Chapter 43

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

T erena cringed and put a hand to her nose at the stink in the room she shared with Sonah, grateful she wouldn’t be there long. She was only there to change her shirt, wash quickly, and brush her hair. Sonah had still been asleep when Terena had left the room.

When they were readying their horses to leave, Terena had glanced over at Sonah. She was about to mount when she turned again, truly looking at the girl this time. Her face was pale, drawn.

She looked ill.

Terena had gone over, a hand on Sonah’s shoulder. “Are you all right? You look sick.”

Sonah had shaken her head and mumbled she’d been out too late and the drink had not sat well with her. Croak had caught the tail end of that comment and punched her in the shoulder, telling her she shouldn’t hang with the big boys if she couldn’t handle her drink.

Sonah heaved on his boots.

While the others laughed, Terena had shoved her brother away, cursing as he lamented the state of his boots. Terena had helped Sonah clean up, then asked Gabriol to help her get Sonah up in her saddle. The girl looked on the verge of tears and Terena felt for her .

They rode all day, Terena falling behind to stay near Sonah. The girl no longer seemed ill, but despondent. Terena grew more and more worried as the day wore on.

When the sun set, Daris called out to stop for the night. Terena silently thanked him.

While the others took care of the horses and setting up camp, Terena took Sonah off toward a small stream nearby, hoping some cool water on her face might help settle her.

Sonah crouched pathetically near the edge of the water while Terena tore a strip off the bottom of her shirt and soaked it in the water. She brought it to Sonah’s head.

“A few weeks more and we’ll be in the north,” Terena said softly. “I know it’s been rough, but you’re doing so well. Next time, maybe don’t drink as much. Those men are much bigger than you and can drink a lot more?—”

Sonah started crying. Terena felt awful, thinking she was the cause because of what’d she said.

She tried to apologize, stroking Sonah’s blonde hair. “I’m sorry, Sonah, I know you’re?—”

“I have to tell you something,” Sonah said softly. Terena narrowed her eyes, uncertain.

“What was that, love?”

Sonah swallowed and raised tearful eyes at her, the soft brown and green of her eyes turning a beautiful smoky quartz through her tears. “I have to tell you something.”

“All right,” Terena said, a reassuring smile on her face as she stroked Sonah’s hair again. “I’m here. What do you need to tell me?”

Sonah reached out and gripped Terena’s wrists. The wet cloth fell on the ground between them. She opened her mouth, then quickly closed it on a whimper. She shut her eyes tight. When she opened them back up again, Terena braced at the look on the girl’s face.

“I got sick in our room last night,” Sonah began, swallowing before she could continue. “So I went downstairs to find something to clean it up. I heard the Liodari come in. I heard them talking. ”

Something oily slid under Terena’s skin. She fought hard to keep her smile in place. “What did they say?”

Sonah’s face crumpled. Then she seemed to steel herself. She wiped at her face and exhaled. “I heard Fane say something. He said… he said something about…”

Sonah paused. Terena sensed the air shift and snapped at Sonah, “What did he say?”

The girl winced. “He said Daris killed the prince,” she whispered, her voice so low, Terena had to lean in to hear the words.

Even then, she wasn’t sure she’d heard her. She couldn’t have heard.

“What did you say?”

Again, Sonah lifted a hand to wipe at her face. “Daris killed the prince.”

Blood thundered in Terena’s ears. She was chilled to the bone, as if she’d fallen into the stream at their side.

“What prince?”

Sonah looked at Terena sadly. “ Your prince.”

Terena had a sense everything happening right then was a dream.

A nightmare.

Not one of her visions, but a nightmare, the likes of which had tortured her for months after Lerek’s death.

Now, she was living one.

She stood slowly. Sonah scrambled to her feet, reaching out to clutch Terena’s icy hands in her own. “I was drunk,” she said desperately. “I probably misheard what they were saying. And then they switched to Greek and I for sure don’t know what else they said.”

Terena pulled her hands away from Sonah and took a couple steps backward. Her feet were heavy and she trembled.

“I’m wrong,” Sonah was saying, her voice rising as Terena continued to back away. “I’m sure I am. I was so drunk and sick and I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to say anything! I don’t know what I’m saying!”

Terena turned and ran.

Daris was laughing with his friends, enjoying the fire and the company, his heart full and realized he was truly content. He looked up, and spied Terena coming toward them. His smile grew.

Terena.

She was the reason for this contentment. This fullness in his heart. He knew it now, looking at her as she neared.

He loved her. Was in love with her.

Had loved her long before he’d realized it. Had loved her since that night seven years ago when she’d crept into his mind, his dream, and ruined him for anyone else.

Daris rose, his lips widening as he made to greet her, but stopped when he saw Sonah running behind her, crying, screaming at Terena to stop. Croak and Rydon ran after Sonah. Gabriol went to Terena, but she pushed him away, her eyes on Daris. She unsheathed one of her short swords, pointing it at him.

His smile faltered when he saw the rage and panic on her face.

What is going on?

Terena turned the sword a bit, stiffening her arm.

“What—”

“Did you kill him?”

He stilled. “What? Who?”

“Who?” Terena’s voice was shrill. “Lerek!”

The blood rushed down his body, his hands slowly rising in front of him. Around him, his men went silent, tense. Out of his peripheral, he saw Jason rise slowly.

Daris swore the air had paused.

“Ren—”

“You didn’t, did you?” she whispered, her voice cracking as she swallowed a sob.

His heart shattered.

“Listen—”

“Gods,” she hissed, the sword beginning to shake. She wiped at the tears falling with her free hand .

He didn’t know what to say.

How to make it better.

He dropped his head. He couldn’t look at her beautiful eyes, couldn’t face her pain.

Coward.

“Did you kill Lerek?”

Daris’s head shot up at the hard edge in her voice. His heart squeezed at the sight of that flat, icy stare, as if she had gone far away.

He took a step toward her. Her hand stiffened.

Her face…

“I can explain,” he answered softly.

Her face crumpled and she almost fell. Then she lunged forward so fast he knew if he hadn’t been wary of her, she would have struck him in the gut.

At the last moment, Daris dodged and grabbed her arm as she thrust at him, twisting her arm to disarm her. Terena twisted as well, sweeping a leg out and catching him behind his ankle and he let go as he fell. His men jumped back, weapons at the ready, watching in disbelief as Daris and Terena squared off.

Daris sprang up, crouched in a fighting stance as he watched her. His balance was still off. Sounds erupted all around, the rest of their party moving closer but on clearly opposite sides.

“Daris! What the fuck are you doing?” Croak roared behind Terena, his arms stretched out toward both of them, his face ashen.

Terena snatched the other short sword from its sheath at her hip and sprang at him again, her face a mask of pain and pure rage, lips pressed tight as she swung one sword a split second before she lashed out with the other at his left side. He moved right and under her left arm and paced backwards as he braced for another assault. She snarled, stepping forward, first right then left, moving so fast with the Twins he barely had time to move.

Behind her, Sonah screamed nonsensically at them, her face streaked with tears as Gabriol struggled to hold her while she writhed against him. Michael tossed his sword to Daris, and he caught it by reflex, twirling the sword once, deflecting another blow from Terena .

“Jason, make them stop! Please!” Sonah begged, screaming at Jason as he stood behind Daris, sword drawn. He made a move to go to her but Rydon stepped in front of her.

“Don’t you dare move, Liodari!” Rydon roared at Jason, his gaze whipping over to him before going back to the fight between Terena and Daris.

“You said you’d never hurt me,” Terena hissed at Daris, swinging first her left sword then the right at him. He parried, his face tight. “You said you’d rather die than hurt me,” she continued, her voice pure venom, eyes wild with pain and rage. He deflected her next thrust.

“So die! Die like he did!” Terena raged, then spun, whipping out her left arm as she whirled, her right arm right behind it ready to open his stomach.

“What are you doing, Terena?” Daris roared as he fell back a few steps. “You can’t kill me. You know this!”

“A girl can dream,” she snarled with another nasty swipe at his chest.

He jumped back, panting. “Please listen!” he yelled, blocking another blow. “We need to talk, Terena!” Another thrust, low on his right side he blocked with some difficulty. “But I need you to stop! Will you please stop!”

She was a whirlwind, ducking, thrusting, snarling and cutting with the Twins. He parried—barely—meeting blow after blow as she dropped to a knee and spun, her hand flung out as he met the flash of steel again.

Daris fell back step after step after step, blocking and parrying. He had to do something to get her to stop and listen.

He jumped back as she thrust forward again, her momentum causing her to slip. She dropped to her knee, hard—a rare mistake—her left sword loosed from her grip. Quick as an asp, she swiped her hand along the ground, tossing dirt in his eye.

He swore, blinded, blinking furiously. Tears streamed and blurred his vision but he saw Terena pounce, his eye clearing barely enough to show him where to block her renewed offensive. Cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. He was in trouble. One eye gone and the other almost useless now.

Around them, the others shouted at them, at each other, Sonah’s screams piercing as she yelled at Daris; she yelled at Jason and the others to do something.

He had to get through to Terena somehow. No matter what, he had to try to get a hold of her, pin her long enough to listen to him. He had no time to think as he tried to anticipate her movements, tried to disarm her without hurting her.

Terena whirled, a dancer caught up in a deadly song, her face a terrible beauty carved in stone; her left hand pulled back as the right hand slashed down at his thigh and he barely blocked it as she instantly swung the sword in her left hand. She stepped back, spinning as she bent over, her left leg fanning up and out so her foot struck him in the jaw. He stumbled to the side.

His men roared behind him, and he saw Terena’s friends surge forward, Rydon and Croak holding their swords.

Terena bounced forward but Daris swung down on her weapon until his sword had snared hers and pulled her in. They locked eyes, hers spitting fire.

“I love you,” he said through gritted teeth, their faces so close he could see the sweat above her lip. Could see her nostrils as they flared, her eyes widening at his words. “I fucking love you, Terena. Please stop and let me explain?—”

“I hate you,” she said softly, her voice breaking. He saw the devastation in her eyes and wanted to give up.

She may hate him just then, but she hadn’t used her powers on him. Neither had Sonah. That thought popped into his head as another quickly chased behind it.

Yet.

He had to hope she’d listen.

“Ren—”

He had barely said her name when she shoved at him and a second later something hot tore down his side. Terena stepped back as he fell to one knee, his hand going up to his side, blood seeping over his fingers. He looked at her in shock, saw the short sword in her right hand coated with his blood, and then looked back up at her. Her face was pale as she looked at him wide-eyed, her lips trembling as they moved wordlessly.

The silence was deafening. As if the world had slowed, he saw his men form a wall in front of him. Gabriol dropped his arms, releasing Sonah, who stood there in shock. Terena dropped her swords, her face crumpling as she sobbed.

She screamed, and it tore through his soul.

Rydon and Gabriol stepped forward, swords fanning out to protect Terena as she stumbled back.

Daris surged up, grabbing hold of Fane’s shoulder as he pulled past him, trying to get to Terena. His men held him back.

Terena continued crying gut-wrenching sobs as her knees buckled. Sonah snatched up Terena’s sword and pointed it at him and his men. She moved forward and threw her arm over Terena’s shoulder, pulling her back. Sonah’s scared face was pale and streaked with tears, still pointing that sword at them as she backed away. Terena all but collapsed in Sonah’s embrace, shaking as she sobbed.

Croak eased forward, casting wary glances at Daris and his men as he grabbed up Terena’s other short sword, then backed up slowly.

“Terena!” Daris called out, trying again to get her to listen to him, but it was no use.

Rydon jerked his sword at him in warning. Daris watched in despair as Sonah hauled Terena’s limp figure further away, two hunched forms disappearing behind the wall of their friends.

“I fucking knew it,” Croak muttered, his face tight with anger. “I knew you were bad for her.”

“Croak—”

“Shut the fuck up,” he whispered, and Daris swore he saw hurt in his eyes before he spat on the ground in front of him. “You never deserved her.”

Daris ordered his men to stand down as he watched Sonah drag off Terena, who looked completely broken, followed by Gabriol and Rydon. Croak stopped long enough to grab some food and supplies, stuffing them in a rucksack before he scrabbled after them.

Daris watched until they mounted their horses and rode off. The thundering of hooves faded long before he dropped his eyes from where they’d disappeared.