Page 79 of Of Nine So Bold

Violence wasn’t my way. But there wasn’t a choice.

“Unchain them,” I repeated. “Now.”

“Don’t you fucking dare,” snapped the guard I held, his voice breathless with pain.

None of the other humans moved. Some even eased their hands away from their bracelets, a strange look on their faces, like they weren’t as worried about stopping us anymore.

Which made no sense.

My eyes darted around the tunnel, but I couldn’t see anyone else coming. Couldn’t hear any shouts or running footsteps.

This didn’t make sense.

I was also burning time.

Exhaling sharply, I thought hard, letting the endless days of forcing myself to study the guards even when exhaustion made me want to weep play back in my mind.

Right.

Gripping his arm tightly, I reached over with my free hand and pressed my fingertips to the bracelet in the pattern I’d seen the humans use.

Nothing happened.

The guard I held let out a rasping chuckle. “They don’t work for stoneskins, runt.”

I must have gotten the pattern wrong. I pressed my fingers to the metal again. And again. And again.

Nothing.

Desperation drove a furious cry from my lips. Gods, no. I had to get out of here. Find my treluria. Save these people before the Aneirans sent kids down here in my place.

“Let me go,” the man continued, “and we’ll make your death quick.”

My hand clenched down on his arm, and he grunted in pain. “Thenyourelease us,” I said, tossing a quick look at the other guards. None had moved to put their hands anywhere near their own bracelets, waiting to see what their leader would do. “You fucking reach over and push the sequence to?—”

Pain screamed through my nerves like my entire body had been dropped into the heart of a volcano. I lost the tunnel, the world, in a blinding wave of agony that abated only long enough for me to hear the other giants screaming.

What… whathappened? I’d beenwatchingthem, dammit. How had the Aneirans…

The guard’s voice came near my ear. “Backup security system, asshole. We’ve got eyes on you everywhere.” He chuckled. “You’re all going to die for this.”

20

GWYNEIRA

We reached the entrance to the mines just as a new contingent of soldiers was coming to check on the ones Casimir and I had already subdued.

They didn’t get the chance to raise an alarm either.

“Ozias, Casimir, take the lead with me,” Dex ordered, scanning the tunnel ahead of us. At our backs, the moonlit night was still beyond the fissure leading to the mines, all the guards tied up and gagged in the bushes out there. “Valeria, can your people strip these soldiers and take their uniforms? Cover the front and make it look like everything is fine, in case anyone comes this way?”

The woman nodded once firmly.

“Good. And princess?—”

“I’m coming with you.”

Dex scowled.

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