Page 111 of Death of a Mortal

He’d collapsed it with all the guards—plus Varyn and Caedryn—still inside.

All guards except one, whose head was rolling on the ground one way while his body fell to the ground in the other.

“That won’t kill them all. It’ll only slow them down.” Bramick sounded sad.

I wondered whether any of their group had been killed or was missing from the attack.

“We keep moving,” was Dray’s clipped response. He removed his long overcoat and draped it over my shoulders before taking a knife from his side and reaching toward me, making me flinch and take a step back.

“I’m just going to cut the dress to remove it, and break the chainconnecting the cuffs,” he said gently, holding his hands up in surrender, sensing my unease over his knife.

I nodded.

He cut the fabric, and the disgusting dress fell to the ground. Then he grasped the chain between my wrists with both hands and pulled in opposite directions, breaking the chain right in the middle with his bare hands. Gods, this male was strong.

I took my first deep breath of cold, crisp air outside the castle walls in months as I shoved my arms into the coat and wrapped it tightly around me, finally shielding my naked body from the gawking group around us.

Right then, I didn’t care. I was free of Ashthorn. Free of Caedryn.

Chapter 27

Not Alone

Our group marchedquickly toward the forest, Dray in front, followed by Bramick, then me, then the female I’d seen flying with no wings, and then four more behind her—two males, a female, and a mortal man. I recognized one of the unknown fae males as Buzzed Head. He and Bramick were the two who had infiltrated the castle and posed as guards.

“So…does anyone want to tell me what the hell is going on? I mean, I’m thankful for the rescue, but who are you? And why?”

Dray just grunted, so it was Bramick that answered me. “We’re the rebellion. Thought that much was obvious.”

Dray threw a warning glance at Bramick over his shoulder.

The rebellion had come for me. The joy and sadness in my heart were overwhelming. Joy at the freedom, and that it had come at the hands of the ones my mother had allied with. And sadness because my mother wasn’t part of this group. That she wasn’t the one here to rescue me.

“The grumpy one in front is Drayce, the tactless dunce in frontof you is Bramick.” It was the female behind me who spoke. “Don’t mind them, I’m the real brains here. Call me Aerie.”

Drayce. Something about his name made the still-sleeping beast in my chest perk up its ears.

I slowed to walk next to the female. “Aerie, thank you. So why exactly did you guys risk so much to save me?”

She was short and petite, with long white hair woven with various feathers and wooden beads. Her warm, olive skin was at odds with her stark white hair and gray eyes, and she had a tattoo of several pairs of blue wings up her forearm. She was beautiful and dangerous-looking, instantly likable, especially because she openly insulted the males ahead of us.

“I wish I could tell you, Naci. But Dark and Broody up there told us not to discuss this topic until we clear the outskirts of Dolvenar. Soon, I promise we’ll answer all your questions.”

“Iwill answer the questions that are appropriate,” Drayce said. He reallywasgrumpy.

Aerie rolled her eyes and then winked at me. “He might not trust you, but I do,” she whispered with a smile.

So Drayce didn’t trust me? That was rich coming from the male shrouded in mystery and menace.

“So what can you tell me then?”

Aerie glanced back up at Drayce before saying, “Umm, that we’re really excited for you to meet everyone, and I hope you don’t get seasick. And that I’m really sorry for everything you’ve been through. We’ve been planning your escape for a while. Bramick was feeding us intel. He told us what things were like when you were a prisoner.”

“Aerie…” Drayce growled. The sound made me wonder if he was a Veythryn with a beastly vey form.

“We’re in the forest, well beyond the Dolvenar walls, Dray. They’re long behind us.”

It was at that moment that a furious roar sounded from behindus, hauntingly like Caedryn’s. It was unfortunate that the tunnel collapse hadn’t killed him, I thought with a shiver.