Heart of a Hunter

28. The Weight of Truth

                                               Sam's POV

The book felt heavy in Blair's hands, and the longer I stared at the symbol—the seal that had been the center of this entire mess—the more it weighed on me. There was something about that symbol, something dark, like it carried all the broken pieces of her past. Her family had died because of it, and now, holding it in my hands, I felt the same burden pressing on me too.

I glanced over at her, watching as her fingers traced the edges of the page, her eyes locked on the drawing. She was trying to be strong—I could see it in the way she was biting down on her bottom lip, her shoulders tense, like she could will away the fear if she just held herself together tightly enough. But I knew better. I knew that kind of fear—how it could creep up on you, suffocating everything in its path.

Dean cleared his throat behind us, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife. "Well, this sure looks like the jackpot. But what's the deal? What does the Arcani want with this thing?"

I turned the book slightly, scanning the page again, but the text was still a mix of ancient symbols that I could barely make out. Latin, sure, but something older too. "I'm not sure," I muttered, "but it's got to be the key to whatever the Arcani are after."

Blair's voice came out barely above a whisper. "My family died because of this." Her fingers were trembling now as they hovered over the drawing, the reality of it all sinking in deeper. "They were protecting it, weren't they? They were hiding it from the Arcani."

I nodded, feeling a knot tighten in my chest. "Looks like it."

The silence that followed was thick, filled with everything we weren't saying. Blair's family had been wiped out for protecting something they probably didn't even understand. And now, here she was, caught in the middle of it. And I hated that she had to bear that weight.

Dean leaned against the wall, his expression hard, but I could see the worry in his eyes. He was good at hiding it, burying the concern under layers of sarcasm and confidence, but I knew him too well. This seal was more dangerous than any of us had realized, and now that we were holding the key, the Arcani wouldn't stop until they got to Blair.

"Alright," Dean said, straightening up. "So we have a symbol, an ancient seal, and a bunch of dead relatives. What's the next move?"

I exhaled, my mind already working through the options. "We need to figure out what this seal does and why the Arcani need it. If we can understand that, we'll know how to stop them."

"Easier said than done," Dean muttered, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Yeah," I admitted, "but it's all we've got right now."

Blair closed the book carefully, her hands still shaking, and looked up at me. Her eyes were wide, filled with uncertainty and pain, but there was a flicker of something else there too—determination. "We can't let them win," she whispered. "They've taken everything from me. I won't let them take any more."

Her words hit me harder than I expected. She was stronger than she realized, and in that moment, I could see just how much she had lost—how much she was still willing to fight for. And I couldn't help but feel this deep urge to protect her, to make sure she didn't have to carry this burden alone.

I reached out, taking the book from her hands and setting it aside. Then, without thinking, I cupped her face gently, my thumb brushing against her cheek. "We won't let them take anything else from you, Blair," I said softly. "Not as long as we're here."

She blinked up at me, and for a second, the walls she'd built up around herself cracked, letting me see the raw emotion underneath. "Sam..." Her voice wavered, but she didn't pull away.

Dean cleared his throat behind us, a loud and exaggerated sound that immediately broke the moment. "Okay, lovebirds. We're still in a creepy, ancient catacomb filled with god knows what. Maybe save the tender moments for when we're not about to be cursed or eaten alive."

Blair flushed and stepped back slightly, but there was a small smile tugging at her lips. I shot Dean a look, shaking my head, but the moment of tension had lightened, just a little.

Still, we couldn't ignore the weight of what we'd just uncovered. The seal wasn't just a symbol; it was the key to something far darker, something that had already destroyed lives, and now it was in our hands.

"We need to get out of here," I said, glancing at Dean. "The Arcani could already be tracking us."

Dean nodded. "Agreed. Let's move."

I grabbed the book, tucking it safely into my bag as we made our way back toward the entrance. The air felt colder, heavier, like something was watching us from the shadows, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being followed.

We were almost to the surface when Blair's voice stopped me. "Sam."

I turned back to look at her, and the way her green eyes met mine, flecked with that gold, made my heart skip a beat. "Yeah?"

She hesitated, her hands fidgeting for a moment before she spoke. "Thank you... for everything. I know this isn't easy, and I—"

"Hey," I interrupted gently, stepping closer to her. "You don't have to thank me. We're in this together."

Blair smiled softly, and the look in her eyes—something raw and deep—hit me like a wave. She wasn't just grateful. She trusted me. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like maybe we weren't completely out of hope.

Dean's voice echoed from up ahead. "Anytime now, Romeo!"

I shook my head, fighting back a grin as I turned and led Blair up the final steps, back into the cold night air.

Whatever happened next, I wasn't going to let her face it alone.

Not ever.