Page 56 of Death of a Mortal

It was comforting that he also believed she was alive and here.

It was bitter, too, though. Because if this were true, every day I spent in Ashthorn Castle was another day my mom was held prisoner in the dungeon.

I needed to get moving on my plan.

“Any news in Dolvenar? About the rebellion…something?” I asked.

I knew better by now than to expect much from Noxie’s recon in the capital.

“Nothing much, just unfortunate stories of some mortals on a ship from Greymore.”

My heart dropped. The mortals we’d overheard in the barn were from Greymore and were boarding a ship hoping to reach Caelithar. Was it them Noxie had heard about? Had it been a trap just to lure mortals and kill them, as the man had guessed?

“What happened to them?”I asked, sure I didn’t actually want to know the answer.

“From what I heard, they were stowaways on a ship that was raided by the Royal Navy. Killed on sight.”

Gods…killed on sight just for trying to find a way to a better life than Ashenholt could offer. The mortals had said they were sneaking onto a friend’s ship. This had to be them—Baritone and Squirrely.

I said a silent prayer that they were with their friend Marv, at least in the Vale.

“Sorry, kid.”

I didn’t have words to respond to Noxie.

* * *

Nella returned withme from dinner after having spent her whole day in the kitchen.

“So? Tell me all about your day with your little boyfriend.”

I laid down on her bed beside her, the way we used to growing up when we shared a bed.

She smiled. “He has a name, Naci. It’s Halden. And he’s really sweet.” Her cheeks reddened.

This was Nella’s first boyfriend. I couldn’t bring myself to tease her at all; this was a big life moment for her, and I was so happy.

Halden. I guessed I was going to have to like the tall and lanky, lousy cook that my sister thought the world of. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t give him a hard time. I was her sister after all.

“Okay, Halden. So, tell me about him. Why do you like him?”

“Well, he’s fifteen like me. He puts chocolate chips shaped like a heart into my breakfast oatmeal every morning. And he slips me little notes most mealtimes.”

She leaned over to the small table beside her bed and opened the drawer, revealing at least a dozen folded-up pieces of parchment.

I had to hand it to Halden. He was making a good first impression. “And what do all these notes say?”

The color in her face deepened to the precise shade of an overripe tomato.

“Um, just that he thinks I’m pretty, mostly. And that he wants to kiss me, but he’s scared you’ll…chop his balls off.” She sounded so sheepish. It was adorable.

I laughed and bumped her shoulder with mine. “I promise not to chop his balls off if he promises not to hurt you. If he does, he’ll lose more than just the balls. I mean it. One single tear you cry over him, and he’s a goner.”

She finally laughed too. “You’re crazy. But I’ll make sure and tell him.”

She thought I was joking, but I really wasn’t. As long as she was happy, so was I.

I gave her one last smile before getting into my bed beside hers to find a note of my own just barely poking out from under my pillow.