Page 47 of Death of a Mortal

“Well, I heard talk of a…” Nella looked around dramatically. She was good. “A rebellion. Against our king.”

She paused, and we both looked at the ladies, holding our breath.

They looked at each other before leaning closer to us, tightening our circle.

“Oh yes,” Moe said quietly.

Nella and I feigned shock. My pulse quickened.

“It was said the king could be found pacing the upper east wing some nights, muttering to himself about it. Called them rebel scum and mortal filth. But that’s old news. Nobody’s seen hide nor tail of the rebels since he beheaded their leader in Dolvenar Square some years ago, after a failed storm of the castle. Left their head on a spike on the city wall for weeks afterward.”

This time, my shock was genuine.

The rebellion was real. It wasn’t just a rumor. They existed.

But the rebel leader had been killed? My mind was reeling. If nobody had heard anything of them since, was there even a chance my mom was still with them? Had they disbanded orgone underground? There were so many questions and fears chasing each other around my mind that I barely heard Ott speak.

“But I wouldn’t go talking about that around the castle. It still gets the king’s knickers in a twist. It’s good you came to us!”

They put their heads together and started discussing some fae lord as they walked away, clearly bored with our outdated gossip.

Nella caught my eye, but I just shook my head. Could my mom have been part of the castle storm? That could explain why she had been here in Dolvenar, but did she make it back to Elyndor, where the rebel movement was supposed to be based? The banshee had said the capital was where I could find her, though. All these thoughts made my stomach uneasy. Something wasn’t adding up unless…

“Hey, Moe, do you know if the king kept any of the rebels prisoner from storming the castle?”

Her eyes went wide from back at her station as she shushed me. “Quiet down about that, I told you!” She glanced around nervously. “Yes, the rumor was, he kept some in the castle dungeons.” She shook her head at me, baffled that I would shout such a thing.

My stomach sank to the floor. I couldn’t think of any other reason my mother would be in Dolvenar instead of with the potential remaining rebels in Elyndor. And it would explain why she never came home to me. The thought made me nauseous, but it made perfect sense. At least to my desperate mind, it did.

She was possibly a prisoner here… And had been for years.

I hated it, but it was the best lead we had.

I needed to find the dungeons.

* * *

The more Ithought about it, the more I felt like I was right. It was the only thing that made sense with all the pieces, even if it was heartbreaking to imagine.

And maybe it was because we shared this strange mental connection and he could sense my resolve, but Noxie agreed too.

Or at least supported the theory.

Nella wasn’t so sure, but I was at least sure it was worth exploring. It was all I could think about day and night.

Day and night, until a very handsome, blue-eyed distraction appeared at the lunch table three days after Ott and Moe’s reveal. The reveal had been unbeknownst to them, of course.

“Hello, Nella, you’re looking radiant today. Positively glowing.” Varyn smiled at her and inclined his head.

He was really laying it on thick.

Nella promptly stood up from the table and curtsied. I remained seated and did nothing.

“Naci.” He inclined his head to me next, and I felt the blush creeping up my cheeks. “Would you care to join me this evening for dinner in the rose garden?”

Dinner? With the prince?

“Why?” I blurted out before I could think twice.