Page 95 of Of Nine So Bold

“If you want to make it out of this situation alive,” Casimir said, “you won’t do as they say. Or do youhonestlybelieve the same people who murdered their own with such ease will keep their word and let the people they’ve treated like animals go free?”

Worry flashed over a few faces. So clearly, they’d thought of the obvious already. They just didn’t want to admit it.

Hope being such a seductive bitch and all.

“Regardless of what the Aneirans do,” Duke Deter the Asshole said, “there is no reason to keep thesecreaturesalive.”

His eyes raked past me and my brother, and to anyone else, I’d bet it looked like he was just scanning us all equally.

I didn’t believe that for a second. Good ol’ Deter knew us, same as we knew him. Meanwhile Norbert was acting like he didn’t recognize us at all, and Brock was looking anywhere but our direction.

Fucking cowards, the lot of them.

At Deter’s words, several giants started forward. I shifted position, my hands tightening on my sword, and the urge to drive the blade into Deter’s face made my muscles quiver.

“Only a fool kills that which may provide his only hope of survival,” Casimir replied evenly as Ruhl flowed around his feet like a swirling cloud of impending death. “And as for my point…”

He spread his hands out to either side, and a weird sensation rolled through the air. Bright, but invisible. I’d almost call it shiny, if shiny had a texture. Like if light glinting from a gold surface had afeelingto it.

I couldn’t see anything of what he was doing, but then again, I didn’t really care. The vampire was on our side. Whatever the hell he was up to, it’d be intended to protect Gwyneira, and therefore I was fine with it.

The giants were confused as hell, though. The ones coming toward Casimir stopped, their big stone brows furrowing like creases in rock.

It’d be funny if our treluria wasn’t in danger.

“What’s he doing?” asked the one at the forefront of the group, a giant who looked about in his late twenties with his hair hacked short and uneven so it stuck out around his head.

Byron spoke up from behind me. “He’s showing you what happens if you listen to those Aneirans.”

The short-haired giant looked between the vampire and the scholar. “But he isn’t changing any?—”

“Oh, but I did.” Casimir lowered his hands, regarding the massive giants like he couldn’t care less that they were twice his size. Everything about the vampire radiated that same royal confidence that had made us hate the guy when we first met him.

Now I just grinned, enjoying the show.

“That was a glamour spell,” he continued. “Very old. Very rare. Quite difficult to perform, really, but I believe you’ll find it worth my effort in”—his lips curved into an icy smile—“five… four…perhapsthree…”

The crackling on the walls returned. “Your quick compliance with the queen’s command has been noted. You are now granted your freedom… to enter the next life. Kill each other or starve, it makes no difference to us.” The guard’s voice was sadistic when he finished. “Erenlian scum.”

All hell broke loose. Shouts rang throughout the cavern. People started crying, running for nowhere, and banging at the manacles on their wrists like that might work to break the things.

I rolled my eyes. Nobody could panic like a giant.

At a nod from Dex, we retreated with the princess between us, our swords at the ready to stab any fuckers who might come close to stepping on us.

Maybe the Erenlians hadn’treallybelieved the Aneiran guards before, but they sure as hell had lost any trace of hope now.

“That is enough!” The air shook as the duke’s voice boomed from the walls.

Wincing against the noise, I didn’t bother hiding my glare. Obnoxious bastard. He always did know how to gain the attention of a room.

“Creature,” Deter continued imperiously to Casimir, like he hadn’t just implied everybody should kill the vampire. “I order you to use your power in the service of Erenelle and enable us to leave this place.”

My brow shot so high it made my damn face hurt.

Casimir only chuckled. “Youorderme?”

Deter glanced at Brock, twitching his chin toward the depths of the cavern, and all he said was, “Go.”

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