Free Broken Enchantment (Unbreakable Force Book 3) by Kara Jaynes

to make this work, Grace, I swear it.” Bran looked up at her anxiously.
    Grace had managed to keep her face expressionless, but it crumpled now, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I don’t know if I want it to work now. Goodbye, Bran.”
    “Grace.” Bran’s heart thudded painfully in his chest. “Please! It wasn’t me. I would never hurt you.” His plea fell on deaf ears. Grace urged her mare to a trot down the hill to greet the men who came out of the city. Some stopped when they reached her, some continued toward the nomads.
    “Time to go,” Donell said, still clutching his wound. He was still glaring at Aaric. “You going to join them, Oppressor?” He jerked his head toward the city.
    Aaric looked at the red haired youth coolly. “I’m a nomad, now.”
    Donell grunted sourly and turned his steed toward the woods. He and the rest of the nomads rode off.
    Aaric took Star by the reins and led him over to Bran, who was still staring after Grace. She was being led through the gates. The men were much closer, one lifted up a weapon.
    “He has a gun.” Aaric’s voice was urgent. “We have to go—now.”
    With a growl, Bran mounted Star and rode toward the woods.

23
Adaryn
     
    I opened my eyes to find myself in my father’s tent. The familiar smell of furs and canvas made me smile. I’d missed it. I started to snuggle more deeply in my blankets, feeling tired.
    Aaric.
    Heart thudding, I sat bolt upright as memories crashed in. Was he all right? Was he dead? I needed to know.
    I started to stand and saw my father was seated near the tent flap, watching me. “Aaric,” I said. “Is he all right?”
    “Sit down, Adaryn,” my father said soothingly. “The Oppressor—” he paused, grimacing, “—Aaric is fine.”
    “But Oisin!” I protested. “Oisin was going to kill him.”
    “Oisin is dead.”
    I stared, incredulous, at my father sitting cross-legged, calm as a summer breeze. “Dead?” I couldn’t keep the shock out of my voice. “How? Who killed him?” I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean when you say ‘Aaric is fine’?”
    Father laughed. It felt good to hear. Ever since my mother died, he laughed at precious little. “He’s alive and well. Oisin was killed by his son’s hand, and Bran is the new clan leader.”
    “Bran killed his—?” I couldn’t finish my sentence. Bran had been a devoted son, and fiercely loyal to the clan. I couldn’t fathom it.
    My father’s face hardened, his blue eyes flashing. “If he hadn’t, I certainly would have. He would have killed you and Aaric.” The anger faded from Father’s face as he rubbed his chin, thinking. “I don’t believe he did it on purpose, but I’m not sure how he was going to rescue that woman otherwise. The clan isn’t really sure what to think. Defeating the chief in combat makes Bran the new clan leader, yet he’s the first to kill another nomad over an Oppressor, even if it was an accident.”
    “Where’s Aaric?” The rest could wait.
    “He’s here, in the camp. He and Bran are trying to come up with a plan to help free our enslaved people without starting a flat-out war.”
    “We’re already at war,” I mumbled, but my father went on as if he hadn’t heard me.
    “You know, that Aaric really is something. He truly cares for you, and from what Bran said, he assisted in saving the female Oppressor’s life. Donell is none too happy about it,” Father grinned ruefully, “but then, he should have known better than to try and kill a woman. Oisin should have known better too.”
    Talk ceased when the sound of footsteps approached and the tent flap pushed back, Aaric sticking his head through. “May I come in?”
    “Of course.” I smiled at him, feeling the familiar flutter of my heart at the sight of his disheveled sandy brown hair and large gray eyes.
    My father smiled—it looked a little forced, but it was an improvement—and left the two of us alone.
    “Grace wasn’t killed?” I asked.
    “No.”