Page 15 of Of Nine So Bold

“Are you angry at me for asking you to let the demon out?”

At that, he looked over at me, obviously baffled. “What? I’m not angry at you.”

A relieved breath left me.

“I’m—” He cast a quick glance back toward the camp and then lowered his voice as if trying to make sure no one overheard. “I’m concerned I might have frightened you away from being with me.”

Now it was my turn to be confused. “Why?”

“I saw what the demon did to those soldiers. Just flashes, but… enough.”

“Oh.”

His brow rose and fell like that was a sufficient response.

Which was hardly the case. “It was shocking, yes. But I’m not afraid of you—or it.”

“It ripped out a man’s heart right in front of you.”

“Yes, but…” I wasn’t sure how to explain why that didn’t scare me without sounding like a lunatic. “The demon also saved us.Again. It’s violent, true. But only to protect us.” I hesitated. “I get the impression it just isn’t familiar with beingpartof anything or cooperating with others.”

He was silent for a moment. “Probably not.”

I bit my lip briefly. “What would you think of trying to change that?”

His gaze slid to me like I’d just suggested dabbling in suicidal madness could be a fun pastime.

But something else was there too. Someoneelse, slowly heating his dark eyes with curiosity and desire.

A shudder passed through him, and the heat faded.

I sighed, disappointed in spite of myself as he looked away. There couldn’t be anything more between the demon and me, not while it insisted on having me only to itself, to hell with what I or my men wanted.

And that didn’t bring into it howRoanfelt.

But that didn’t mean we couldn’t at least get along. Hopefully, anyway.

Taking a breath, Roan seemed to draw himself out of his thoughts. “I’m not sure how to help Casimir, though. The demon… It’s definitely not cooperating about helping him.” He scoffed slightly, as if the words were an understatement.

Worry settled like a leaden ball in my stomach.

“But,” he finished more resolutely, “if there’s anything I can do, I will.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded.

Behind us, the sounds of the camp had settled down while the others got ready to rest. Roan cast a glance back at it all and then leaned over, kissing the top of my head lightly. “Go get some sleep, love,” he whispered. “Tomorrow will be here soon.”

6

NIKO

The green-skinned creatures dragged me as far as the castle exit, and then the Huntsmen took over.

At least, I assumed the people holding me were still the Huntsmen. Something had jabbed my neck not long after the green-skinned creatures handed me off to the others. Whatever concoction they gave me sent my consciousness spiraling back into darkness just as it had in the forest where I was taken. A thick hood covered my head now, the fabric so dense it was hard to breathe. I couldn’t see or hear much either. A muffled voice here. A shadowy blur there. A few minutes ago, I’d woken to the feeling of wood beneath my bound hands again, along with a rumble like perhaps I was in another cart. But it stopped soon afterward, so I couldn’t be sure.

Or tell how long I’d been unconscious.

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