Page 87 of Of Nine So Bold

“Thing is,” Lars offered from the back of our group, “the exit is open, right? So maybe we should go make sure it stays that way while the giants get themselves out.”

Niko gave him an incredulous look. “We can’t leave them. Kids, remember?”

Lars winced. “Yeah, but who knows when there might be another?—”

Rumbling suddenly carried through the floor.

“You justhadto jinx it!” Clay protested to his brother.

Crashing sounds came from the mineshaft.

“Run!” Dex shouted.

There was only one way to go. We raced down the tunnel after the Erenlians and the guards. Dust filled the air behind us, and the roar of falling stones was so loud, I couldn’t hear what the others were shouting.

And if the guards brought the entire mine down on top of us…

My body vibrated with the need to shift and move faster. I was already in danger of outdistancing my men with my vampiric speed. But if I got ahead of them and then something happened…

Gods, panic made me want to scream.

We rounded a turn and the other giants came into view. A long row of bars lined one side of the tunnel, the thick metal poles driven into the floor and ceiling far above. The giants we’d helped were standing beside them. Norbert had a guard in his grip as he snarled something at the man that I couldn’t make out over the collapsing roar.

Behind the bars, countless giants stood.

I gasped, throwing a glance back at my men as the rumbling slowed behind us. The ceiling overhead remained intact. Maybe we had the support beams around the tunnel entrance to thank for that.

For the time being, anyway.

“Are these all the other prisoners?” Dex asked Niko behind me.

Before he could answer, Norbert snarled at Dex, “Shut it, human.” Turning his attention back to the guard, he pressed the man harder against the bars. “Open the lock or I break your neck like the last guy’s.”

Confused, I looked around. The crumpled form of a guard lay beyond Norbert’s feet.

My stomach sank. No, those Aneirans weren’t good people. But Norbert looked like he wasn’t going to stop with just the guards.

And we all looked human too.

“It won’t matter.” The guard was trembling so hard, his voice shook. “They’ve taken the shaft down. We’re trapped here until the queen comes.”

My blood went cold. “What?”

Norbert ignored me, smashing the man harder against the bars. “Open the damn gate.”

“Answer me,” I insisted, my tension rising. “The queen is coming here?”

Norbert’s hand clenched on the guard so tightly, the man’s neck broke with a crunch. Tossing him aside, the giant turned to me. “Shut it, bitch. No one needs to hear from some human whore?—”

In smoke form, Casimir slammed into him, whipped around his torso, and then flung Norbert to the ground. Reforming swiftly, he pinned the massive giant with one foot, his vampirestrength holding the Erenlian down. “Speak to her like that again and I shall introduce you to the taste of your own liver, is that clear?”

Norbert roared with fury. The other giants backed away from Casimir, eyes wide.

Except one. Standing on the far side of the bars, a single giant didn’t move a muscle. Older than some, he had his beard tied by a leather thong, one of the few adornments anybody here possessed. Likewise, his clothes were in better condition than the other prisoners’, and he seemed better fed. His eyes narrowed at Casimir pinning Norbert to the stone floor, but there was no fear in his expression, only calculation.

He reminded me of some of my father’s lords. The unscrupulous, power-hungry ones.

“Fuck,” Clay whispered under his breath. “He’s here too?”

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