Page 33 of Death of a Mortal

Gods, registering mortals… More like keeping tabs. I didn’t like the sound of it, but judging by the chorus of cheers, fae surrounded us, and they were all for it. It made my stomach twist, and I felt like a noose was tightening around my neck.

I worried that coming here had been a mistake. Maybe we should have listened to the kind stranger in Greymore. There seemed to be a lot more fae here than anywhere else I’d been. It was too late now, but I feared how we would blend in with mortals—at least until I had the chance to observe. I needed a high and hidden vantage point to figure this out.

I wouldn’t panic, I would strategize.

“Now. Drop and roll out to your right while everyone in the square is distracted. Head down the alley. I’ll direct you from there.”

“Drop, Nella, and follow me.” As soon as I let go, she followed suit, both of us landing on our backs. My stiff fingers could barely move—I wasn’t sure if they were shaking from nerves or the exhausting effort of holding me up for so long.

We rolled over and crawled on our bellies until we were clear of the carriage, facing a thankfully empty alley.

“Hoods up. Move quickly, but don’t run. Duck behind the stacked wooden crates on the left,”Noxie said.

We stood and I pulled my hood up, then Nella’s, and we headed the way Noxie had indicated. When we made it behind the stack of crates, the end of the empty alleyway at our backs, I felt hidden enough to release the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding.

We made it. Undetected and alive.

Now came the impossible part—surviving Dolvenar.

Chapter 10

Chains we Choose

“So, what’s thenext move?” Noxie asked.

“We try to find my mom,” I said aloud for both Noxie and Nella to hear.

Nella just eyed the crow.

“He helped me save your life after the poison flower, Nella. He’s helped us more than once, and we wouldn’t have gotten this far without him. You could give him a chance, ya know.”

She huffed out a long breath but agreed.

“Great, now that we’re all best friends, what should I listen for around the city?”asked Noxie.

“Listen for anything about the rebels, anything about gathering forces opposing the king, and for my mom’s name…Keryth. Keryth Liora.”I hadn’t said her name in so long. It felt like a stranger’s on my tongue, and that made my heart ache. But not for much longer. We would find her. I would get answers.

“Keryth, rebels, opposition, got it. You guys stay here, and I’ll come back with anything I find out.”Then he was off.

“Stay hidden here, Nella. I’m going to see what I can see fromthe rooftop.” There was a ladder on the other side of the narrow alley. “Do not move,” I told her.

“I want to come with you! I want to see more of the capital than just the walls and people’s feet.”

“Please just stay here. I’ll be quick.”

I ran to the ladder and climbed as fast as I could, feeling exposed, my already-sore forearms burning with the effort. My eyes drew level with the roof, and I looked around—empty save for more wooden crates, some garbage, and a door leading downstairs inside.

My feet hit the roof, and I ducked down to inch to the edge on the other side. The alleyway must have been at the back of this building. The front side was along the busy street we rode in on, underneath the carriage.

My first proper look at the city—it stole my breath.

Straight ahead was another parallel row of similar buildings to the one I was crouching on—two stories with large window fronts full of even more stuff than those in Greymore. To my left, one building had tables and chairs out front for dining. Further down was a tavern, not unlike The Flayed Pig back in Briarstead, except this one looked cleaner and bigger. To my right was a bookshop, then a shop with paintings on display, and an artist sitting in the window, painting what looked to be a sunset from this distance. With only one eye, it was hard to be sure.

Below me, stands were overflowing with the most beautiful, aromatic flowers I’d ever seen or smelled. I must have been on the roof of a flower shop.

Beyond the rooftops in front of me, the towering Ashthorn Castle stood imposing and threatening. Ashenholt’s stronghold. Its gray spires rose high into the sky, surrounded by stone walls similar to those surrounding the city. These walls seemed more defensive, stretching higher than the nearby buildings. Round turrets jutted up all over, with open balconies, windows taller than even the building I stood upon, and gleaming pointed rooftops. Some of the tallest towers had glass roofs, allowing the open sky to be seen by thosewho stood below. Others were made of gold, reflecting the afternoon sun and sending golden beams in all directions. The main castle was almost the size of all Briarstead. I’d never seen anything so massive. It had a cruel, surgical beauty and gave me chills.

The people on the street below drew my attention away from the castle. I assumed everyone out and about must be fae, or mortals serving the fae. Most had pointed ears, visible even from up here. Some were gargantuan, and some had hair of unusual colors, but most didn’t look all that different from mortals. Other than the ears. And they all seemed to be muscular and fit.