Page 190 of Of Nine So Bold

“So there was more than one meaning to ‘eat us’, then,” Clay commented. “Wonderful.” At his twin’s tired look, he gaped at him. “What? Those things wanted to devour us. I say we tell the witches what’s going on and letthemdeal with crazy ol’ Queen Mel.”

Lars frowned. “I know you’re not a coward, brother.”

Clay’s dismissive attitude faltered, cracking into barely suppressed anxiety. “That bitch couldkillGwyneira.”

Dread settled over my friends’ faces, mirroring what I was damn sure was on mine.

“She’s wanted me dead since the moment I was born,” Gwyneira said into the silence. “That’s not what worries me.” Her eyes darted across all of us, and I could only too easily read the truth.

Losinguswas what scared her.

“But Dex is right,” she continued. “We need a plan, and I think, Ignatius, you were on the right path with reaching out to Dathan.” She looked at the elderly scholar in the magic mirror. “We’re going to needanyonewho will help us if we’re going to stand a chance of stopping my stepmother. So if the gateway demons agree, do you think you could convince the witches to take a gateway and meet us in Lumilia? Perhaps in the old apothecary district to the west of the castle? I know magic isn’t exactly popular in Aneira”—wryness filled her voice at the massive understatement—“but that still seems like a place the witches might know.”

Dathan nodded. “Rufinia has spoken of it, yes. I will tell her.” He smiled. “And I will join them.”

“Good. Thank you. Then while you’re doing that, we’ll take a gateway to the wall, have Niko help us past that, and then take another to meet you there.”

The elderly scholar smiled. “I’ll see it done, your highness.” He glanced over at Ignatius and Byron. “And Berinlian willing, I’ll see you both in person when this is done.”

His image disappeared, the mirror becoming nothing but a reflective piece of glass once more.

Resolutely, the princess turned to us. Her bearing was straight. Her face calm. But I could still feel how her nervous worry bubbled inside. She doubted herself, even now. Even when, standing here between us all, she looked every inch the warrior queen she’d been born to be.

She wouldn’t face her stepmother alone. I’d die before I let her do that. Butno oneshould doubt her strength.

Especially not Gwyneira herself.

My mate’s eyes flicked toward me. She could feel my confidence in her. I wasn’t hiding a scrap of it.

But still, she worried.

“Okay, but, um… one thing?” Niko straightened a bit, clearly trying to overcome his own apprehension. “If there’s something about me that will protect Gwyneira—that will protectallof you—then I think we need to try that too before we go anywhere. Especially before goingthere.”

Dex was frowning, but he nodded. “What does that require?” He directed the question to Ignatius.

The scholar looked around at all of us, and my beast growled, apprehensive at the hope and confidence in his gaze.

Anything that protected Gwyneira was good in our eyes. But that didn’t mean either I or my beast wanted to risk her by undertaking strange magic.

But the scholar only smiled. “Come with me. The joining of the Nine shall begin.”

49

GWYNEIRA

Drawing his robes around him like a suit of armor, Ignatius strode past us, heading for the main chamber of the temple.

Apprehension tangled in my stomach as I followed him. Did all leaders feel this gnawing worry on the eve of battle? This fear that, with the plan they’d set in motion, they just signed the death warrants of everyone they loved?

My father hadn’t. Not that I could truly tell. His generals certainly had not.

And now I was going to lead a siege against the very kingdom they’d fought and died to protect.

As we walked, Ozias bent down, growling in my ear. “You’re not alone, little mate.”

That was part of the problem.

I tried to let him feel my gratitude for his attempt at reassurance, rather than my dread, but this link between us meant I was doomed to fail from the start. Theproblemwas that on my own, I didn’t have a clue how to stop my stepmother. And if my men were with me, it only meant they might die too.

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