Free Blood Curse (Branded Trilogy Book 2) by Kat Flannery

of the three siblings.
    “I am sorry, Brother.”
    She broke another one. This time he didn’t move just growled low into the ground.
    “One…” SNAP “more.” She wiped the sweat from her brow and tossed the last piece onto the ground beside her.
    Sorina returned with her sister, Sabella. The quiet girl held a bucket and ripped sheets while Sorina carried the herbs and wax.
    “Emmett and Ivan, I will need light. Please bring your torches near,” Pril said.
    The two men stepped forward, holding the fire sticks away from Galius but close enough for Pril to see what she was doing.
    Her stomach dipped. She’d need to do this without her peppermint leaves and without a spell. She exhaled slowly, the act calming her nerves and stomach.
    “Let me know when you’re ready to begin,” Kade said while he hovered over Galius.
    She rubbed her hands briskly together.
    “Give him this. It will help him to sleep.” Sorina handed her a small bowl with crushed berries.
    She lifted the bowl and sniffed.
    “Opium paste?”
    “I have not put in very much, but enough to knock him out for the better part of an hour.”
    “Have you tested this on anyone?”
    Sorina eyed Kade.
    “You drugged me?” he growled.
    “I am sorry. I was only doing what I was told.”
    “I don’t give a damn—”
    “Please, we need to concentrate on the task at hand.” Pril nodded toward Sorina.
    The other woman put some of the paste on a spoon and fed it to Galius. Once the contents were ingested, they waited a few minutes before loud snores rumbled from his chest.
    “Who has a blade?” Pril asked.
    “I do,” Stefan said from above her.
    His shaded eyes caressed her face.
    Irritated, she frowned, and for a mere moment the thought of lashing out at him appealed to her.
    “Heat it within the flames of Emmett’s torch. Do not give it to me until the tip glows orange,” she said without looking at him.
    The urge to chant a spell for Galius moved over her. Too many ears and eyes watched her, and she clamped her lips shut instead.
    The blade was handed to her. The harder she gripped the handle the more her hand shook. Steady…steady. She tried to gain control, but the shaking increased until the knife fell from her hand onto her skirt to singe the fabric.
    Kade was quick to grab it.
    “I will do it.”
    “Have you done this before?”
    “Yes.”
    With the blade still orange he dug it into Galius’ flesh beside the first arrow. A few minutes passed before he pulled the arrow free, and Pril placed a cold compress over the bleeding wound.
    He did this two more times, removing each arrow. Once the bleeding had subsided, Pril took two Achusa Strigosa leaves from the jar and crushed them within her palm. She placed them over the open wounds and sealed them with the wax from the jar.
    “I will need to stitch these wounds closed.”
    Kade nodded.
    “He needs to be moved to his vardo.”
    Kade stood, and with Stefan’s help they carried the large man to his wagon.
    Pril watched them take her brother, thankful the arrows hadn’t gone in deeper, or he would’ve died. The weight of the past events pulled her chin down, and she hung her head. How was she going to fix this? Tsura was missing, her clan needed explanations, and Galius was injured.
    One person’s name came to mind. Milosh. Hot anger scorched her stomach, and her face heated. She needed to find her brother. He was the reason her daughter was gone, and Galius was hurt. She stood. Determination set her shoulders, and she frowned as she marched toward his vardo still intact.
    “Milosh,” she yelled outside his wagon. “Milosh, you coward! Come out, and face me!”
    A few minutes had passed when she heard footsteps coming from inside. Magda pulled back the curtain and cast evil eyes toward her.
    “What do you want?”
    “I want to speak with my brother.”
    Magda’s black hair hung in matted knots, and dark smudges circled her eyes. Her skirt and blouse were soiled with dirt, and the