Broken Enchantment (Unbreakable Force Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

triumphant roar rose to greet him as he rode past the shattered gates and into the city. The people poured through the gates and onto the castle grounds. Bran slid from his horse, almost falling to the ground when hands from the mob reached out to steady him. He blinked blearily and found himself looking at Sirius and Luna.
    “Good work, rover,” Sirius laughed. “I didn’t know you had such power in you.” He surveyed the destroyed gates with immense satisfaction. “Now to defeat the king!”
    Sirius disappeared into the surging crowd. Bran made as if to follow him, but Luna grabbed him by the sleeve, tugging him back. “You need sleep, young man,” she insisted. “You look dead on your feet.”
    “I can’t,” he protested. “I need to find Grace.” He stopped short, scrubbing a hand through his hair. Had he just called Adaryn Grace?
    Luna clucked her tongue with irritation, muttering something about men and their stubbornness, and pressed a bottle of something into Bran’s hand.
    “What is it?” Bran asked, eyeing it warily.
    “An elixir I made. It will restore your energy.”
    Bran pulled out the stopper and drank. She was right. For a wonder, Bran’s exhaustion melted away, and a feeling of vigor replaced it.
    “Thank you.” He pushed the empty bottle back to Luna and turned to the castle, grunting with irritation. Adaryn. He needed to find Adaryn. Grace was a beauty and had a fine wit, but . . . “Nonsense,” he snorted. “Not a chance.”

10
Aaric
     
    P ushing himself up to his hands and knees, Aaric shook his head groggily. He blinked, his vision coming into focus. Where was he?
    Adaryn cried out in terror and Aaric’s head snapped up in alarm. Matias was towering over her, a conjured blade in his hand. Adaryn struggled against the glowing bonds that held her, but it did no good.
    Aaric’s face contorted in a snarl, and he started to stand when he felt a grip on his shirt hem.
    “Here.” Miss Grace was on the floor, lying on her side, a bruise swelling on the side of her face, but her eyes were bright as she shoved the black parasol in his hand. “It’s a sword too, you know,” she whispered. “Don’t let him hurt her.”
    Aaric frowned, taking the parasol. With a small tug, the handle came off from the rest of it, exposing a long, thin blade.
    “Go,” Miss Grace whispered urgently. Aaric stood and quietly walked toward Matias. The king lifted his sword, and Aaric rushed at him, desperate to stop any harm from befalling Adaryn.
    Adaryn’s eyes met his, widening in surprise. It proved to be what saved Matias, who whirled around to face whatever his captor saw.
    Aaric swept the blade horizontally, going for Matias’ throat. The king recoiled, but not before Aaric’s sword cut through the thin, silver chain that encircled the king’s neck. A shard of glittering blue flew through the air, bouncing off the tile floor.
    Matias snarled and lunged in the direction of the shard, but was forced to turn and parry Aaric’s onslaught. The bonds melted from Adaryn’s body.
    Aaric jabbed, swiped, and blocked, moving quickly, as he tried to remember everything Bran had taught him. Matias’ expression was one of concentration as he defended himself, sweat beading on his forehead.
    “You fight like a magic user,” he said to Aaric. The king’s tone was almost conversational, but there was a tightness around his eyes that said he wouldn’t hesitate to kill the first moment he got. “Strange. Most people hate my kind, do they not?”
    Adaryn summoned a pale blue staff, and together she and Aaric fought Matias into a corner. Peculiar, Aaric thought, as he defended himself from a few of Matias’ strikes. Something had changed about the king. He was still using magic, that much was apparent by the weapon he wielded, but he was no longer using his magic to throw people about like he had previously. Why was that?
    He thought of the blue shard that had fallen, and his eyes widened with