I'm hanging out. Yeah, strap me down or something. I just. I just. I'm going. I'm along with it. I'm along for the ride and I hope you guys are too.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

We are very upset right now and things are looking bad. But because of that, we're going to leave you with something that will distract you. Maybe turn you on.

[Fury]

Oh no.

[Jackie Zabrowski]

Or more likely, turn your stomach.

[Fury]

And now Dudes Grappling with erotica featuring Holden McNeely and Jake Young.

[Natalie Jean]

The words short circuited every logical thought and every any objections died as he slipped a hand up her dress, running it over her thigh higher.

[Ruhn]

His mouth found her neck again as a finger explored the lacy front of her underwear.

[Natalie Jean]

He hissed again as he found it utterly soaked the lace, doing nothing to hide the proof of just how badly she wanted this wanted him.

[Ruhn]

He ran his finger down the length of her and back up again. Then that finger landed on that spot at the apex of her thighs. His thumb gently pressed on it after the over the fabric, drawing a moan deep from her throat and it sounded like.

[Natalie Jean]

She felt him smile against her neck. Her thumbs slowly circled, every sweep a torturous blessing. Hunt. She didn't know if his name was a plea or a question.

[Ruhn]

He just tugged aside her underwear and put his fingers directly on her. Hope he washed.

[Natalie Jean]

She moaned again and Hunt stroked her two fingers, dragging up and down with teeth grinding lightness.

[Ruhn]

He licked up the side of her throat, fingers playing mercilessly with her. He whispered against her skin do you taste as good as you feel, Bryce?

[Natalie Jean]

Please find out immediately. She managed to gasp. His laugh rumbled through her, but his fingers didn't halt their leisurely exploration.

[Ruhn]

Not yet, Quinlan. One of his fingers found her entrance and lingered, circling. Do it, she said.

[Natalie Jean]

If she didn't feel him inside her, his fingers or his cock, anything, she might start begging.

[Ruhn]

Then he moved around to her. Exit it and it was sticky. So bossy. Hunt purred against her neck, then claimed her mouth again, and as his lips settled over hers, nipping and taunting, he slid that finger deep into her. Both of them groaned.

[Natalie Jean]

Bryce, he said again. Her eyes nearly rolled back into her head at the feeling of that finger. She rocked her hips, desperate to drive him deeper, and he obliged her, pulling out his finger nearly all the way, adding a second and plunging both back into her.

[Ruhn]

She bucked like a dirty horse, her nails digging into his chest.

[Natalie Jean]

His thunderous heartbeat raged against her palms. She buried her face in his neck, biting and licking, starving for any taste of him. While he pumped his hand into her again.

[Ruhn]

Hunt breathed into her ear. I am going to you until you can't remember your God's damned name.

[Natalie Jean]

God's? Yes, likewise, she croaked. Release shimmered in her, a wild and reckless song. As she rode his hands toward it.

[Ruhn]

His other hand cupped her backside. Don't think I've forgotten this particular ass at, he murmured, squeezing for emphasis. I have plans for this beautiful ass, Bryce. Filthy, filthy plans. Brown plans. She moaned again and his fingers stroked into her over and over. Come for me, sweetheart, he purred against.

[Natalie Jean]

Her breast, his tongue flicking over her nipple just as one of his fingers curled inside her, her hitting that God's damn spot. Bryce did Hunt's name on her lips. She tipped her head back and let go, riding his hand with abandon, driving them both into the couch cushions. He groaned and she swallowed the sound with an open mouthed kiss at every nerve in her body, exploded into glorious starlight. Then there was only breathing and him. His body, his scent, that strength. The starlight receded and she opened her eyes to find him with his head tipped back, teeth bared. Not in pleasure, in pain.

[Ruhn]

She driven him into the cushions, shoved his wounded back right up against the couch.

[Natalie Jean]

Horror lurched through her like ice water, dousing any heat in her veins. Oh gods, I'm so sorry. He cracked his eyes open. That groan he'd made as he came had been painful and she'd been so wild for him that she hadn't noticed. Are you hurt?

[Ruhn]

She demanded, hoisting herself up from his lap, reaching to remove his fingers still deep inside her. He halted her with his other hand on her wrist. I'll survive.

[Natalie Jean]

His eyes darkened as he looked at her bare breasts, still inches from his mouth.

[Ruhn]

Wowzers. The dress shoved halfway down her body. I have other things to distract me, he murmured, leaning down for her peaked nipple. Or trying to.

[Natalie Jean]

A grimace passed over his face. Dark hell hunt. She barked, yanking out of his grip off his fingers, nearly falling from his lap.

[Ruhn]

He didn't even fight her as she grabbed his shoulder and peered at his back.

[Natalie Jean]

Fresh blood leaked through his bandages. Are you out of your mind?

[Ruhn]

She shouted, searching for anything in the immediate vicinity to press against the blood.

[Natalie Jean]

Why didn't you tell me?

[Ruhn]

As you like to say, he panted, shaking slightly. It's my body. I decide its limits.

[Natalie Jean]

She reigned in the urge to strangle him, grabbing for her phone. I'm calling a med witch.

[Ruhn]

He gripped her wrist again. We're not done here.

[Natalie Jean]

Oh yes we are.

[Ruhn]

She seethed.

[Natalie Jean]

I'm not having sex with you when you're spouting blood like a fountain. An exaggeration, but still.

[Ruhn]

Wait till you see how I piss.

[Natalie Jean]

His eyes were dark, burning, so Bryce.

[Ruhn]

Poked his back a good six inches beneath his wound. His answering wince of pain settled the argument.

[Natalie Jean]

Setting her underwear to rights and sliding her dress back over her chest and arms, she dialed the public Medwich number.

[Ruhn]

There's phones in this fucking room.

[Natalie Jean]

Magic phones.

[Fury]

Please read up until chapter 72.

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[Fury]

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