Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

A fter a few hours of fitful sleep, Terena finally gave up. She dressed and went downstairs to find something to eat. Spotting Rydon sitting at their usual back table, Terena smothered a smile. He took one look at her and kicked out the chair opposite.

After the sleepy innkeeper brought her a plate of stale bread and butter, Terena stared across at Rydon.

“Does Gabriol know? About you being a Eudaemon?”

“Aye,” he said with a sigh. “He was there when it happened.”

Curiosity made her halt her hand midway to her mouth. “Will you tell me?”

Rydon glanced over her shoulder and shrugged. “Someday. Not here.”

Terena nodded and took a bite of the bread. “Did you tell them about last night?”

Rydon nodded. “Hard not to when I had blood on my clothes. Your brother took it as well as you’d expect.”

Terena twisted her lips.

“Have you told your sister yet?”

Terena turned her head to look over the empty room, then turned back to Rydon with a shake of her head. “She was asleep already. And I didn’t want to wake her yet to tell her.”

“Are you worried?”

“No,” Terena said hesitantly. “Maybe.”

“She needs to know,” Rydon chided.

They sat in silence for a long time before Terena pushed her chair back and rose.

“I’ll go talk to her. Hopefully she’s awake.”

Climbing the stairs, Terena flexed her hands, her steps slow as she breathed in and out slowly. The room was awash in greys from the light filtering in through the curtain behind Sonah’s bed. Terena closed the door softly behind her and made her way to Sonah’s bed.

When she sat, Sonah stirred, mumbling sleepily. Terena smiled and put a hand on the girl’s hair.

“Sonah?”

Sonah remained still. Terena bent close and whispered her name again.

She stirred and Terena sat back, waiting.

When the girl’s eyes fluttered open, she smiled.

“I’m sorry to wake you, but I need to speak with you.”

Sonah’s brow furrowed, then she shifted up onto her elbow. She rubbed at her eye. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing, everything’s fine,” Terena whispered. “But I need to tell you something before we meet up with the others.”

Sonah regarded her for several seconds, then sat up. “All right.”

Now that she was about to tell her, Terena’s heart raced. She cleared her throat. “When I went to the oracle, she told me something else I… I wanted to talk to you about.”

Sonah stared back at her, waiting.

“She told me… she told me you are my sister.”

Sonah continued to stare at her, and Terena worried she hadn’t understood. She opened her mouth to try again when the girl moved back against the headboard, her face screwed up.

“What?”

Terena’s mouth seemed stuffed with cotton. She licked her lips. “ The oracle told me I travel with my sister. That you are my sister, Sonah.”

Sonah’s face paled, then reddened, and her mouth opened and closed. Dread washed over Terena, squeezing the breath from her lungs, and she inhaled sharply. Sonah’s eyes misted and Terena looked away.

The girl covered her face with her hands.

“Sonah, I’m sorry,” Terena said, placing her hand awkwardly on her forearm. “I wanted to tell you so many times. But?—”

Sonah’s shoulders shook as she sobbed.

Terena’s heart broke. Her eyes stung and she went to rise, intent on giving Sonah some space when the girl launched herself at Terena, throwing her arms around her. Terena froze, then hugged her back fiercely. She buried her face in Sonah’s hair, taking a shuddering breath as she willed herself not to cry. They sat like that, wrapped in each other, and Terena had a strange feeling of homecoming. She tightened her arms and Sonah did the same as her sobs quieted.

“I knew it,” Sonah whispered. “I knew it.”

Terena sniffed, letting the tears fall.

Sonah pulled back and looked at Terena with her beautiful, mismatched eyes. “I knew it. I don’t know how, but I always… there’s something… I always felt different around you. I always wanted to be near you and I thought it was because, well, look at you! You’re amazing. Of course I’d be drawn to you, right?”

Terena laughed and Sonah’s face blurred as fresh tears gathered. “I feel the same about you. And I’m glad you are with me now, and you are never getting rid of me.”

Sonah giggled and hugged her again.

Then she pulled back with a frown. “Wait. Does that mean Croak is my brother now?”

“Whether you like it or not,” Terena said with a wink.

“Does he know?”

“Aye,” Terena said, smoothing back Sonah’s hair. “I told him.”

“So,” Sonah swallowed, “he’s all right with it?”

Terena furrowed her brows. “Of course. You hadn’t noticed? ”

Sonah’s smile was radiant. “He’s been different, aye. But I thought he had finally warmed to me.”

“I know he has,” Terena said as she rose. “There’s more to tell you, but I’ll wait until you’re dressed. We’ll go downstairs and have breakfast. All of us. We need to figure out how to get an audience with the king.”

Sonah nodded and flashed her a smile. She jumped from the bed and grabbed her leggings from the end of the bed. Hopping to slide the pants over her butt, Sonah looked up at Terena with a frown.

“I wonder why we were separated,” she said.

Terena paced the room as she waited for Sonah to dress. “Another thing we can ask them when we get north.”

Sonah nodded. She sat on the bed to put on her boots, lacing the first one quickly. Then she flicked a glance at Terena. “Will we leave once we have what you need from the king?”

“Aye,” Terena said with an exhale.

“Does Rydon and Gabriol know about me? About us?”

“Rydon does. When we were attacked last?—”

“Attacked!”

Terena cringed. She held up her hands when Sonah bolted to her feet. “We’re fine! He’s fine. But afterwards I had to tell him about you because of what the woman who attacked us said.”

“What’d she say?”

“Never mind that,” Terena snapped, then smiled to take the edge off her words. She wouldn’t tell Sonah the woman had laid a trap for her that Terena had stepped into instead.

Sonah studied her for a moment more, then bent to finish lacing up her boot. She grabbed her leather corset and put it on over her tunic.

“Ready,” she announced with her arms held out.

Terena cocked her head and strode for the door.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Terena turned and stopped abruptly, her hand flying back to grab hold of Sonah’s wrist.

Standing in the main room of the inn, Daris Antonius turned toward her, his hand on the hilt of his sword .

Behind him, four Liodari stood in front of Rydon, Gabriol, and Croak.

“What is this?” Terena asked in an icy voice.

“Lady Luca,” Daris Antonius rasped. “The king would like a word with you.”

“What about?” Terena asked. Her heart thudded against her ribs. Stepping closer, she flicked her eyes to her brother. His eyes darted between the Liodari in front of him and Terena. She saw the way his hands trembled as he held them up, but his face didn’t betray him. Rydon’s face was red, and she knew from the way his chest rose and fell heavily he was a second away from engaging the soldiers.

Terena caught his eye and shook her head slightly. He pursed his lips but relaxed his stance. Gabriol edged closer to Croak.

“The king has… heard of your arrival in Sparta and sent me to bring you to him.” The commander’s face was impassive. Terena saw by the slight tightening of his mouth something was off.

She stared at him a long moment. He seemed stiff, uncomfortable. Good, she thought. She would not make this easy for him.

“How’d you find me?”

Daris parted his lips. A few seconds passed before he said, “This is my city, lady.”

Terena and Rydon shared a glance before she turned back to the commander. True, she needed to see the king anyway, and this was much better than wasting time trying to figure out a way to gain an audience. But she didn’t like the fact he’d been aware of where they’d been staying.

Nevertheless, she intended to make good use of this opportunity.

“Very well,” she said, feigning nonchalance. “I’m at your service.”

Daris Antonius didn’t move, and as the seconds ticked by, Terena became uneasy. He dropped his gaze to the floor, then looked back at her again.

“The young lady, too. ”

Rydon and Gabriol moved then as Croak protested loudly. The Liodari stopped them with swords up. Terena’s pulse ratcheted up and her grip on Sonah’s wrist tightened.

“Why?”

The commander pursed his lips, his face dark. “I do not question His Majesty,” he bit out, his eyes boring into hers. “I’m commanded to bring you both to the castle. Please. Do so peaceably.”

Heat suffused Terena’s neck, rising to her face. “Or?”

A quick flash of exasperation crossed his face before his indifferent mask fell back into place. “There is no ‘or’.”

“If it’s all the same to you,” she said, her voice low, “I’d rather not endanger my friends, so I’ll come at your king’s command. But I’ll come alone.”

“Your friends are only in danger if you refuse to let us take you both,” he said, before looking over his shoulder at Rydon. “Or if they do something foolish.”

Terena heard the frustration in his voice before he pulled up to his full height.

He stepped closer, looking down his nose at her. “This is not a request.”

A few tense moments passed as she stared back at the commander. How blinded she’d been by this man’s face to see the brutality beyond. She’d forgotten he was a famous warrior for a reason.

Terena fumed for a moment longer before giving him a malicious smirk. “Well. Since you asked so nicely.”

She turned her gaze to Rydon and Gabriol. “You and Croak stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can and then we’ll leave the city. The sooner the better.” This last she directed at Daris Antonius, putting as much loathing in her expression as possible, so he had no doubt she wanted nothing more to do with him.

Damn those moments of weakness when she had allowed herself to be flattered and excited by the idea a man like him might be attracted to her.

Idiot. Serves you right.

The commander thinned his lips and looked over his shoulder, giving a quick nod to his men. The others waited until Terena had turned, still holding on to Sonah.

When they reached the door to the inn, another Liodari opened it, an apologetic look on his face.

Terena started, realizing it was the man she’d fought in the pit. Jason.

He looked away, his head ducked as he held the door open for her and Sonah.