Page 170 of Of Nine So Bold

Brock stopped far short of my friends. With his hands out to his sides, he dropped to one knee. Placing the knife on the floor, he pushed it away, letting it skitter across the gritty marble tiles to our feet. “On behalf of myself and those close to me, I pledge our loyalty and lives to King Niko.” His jaw muscles clenched briefly. “And I offer my apologies to my brothers.”

“What the fuck…?” Clay whispered.

Brock’s eyes flicked up to the twins. “I’m sorry. I was a child but still a coward, and I should have stood up for both of you.”

Clay’s brow climbed. Lars blinked, speechless.

“I won’t ask your forgiveness,” Brock continued, his gaze dropping back to the floor. “Only that if you decide to ask the king for retribution, you would spare my family and only punish me.”

The twins turned in unison, unspokenwhat-the-fucklooks passing between them. “F-family?” Lars asked.

Brock glanced over his shoulder, nodding to someone in the crowd.

A woman emerged from among the giants. Her stone-like skin was the color of dark brown marble, with whorls of amber and tan through it in a beautiful pattern. Her moss-like hair was deep amber, and her eyes were as well. Covered in a threadbare scrap of blanket, a small form lay curled in her arms.

At Brock’s murmured reassurance, she walked closer. Her eyes darted across all of us like she was torn between running and fighting to defend her family, and I didn’t miss how many times her wary gaze landed on me.

The monster who looked like a man.

“This is my wife, Fleur, and our daughter,” Brock said.

Fleur carefully lowered herself to one knee beside her husband, keeping her little one carefully secured. “Your Highness,” she murmured to Niko. “Thank you for trying to protect Nadine and for saving us from the mines. I’m so sorry Brock couldn’t speak up to help you sooner. Duke Ensid made him a part of his inner circle on the basis of blood, but he held our lives over his head. Had my husband showed even the slightest sign ofdisrespect…” The word held an edge of old and bitter pain, even as she trailed off with a wince.

Niko blinked for a heartbeat. “I-I understand,” he said, sounding stunned.

But then, we all were. Even Casimir seemed frozen, only his eyes moving as they bounced from Niko to the twins to the family before us. Gods, I didn’t thinkanyof us knew what to do.

Except Gwyneira.

A warm smile spread over her face. She walked closer to them, ignoring a strangledwhat-are-you-doingprotest from Clay. “No one will harm your family, you have my word.” She cocked her head at the baby. “May I see her?”

The woman pulled aside a corner of the blanket, revealing an infant with a tousled crop of amber-and-gold hair and wide eyes.

“Her name is Clarissa,” Fleur said. “Brock chose it, as a mix of their names.” She nodded briefly at the twins. “To honor the brothers he lost.”

Gwyneira glanced back at Clay and Lars, her lips parting in a silentO.

“Well… fuck.” Clay’s voice was thick with emotion. “That’s just?—”

Lars elbowed him, his eyes never leaving the baby. “We’re uncles now. You’ve got to clean up your language.”

Gwyneira gave a soft laugh as a choked “yeah, okay” came from Clay.

I retreated while the others drew closer to the family, my gaze darting around the crowded room. There could still be enemies here. One of us needed to keep an eye out. For the gods’ sakes, ababywas involved now. We couldn’t risk someone hurting usorthe little one.

And yeah, never mind that I felt like I was dog-paddling in the ocean, unable to keep my head above water with the speed at which everything was?—

“Roan?” Niko’s voice was hesitant.

Fuck.

I cleared my throat. “Yeah?”

“Um…” He looked around like whatever words he wanted might be hiding somewhere in the temple. “About what King Archerias said…”

Fuck, fuck,fuck…

“Did you know about that?”

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