Page 125 of Oath of Rebellion

"Eirwyn is your darling princess and my mate. If you won't follow me to safety, follow her." Knox looked down at Eirwyn and bent his lips to hers.

His mouth was tender, his embrace sure. When the quick kiss broke, they both stood back on the ground, the stairs gone and the foliage creeping back into the forest.

Several of the people began to walk cautiously along the Lone Road.

"Take them into the forest. I'll bring up the rear. There should be a dwarf named John with dozens of escaped prisoners somewhere ahead."

Eirwyn frowned at the castle. "We need to find out what's going on there. If Bella is hurt–"

He nodded and sighed. "I know. I'll do another pass over the city and go to the castle to see if I can save her."

She gripped his forearm. "Whatever you do, don't land. The blackness–it has to be a curse. If Gastone died and had some sort of spell set to destroy everything or Bella got caught up in it or..."

She trailed off, biting her lip and staring at the castle.

He smiled and kissed her forehead, his chest tightening to see the emerald ring on her finger. He had loved her at first sight, but it was deeper now that he could feel her emotions, now that he knew her.

"Don't worry," he said. "There's so much we have to talk about and explore."

Her eyes sparkled, and she winked as she grinned. "That's right. Don't go doing anything stupid."

Chapter 44

THE CROWD PARTED, AND Lailant walked slowly toward them, leaning heavily on her cane. Some had ventured down the Lone Road with the other two Robins, but most villagers hung back. The adults watched warily as she stopped in front of Knox and Eirwyn.

She stabbed her cane onto the dirt twice and tilted her head as if listening to something.

Eirwyn looked at Knox, but he just shrugged and waited. Rope burns wrapped around his torso and arms. She traced the one on his bicep, and he turned to her, pulling her into his arm in a side hug.

Knox' body was stiff and his chin lifted. A surge of pride went through her that he wasn't afraid to show his face anymore. The scales and horns on the side of his head had reverted to normal along with his tail shrinking in size to how it'd been before.

Lailant nodded, "The king is dead."

The crowd gasped, and Eirwyn felt a weight lift from her shoulders even as a tightness squeezed her chest. She blinked, her mind racing to process and her emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

"How–"

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