Page 38 of Of Nine So Bold

And then their surface changed. Darkening to bloody red, they glistened brighter than the forest around them and steamed in the cold night air like they were heated from the inside.

Oh, gods,the broken one breathed in my mind.

What?I demanded silently, before snarling at myself for how ridiculous it was to respond at all. I didn’t need his input.

He answered anyway.Apples. Like in the forest where the queen killed her.

His memories rose, playing out like a nightmare. The snowy slopes of a mountain range. A desperate attempt to escape the queen’s pursuit. A forest like death, where decaying red spheres clung to leafless gray trees, rotting before our eyes and plunking to the earth like globs of filth.

But in those brief moments when she’d been beyond our sight, the princess had taken one of them. Eaten one of them.

And died.

Rage coursed through me, hotter than the fire that lived inside my veins. The world would burn before I let anything take her away. And if Death itself thought to visit her again, I would prove that eventhatcould not surviveme.

“Swords at the ready!” Valeria called to the humans. “Jakob, Erlek, take the lead and?—”

She cut off as suddenly, a crooning sound rose. It twisted around us, seeming to come from everywhere. Soft and gentle and soothing, it used no words as it promised that now, oh yes now, everything was fine. Peaceful. Safe.

I flinched, confused. How could that be true? Moreover, my ears swore I was not actually hearing a thing. No, this strange melody spoke to me like the broken one. Like it was in my mind. Yet it was not him.

Maybe that was fine too…

Air spilled from my wings, dropping me closer to the branches before I could stop myself. But I didn’t need to worry about that, the crooning sound whispered. All threats were gone now. It was safe to come down among the trees. Nothing would hurt me.

Beneath the interwoven branches, several humans slipped from their horses, moving like they were in a dream. In fits and starts, Ozias tried to shift back into his beast, but he failed, his body seeming to resist obeying his command. Appearing dazed,he shook his head hard as if attempting to dispel a persistent bug buzzing around his ears.

Like a man with numbed limbs, Byron fumbled for his bag. “Don’t…” He grunted, struggling with something. “Don’t lis— Gods…”

Nearby, Casimir dropped to his knees, gasping in air. His shadow dog paced around him, the creature’s infuriating snarling discordant amid the crooning, making the beast even more irritating than normal.

No,the broken one gasped as if he was struggling too.Listen to Ruhl. Focus on him.

Why would I pay attention to that annoying mutt?

Because this is a lie.The broken one’s voice was a distant whisper now, nearly drowned beneath the lullaby. Air spilled from my wings again, dropping us down until we were only a few feet above the trees.It’s a?—

His whisper turned to wordless choking, as if even he couldn’t keep speaking over this sound.

But why should I care? Everything was fine now.

More air spilled from my wings. My claws were only inches from the trees, and it would only take a small flex of my muscles to grasp one of the glistening apples perched high in the branches.

And they would taste wonderful. I knew that, even without the crooning noise murmuring such promises. I would be fine if I landed on these silly little trees. I could relax now. I didn’t need to fight or protect the girl in my arms anymore. I could just let her go.

I jerked my foot away from the tree branch. Wait, this… thisnoisewould dare to tell me not to protect my mate?

I scoffed. That was a mistake.

My lips pulled back from my fangs and a low growl rumbled through my chest. The broken one was right. This was a lie.Nothing on thisearthcould tell me that I should not defend my treluria. Especially not when she was curled silently in my arms, her eyes squeezed shut with pain while tears slipped down her bloodlessly pale cheeks.

Heat built in my chest. This forest deserved to die.

“Hold…” Valeria’s voice carried up to me past the net of branches. She rocked on her saddle like even her own body was fighting her order to remain still. “Hold positions. Stay where you?—”

I snorted. I would not. This crooning sound deserved death for what it was doing.

Wait, the broken one gasped.Think, dammit.

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