Page 84 of Of Nine So Bold

Anger surged like a hot rush of fire in my chest. He was still treating her like that? And Clay hadn’t been any better. What the hell was wrong with my friends that they would speak to our treluria like?—

The worried, apologetic look she gave him brought my indignation to a halt. “Sorry,” she murmured back to him. “Are you okay?”

Now I was lost.

“Ithurtyou,” Ozias growled, something desperate and possessive in the sound.

I blinked while she put a hand to his arm as if to comfort him. It hurt her so she comforted him likehe’dbeen the one in pain? How did that make sense?

“Might I suggest we get moving before we continue this conversation?” Casimir commented from the back of the group. The vampire gave an uncomfortable glance to the tunnel, as if he could hear more than we could. “Our friend in the security station deactivated the pain-inducing spell within these little metal nightmares before we rendered him unconscious, but I doubt that is the extent of the threats in this place.”

Oh.

I swallowed hard, finding my voice again. “The soldiers have a device. It can lessen the suppressing power of the bracelets. But giants can’t use it. It doesn’t respond to us. But if the prin?—”

Gwyneira’s hand clamped over my mouth. She shook her head, making an “uh-uh” sound.

Confused, I glanced at the others.

Dex’s eyes pointedly went to the princess and then he shook his head.

Understanding dawned on me. Oh gods, I was an idiot. We were in a tunnel full of Erenlians who would crush the Aneiran princess given half the chance, and soldiers who would absolutely deliver her to the queen if they could.

Of course we were keeping Gwyneira’s name and title a secret.

I nodded at Dex, letting him know I got it, and then continued as calmly as I could. “But if myfriendhere could undo it, that might help.”

Apprehension twinged in me after I said that, and my eyes went to Norbert. Brock too. Letting either of them have their powers back was dicey.

In Norbert’s case, it might be suicide.

“Okay,” Dex said, though his tone was measured. “Then we need to?—”

Nearby, Ozias grunted, holding up a hand. He turned, regarding the tunnel beyond the giants.

“Ozias…” Gwyneira started, a strange note in her voice. “What… what is that?”

A low, displeased rumble left him. “Something is changing. The earth…” He trailed off, his head slowly cocking to one side as if he was trying to read something from the stone around us. “The earth is wrong.”

Byron jerked his attention away from Ignatius. “Wrong?” He scanned the walls. “Oh.”

“What?” Clay demanded.

“It’s the metal and spellwork that hides this place,” Byron said. “The force that suppressed our powers on the surface doesn’t extend this far down into the earth, but there is stillsomethingwoven into the stones above us.”

“Indeed,” Casimir agreed pointedly. “And as I was saying, Ihighlysuggest we begin moving toward the?—”

The ground rumbled. Cracks spread through the stone overhead.

“Oh, fuck,” Clay swore. “Run!”

I scrambled up, grabbing the princess and pulling her with me. Around us, the giants stumbled and tripped over one another, the shackles on their legs keeping them from fleeing.

Dex swung his sword, slamming it down on the lock holding Ignatius’s ankle. Nearby, Clay and Lars did the same, while Byron extended his hands, chanting something under his breath.

The locks clattered to the floor. The giants took off running, my friends on their heels.

“Pipsqueak, you bastard!” Terror filled Norbert’s voice past the rage. “You let me go or I swear I’ll?—”

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