Heart of a Hunter

15: The Weight of the Truth

                                           Sam's POV:

Blair's hands trembled as she clutched the letter, her knuckles white against the paper. Her eyes, usually bright with that hint of gold, were clouded with fear and confusion. I stood close, my hand still resting on her arm, wanting to say something—anything—that could make this better. But there wasn't much I could say. Not when I didn't even understand what was happening yet.

Dean paced near the door, his jaw tight, his fingers twitching like he was just itching for the guy to come back so he could finish what he'd started. He wasn't one to sit still when things went sideways. And right now? We were deep in the middle of sideways.

"Guy could've been full of crap," Dean muttered, mostly to himself. "Half the people we run into say stuff like that—cryptic bullshit to get inside our heads."

I wanted to believe that. I needed to believe that. But the look on Blair's face, the way her whole body had gone rigid when she read that letter... this wasn't just another nutjob trying to mess with us. This felt different.

"It's not that simple, Dean," I said quietly, not taking my eyes off Blair. "We need to figure out what's really going on here."

Dean let out a frustrated sigh, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at the door. "Yeah, well, I don't like how he came in here, acting like he had all the answers. Creeping us out and then dropping some bombshell about Blair like we're just supposed to take his word for it."

Blair flinched at Dean's words, and I shot him a look to dial it down. He might've been angry, but Blair didn't need that right now. She was already carrying too much.

"Dean's right," Blair said suddenly, her voice shaky but stronger than I expected. "Maybe this guy is just messing with us. I mean... I don't know anything about this. I'm not part of something 'bigger.'" She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than us.

I stepped in closer, gently turning her toward me. "We don't know what any of this means yet," I said softly, my eyes locked on hers. "But we'll figure it out. Whatever this is, you're not facing it alone."

Blair looked up at me, her eyes full of uncertainty and fear, and for a moment, I could see the weight of everything she was carrying—the grief of losing her family, the confusion of what had happened to them, and now this, this letter telling her she was at the center of something she didn't even understand. It was too much for anyone to handle alone.

And I'd be damned if I was going to let her go through it by herself.

Dean exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Alright," he said, sounding more like the Dean I knew, the one who tackled problems head-on. "We need to look into this, right? Start with the letter. That seal on the top—it looks like something I've seen before. Some old-school, ancient symbol. If we can figure out where it came from, we might be able to figure out who sent it."

I nodded. It was a start. "Agreed. But we also need to figure out who that guy was and why he knew so much about Blair. He knew her name, her family... everything."

Blair shifted beside me, her eyes dropping back down to the letter. "He said my family died to stop me," she whispered, her voice so quiet I barely heard her. "What does that even mean?"

I didn't have an answer for that, and the uncertainty made my chest tighten. If what the man said was true, if Blair's family was killed because of her—or more specifically, because of something she was supposed to do—then we were up against more than just another monster. This was bigger. More dangerous.

And that scared the hell out of me.

Dean was already moving toward his bag, rummaging through it for the laptop we used on hunts. "I'll start looking into the symbol. See if there's anything in Dad's journal or Bobby's notes that matches."

I nodded, grateful for Dean's practicality. "Good. I'll see if I can find anything on the guy who showed up. Maybe we can track him down."

Blair stood there in the middle of the room, her arms wrapped around herself, still clutching that letter like it was the only thing tethering her to reality. My heart ached for her, and I wanted to take all of it away—the fear, the confusion, the pain. But I couldn't. All I could do was stay by her side and make sure she didn't face it alone.

I stepped closer, gently prying the letter from her hands and setting it down on the table. "You don't have to carry this on your own," I said quietly, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "We'll figure it out. Together."

Blair's eyes flicked up to meet mine, and for a second, I saw the faintest hint of relief in them. But it was quickly swallowed by uncertainty. "I just don't understand," she whispered, shaking her head. "Why me? What could I possibly have to do with any of this?"

"I don't know," I admitted, my voice soft. "But we'll find out. And whatever it is, we'll stop it."

She nodded, but I could tell she wasn't convinced. Hell, I wasn't sure I was convinced either. This whole situation was too strange, too layered. And if what the man had said was true, it meant Blair was somehow at the center of something bigger than all of us. Something that had already taken her family away.

I wouldn't let it take her too.

Dean's voice broke the tension. "Alright," he said, looking up from the laptop with a grim expression. "I've seen this symbol before. It's used by an ancient group called the Arcani. They're an order of sorts—old-school, secretive. And when they're involved, it's never good."

I tensed. The Arcani. I'd read about them in some of Dad's old notes—groups of hunters and mystics who believed in some greater purpose, some higher calling that justified anything. They were dangerous. Ruthless.

And now they were connected to Blair.

Dean didn't wait for a reaction. "We need more intel. They're not easy to track, but we've got names, contacts. I can make some calls." He glanced at Blair, his eyes softening for a split second. "But you've gotta know... if they're involved, this is bigger than any regular hunt. This is personal for them. And for you."

Blair's face paled, but she nodded, her shoulders straightening as she seemed to steel herself. "I just want to know the truth."

"We'll get it," I promised her, my voice steady, even though inside I felt anything but. "We'll figure out what they want and why they're after you. We won't let them get to you."

She gave me a small, shaky nod, and I could see the exhaustion settling in—the weight of everything crashing down on her. I wanted to pull her into my arms, to hold her and tell her it would all be okay. But I couldn't make that promise. Not yet.

Dean stood up, already moving toward the door. "I'm heading out to make a few calls. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

I nodded, my eyes still on Blair. "Be careful."

Dean shot me a look, one that said he knew damn well what I was feeling, but wasn't going to say it out loud. "Always am."

The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me and Blair alone in the quiet, dimly lit room. The air felt thick, charged with everything we hadn't said yet. Blair stood there, staring at the letter on the table, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of Sam's jacket like she didn't know what to do next.

I stepped toward her, gently taking her hand in mine, pulling her close. "We'll figure it out," I whispered again, my forehead resting against hers.

She let out a shaky breath, leaning into me, her body softening against mine as if she was finally letting herself relax—if only for a moment. "I know," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I just don't know if I'm ready for what we'll find."

I tightened my hold on her, my heart aching at the uncertainty in her voice. "Whatever we find, we'll face it together."

Blair looked up at me, her green eyes searching mine, and for a second, I saw something flicker there—something like hope. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning in closer. "For being here."

I kissed her forehead, my lips lingering there for a moment as I tried to push away the fear that had settled in my chest. "Always."

But as we stood there, wrapped in the fragile peace of the moment, I couldn't help but wonder just how long we had before everything came crashing down again.

And whether I'd be able to protect her when it did.