Chapter 32
RAVOS
“Commander.”
Daris looked up to see Aslan, one of the assassins Hermes liked to keep close to him, his dark face half hidden beneath the black mask covering the lower half of his face.
His dark brown eyes were barely visible beneath his thick black brows.
A large group of soldiers followed in his wake.
He wheeled his mount around until he walked his horse at Daris’s side.
“Scouts came back with word of the Heylisian army heading toward Colinas. And another report from the city, lord. Lady Luca is there with Captain Soros and they are outnumbered. Lord Hermes wants you to take a hundred men and ride out quickly to their aid, as our vanguard.”
Daris nodded and Aslan pulled away, galloping back to his place at Hermes’s side.
“It seems the emperor is also set on finding Terena,” Daris called out, a hard edge to his voice as he looked over his men. “We ride to defend her. Hermes and his men will follow, but we are the only thing stopping our friends from slaughter.”
Daris unsheathed his sword, stabbing it into the air as he cried out. “Honor in life! Glory in death!”
The others roared. Daris leaned over his stallion and took off.
LETHE MONASTERY, RAVOS
Croak stumbled out of bed, his head throbbing. The world swam as he held his arms out to steady himself. The pounding in his head was fucking unbearable.
“Croak!”
Sluggishly, Croak turned to the door, his lips drawn down. “Hello?”
The door banged. Croak groaned, the sound splitting his head open.
“Stop that,” he mumbled as he took a slow step toward the door. If he didn’t get there fast enough, he worried Orry might make that ungodsly racket again, and this time Croak wasn’t certain he’d hold in whatever was still left in his belly.
Unfortunately, Orry slammed his hand into the door three more times. By the time Croak reached it and pulled it open to glare at his friend, he’d soiled the front of his already filthy tunic.
“How the fuck are you still asleep?” Orry squeaked in an annoyingly high voice. Gods, could he not see the pain he was inflicting?
“Are not all sane people asleep at this hour?”
“No, Croak,” Orry snorted. “Everyone’s awake and about to sit for the noon meal. And guess what? Hermes has arrived.”
Croak’s heart skipped a beat and he swallowed against the bile rising in his throat. “What? Hermes? Here?”
“Aye, so get your ass ready, and—no, never mind that. You need a bath and a shave because you are disgusting. But best you make yourself as presentable as you can and try to stay out of Hermes’s line of… smell.”
Croak bared his teeth at Orry, who stepped back with a hand over his nose.
When Croak finally emerged, he was wearing a clean—well, cleaner—tunic and had done a poor but acceptable job of brushing his hair.
The shave would need to wait, but splashing cold water on his face had helped to revive him enough to finish his ablutions as quickly as possible.
Hermes was an asshole, but he was still a god.
Croak didn’t want to think what he’d do to him if Croak took much longer.
“Ah, if it isn’t the useless appendage Terena calls ‘brother’,” Hermes’s voice boomed when Croak arrived in the refectory.
The tables were set out in rows, with one of them moved to the front of the room facing out.
Hermes, of course, sat in the middle, surrounded by his sycophants, the bloodthirsty criminals all leering at Croak.
The chatter grated on his frayed nerves and the sudden outbursts of laughter made him wince.
“I would’ve arrived sooner but,” Croak shrugged. “I don’t give a fuck.”
The monks seated at the tables on either side of him gasped as Croak passed them on his way to Hermes’s table.
He spread his arms and shrugged at the god. Croak was paying for last night’s overindulgence, but he’d be damned if he’d let Hermes belittle him in front of everyone. The god could strike him dead, but Croak still had his pride.
Reaching the front of the room, Croak looked around for Sonah. As he searched, his eye landed on Melanos, whose face resembled dark clouds before a storm. Bethana sat next to him at the table to the left of the abbot.
Croak wondered why they weren’t seated with Hermes.
“Croak.”
Spinning around, Croak’s eyes widened, and he smiled at Sonah, who stopped at his side with a radiant smile.
“Isn’t it fantastic?” Sonah added breathlessly. “Hermes is going to Ravos and he wants us to join him. He’s taking me to Terena! I’m so excited, I cannot wait to see her!”
Croak arched an eyebrow as he took a seat beside Sonah. Across from him, Migela gave a shake of her head and scowled at him.
“How did you even know we were here?” Croak asked as he reached for the bread.
Hermes smiled at Croak as one does at a dumb child. “Not that I owe you an explanation, boy, but I’m feeling generous today.”
Croak snorted.
“I felt the presence of a god,” Hermes continued, ignoring Croak’s facial expressions as he looked over at Sonah. “Imagine my surprise when I found not one, but two gods.”
“Your powers never cease to amaze,” Croak mumbled, eyeing the serving dishes with barely concealed nausea.
“We leave within the hour.”
Croak turned to Sonah with a quizzical look. “I thought you said we had to stay here. To wait for Rydon, here.”
Sonah glanced at Hermes over Melanos’s shoulder. Leaning in to speak quietly to Croak, she said, “Aye, but do you not think this is better? Why should we separate yet again if he can take us to him and Terena?”
“The stranger said you should wait here for your eudaemon,” Melanos said, his low voice husky. Sonah dropped her gaze.
“Right. And don’t forget the reason Ren sent us here in the first place. To keep us safe. I’m certain she wouldn’t want you there,” Croak added before pinching his lips.
He recalled Sonah telling him of the strange man she’d met after she’d killed Duke Ovenno.
Once he’d gotten over the shock of that little detail, Croak had listened while she’d recounted her conversation with the man who’d known who she was and whom she’d killed.
And the warning he’d had for her about remaining at Lethe.
Leander chose that moment to loom over them. Croak glanced up and frowned. “What?”
Leander glared down at him. “You’re in my seat,” he growled.
Croak’s brows hit his hairline. He scoffed. Winking at Sonah, he slid down the bench, making room for Leander. Croak leaned back to speak around him. “Oh, I cannot wait to see Jason again.”
Sonah’s cheeks colored prettily as she dug into her food.
“If he’s going off to fight,” Melanos said when Leander had settled, “we should remain here, Sonah. There’s a reason you met that man that night. There’s a reason for his warning. The Fates must’ve sent him.”
Sonah grumbled something around a mouthful of food.
“You should all stay here,” Croak said. “I’ll take Orry and go with them. She’ll believe me over Hermes that you’re actually here. If he goes alone, Terena might go gallivanting off somewhere else.”
“Aye,” Melanos said with a nod. “That’s a better idea.”
“What’s a better idea?” Orry asked as he happily crunched on a carrot. “I couldn’t hear.”
“You and I are going into battle,” Croak said as he lifted a goblet to his lips. Taking a sip, he groaned and set the goblet down with a shudder.
“What?”
“It’s water,” he grumbled.
“Aye,” Sonah said. “You do not need any more ale.”
“Hey,” Orry said, rapping his knuckles on the table, catching everyone’s attention. “What were you saying?”
Croak sighed. “You and I are going with Hermes to Ravos.”
“What? Why?”
“So we can tell Ren Sonah’s here.”
“But Hermes will do that, I’m sure.”
“She won’t believe him.”
“What are we going to do there?” Orry whined. “You know I am of no use in a fight.”
“Don’t worry,” Croak said as he forked some eggs. “There won’t be any fighting.”
Melanos and Leander chuckled as Orry gaped at him.
“Are you insane? Why do you think he’s heading there?”
Croak looked from Melanos to Orry, nonplussed. “Uh, what part of ‘Terena’s there’ is confusing?”
Orry snorted. “The part where we are riding right into a battle between your sister and Heylisia!” Orry leaned closer and hissed, “Commander Antonius and his men are on their way to help but Terena is facing an army from Metilai! It sounds like they’ve set a trap for her!
You and I should stay away. Far away. Here, in fact. We should stay here.”
Croak looked from Orry to Melanos. He even looked at Leander, who arched an eyebrow at him as if Croak was about as smart as a newborn kitten.
“How do you know this? Where have I been? Have I been asleep longer than I realized?”
Melanos laughed. “Hermes arrived about an hour before you woke. He gave us a shortened account of what he and the others have been up to. The cleric speaks true. You’ll be riding into battle. As you said.”
“I was joking.”
“Joke or not,” Orry scoffed, “we should not be going anywhere near Ravos. What’s wrong with staying put?
Hermes is already upset I’m even here! He told Ren I was to stay in Olympia.
Besides, I have scrolls that need translating.
I promised to figure out the secret of the shroud.
Not to mention helping Ren find that amulet. ”
“She’s got Cassandra for that, you idiot,” Croak snapped. He put his hands to his head and groaned. Today was not the day to be hungover.
“Croak!”
At Hermes’s bellow, Croak winced, letting out a pained whine. He closed his eyes and lips, willing the nausea to settle.
“Aye, my Overlord?”
“We’re leaving.”
“You said an hour,” Croak whined.
“And you need to help the men prepare.”
For the love of all that’s… gods!
“Lord,” Croak said and swallowed. “Aye. Fine. But it’s only me and Orry coming with you.”
Croak kicked Orry under the table when his friend opened his mouth to protest.
Hermes came to stand behind Melanos. As if the god felt him, Melanos straightened in his seat, and, if possible, seemed to grow three feet taller.
“You do not wish to join us, God of Heroes?”
Croak felt Leander stiffen at his side. Melanos’s face turned dark and Bethana dropped her chin.
“What’s going on?”
Orry gasped, and when Croak looked over at him, his friend had his hand cupped over his mouth, his eyes wide like a child witnessing his first solstice parade.
“Of course,” Orry breathed, his gaze turning reverent as he stared at Melanos.
“I will stay here and ensure Sonah Yahn’s safety,” Melanos gritted out. His hand was clenched on the table and Bethana put her much smaller one over his white knuckles.
“Of course,” Hermes muttered. He bent closer as if to speak privately in the god’s ear, he instead added in a loud voice that carried through the room, “I remember how you fled the battle in Thuria. I wonder if you’ve told your nymph you’re the reason she was cursed. As punishment for your cowardice.”
Melanos shot up from the table, knocking over plates and spilling water as the monks scrambled to save what they could. Hermes jumped back with a laugh.
Croak watched the gods as they faced off, Melanos’s bulky form twice the size of Hermes. In a battle between the two, Croak would still bet on Hermes because the fucker fought dirty.
“Calm down,” Hermes said after one of the most tense moments of Croak’s young life. Hermes had the gall to clap Melanos on the shoulder before turning away. “I was only kidding.”
The look on Hermes’s face belied his words. Melanos fumed as he dropped his gaze to the floor. Croak wasn’t sure what to think about any of this shit. Clearly, there was more to Melanos than they knew.
And bad blood between him and Hermes.
“I wish Melanos and Bethana to remain behind with me,” Sonah said, quickly jumping to her feet. Croak was surprised at Leander’s hand coming out to rest on her forearm.
What the fuck was going on between these two? She hadn’t been gone long enough to form any real attachment to this man—and a Riverman, to boot!—so what the fuck was going on?
Croak reminded himself to have a conversation with her and Terena when they returned.
“You’re coming with us,” Hermes said.
Croak rose from his seat slowly, motioning to Orry to do the same. His friend stared at him a beat before he grudgingly rose as well.
“No, I am not,” Sonah said, steel edging her voice, “And you will inform my sister I am here and await her arrival.”
Croak froze. Holy fucks. He should’ve warned Sonah about Hermes. To be fair, he’d thought they’d have more time and honestly, that was clearly Terena’s domain. Because she’s a god.
Swinging his eyes to Hermes, Croak felt his heart wither at the cruel smile wreathing his face.
“Child,” Hermes started in a syrupy voice that fooled no one, “I did not ask.”
“Hermes,” Croak interjected as soon as Sonah opened her mouth again. “Let’s leave her here. She won’t be able to help; she doesn’t have powers. I’ll be useless too, thinking about her out there. You know Ren won’t be any help either once she finds out her sister is there.”
“She’s a lot more powerful than she should be at her age. I can feel it,” Hermes said, eyeballing Sonah like he was sizing up a lamb for slaughter. “Powerful enough to break not one curse but two. What else can you do, I wonder?”
“It matters not because she’s still mortal,” Melanos seethed, rising to his full height, which placed him only inches taller than Hermes.
“And so I will remain here and await my eudaemon and my sister,” Sonah added.
Hermes stared at Sonah as if he wanted to gouge her eyes out. Croak wiped sweat from his brow as he waited. The glare Sonah was sending Hermes’s way was not helping.
“All right then!” Croak said with a clap of his hands. “Let’s… all right, Hermes, we—Orry and I—will come with you and then… Sonah, you just wait here. That’s a good girl.”
Sonah swatted his hand away when he patted her head, and Croak slouched behind Leander.
He plowed into Orry, who was clutching some papers to his chest. Scowling at his friend, Croak looked over his shoulder at the gods glaring daggers at one another.
“Gods save us from… gods,” he muttered as he followed Orry out of the refectory.