Page 154 of Death of a Mortal

We leave in the morning to infiltrate Ashthorn and chop the head off the purge movement in Ashenholt. I either survive and leave both the capital and my thoughts of Caedryn’s death behind to come home to you, my baby girl, or I leave behind a legacy of what I hope is an easier time for the rebellion to finish our work. To finish the mission.

After tomorrow, I leave this all behind, one way or another.

I love you so, my little flame.

Chapter 36

Seventy-Two Deaths

My mother diedon that mission, beheaded by Caedryn.

Tears poured down my cheeks to join the spilled wine on the table. I didn’t understand it yet, but something had been influencing her, pushing her away from me and drawing her here. Every time she got close to coming back and straying away from this rebellion, she got sucked back in. With a shiver, I wondered if there was any dark magic that could do this.

Because I knew now, without a doubt, that my mother loved Cassius and me and had never wanted to leave. I’d asked myself this question so many times throughout my life, and I finally had the answers, even if there was something amiss. She’d loved me.

I could never forgive the way Cassius treated and abused me, how he neglected Nella. But a small part of me felt bad for him. He never knew what I know now. He just woke up one morning to find his wife gone and himself alone with a baby.

Maybe one day I’d go back to Briarstead, when Caedryn was dead, and tell Cassius this.

The rest of the anger left my body, leaving me emotionally drained and exhausted.

So I cleaned up the spilled wine, stacked the dishes in the sink, and dragged myself to bed after a quick stop at the bathroom.

My final foggy thoughts as I laid in bed were on the mystery that was Nella and Aemilia’s mother. She was to blame for the unraveling of my family. She had to be. And when I figured out who she was, she would be added to my list, second only to Caedryn. I’d walk every part of Caelia to find this female if I had to, to get justice for my family.

* * *

I woke thenext morning, thanking the gods for my newly fae nature to aid in faster healing. My head hurt slightly from the wine, but I knew, as a mortal, my head would have been absolutely pounding.

I shuffled toward the bathroom but paused in the hallway. I hadn’t realized it last night, but there were only two doors off this hallway: one was the bedroom I was occupying, and the other was the bathroom. There were no other rooms in this house…

So, where exactly did Drayce plan to sleep when he got back if I stayed?

Gods, it hit me like a boulder. I ran back into the bedroom and opened the drawers to find male clothing. This was Drayce’s room.

When I asked him where he wanted me to stay, he’d said, “Here. With me.”

He’d meant literally sharing a room, a bed with him?!

Oh, he was getting an earful when he got back. He’d lost his damn mind. No way.

Absolutely not, right? I’d have to ponder that later. I couldn’t be late for training. Maybe my time with Garrick would make me strong enough to kick Drayce’s ass for this.

I dressed in a hurry to get to my workout. I was actually looking forward to training with Garrick today to blow off some steam. He was a hardass, but he wasn’t mean. Just a little…pushy.

“Morning, Garrick, sir!”

He looked stunned at the enthusiastic greeting then gave me a terse nod.

During our run, thoughts kept swirling about in my head—did I stay, or did I leave? My mother seemingly hadn’t had a choice, but I did. I’d be damned if having a choice was ever taken from me again.

Did I stay and fight, taking the same path my mother took that led to her death? Remain in a community that despised and feared me? Endanger them with my shadow explosions that I couldn’t control?

Or did I leave to fend for myself once I had the fail-safe magic-blocking ring? Figure out my own way into Ashthorn and prevent any…casualties here. I didn’t plan on surviving aftermymission was complete. Maybe it would be easier not to tie myself here.

I still wasn’t sure, but whether I stayed or left, I knew I needed to get stronger, so on I ran.

And on I trained for the next four days—my body, my mind, and my fire magic. I worked as hard as I could every day in my workouts with Garrick and in my combat magic with Bramick by day, reading on and on through Sevrin’s books by evening and night.