Chapter 34
COLINAS, RAVOS
Terena ran through the battlefield, shoving people out of her way or pausing long enough to slice into a soldier who had the audacity to step in front of her.
She watched the spot where Daris had been fighting, silently urging him to appear, her lips moving in silent prayers to the Fates. Her breath fogged out in front of her and panic squeezed her lungs.
A roar from her right had her snapping her gaze around, and she spotted Hermes thundering toward the soldiers fighting on the far side of the field.
Shouts and cheers rang out from Soros’s men and the fighting took on a fevered pitch.
Her breath hitched and she slowed, her eyes caught on another warrior who roared as he chopped his way through the Heylisians behind Hermes.
Melanos?!
The god looked much as he had when she’d last seen him after she and Sonah had gotten him out of his cave. He wielded an axe in his hands and a monstrous expression as he swung up and into the chest of a doomed soldier.
As Melanos made his way through the battlefield, the soldiers with him and Hermes fought viciously, terrifying the Heylisians. They screamed and began to fall back. A moment later a horn sounded their retreat. Those still able to run did not need further urging.
Terena made her way slowly through the mess as the chaos of the Heylisian retreat momentarily made her lose sight of Melanos. She spotted Hermes once more, his lips pulled back in a ferocious grin as he cut through the Heylisian soldiers easily.
She was about to turn away when her breath caught. Daris came out from behind him, slamming his sword into a soldier who’d almost succeeded in catching Hermes in the back.
Terena ran.
As if the Fates were finally helping, a path cleared before her, and she tore across the blood and body littered ground, her eyes locked on Daris.
Victorious shouts sounded all around her as the last of the emperor’s warriors left the battlefield.
Hermes turned, grabbing Daris in a crushing embrace before turning to lift his sword, his own shouts drowned out by the men around him.
Terena slowed, her heart still racing, and took several deep breaths.
At that moment, Daris turned, his grin fading as he caught sight of her.
Time slowed. Terena heard nothing but the exhale she released. She sprinted forward, watching as Daris stabbed his sword in the ground and ran.
He caught her as she flew into his arms, her lips crushing his as he spun her, his arms like vices at her back.
Nothing mattered to her but him. He devoured her and she let him, his mouth slanting over hers, his tongue delving deep and she clutched his face, hungry for more.
His hand cradled the back of her neck and she locked her ankles at his waist, his grip on her scalp painful, but still she pressed closer.
Terena couldn’t think beyond how complete she felt in that moment.
It was the same as when she’d seen him that night weeks ago after she first ported.
She was still angry with him for lying about Lerek, but that was a problem for when she was ready to let sanity rule her thoughts. Right now, all she wanted was him.
Daris tore his lips away, his beautiful blue eye searching her face. The heat of his breath fanned her cheeks and she felt wetness there. He cupped her jaw, his thumb wiping at the tears spilling unchecked as she gazed back at him.
“Glad we made it in time,” Daris said, breathless, a smile playing on his lips.
Terena swallowed, her teeth chattering as her chin trembled. “Daris.”
He slammed his lips back on hers, the long kiss almost painful, snatching her breath. Her fingers dug into his arm and she panicked at the lack of air in her lungs before he pulled back and dropped his forehead to hers.
“I missed you, Ren. So fucking much.”
Daris didn’t give her a chance to respond before he kissed her again, and Terena was grateful for it. Her head spun as heat tore through her body.
“I guess she missed you, too.”
The laughter that followed broke through the haze of Terena’s lust. She pulled back, savoring the desire on Daris’s face before glancing around at the audience they’d drawn.
She dropped her feet to the ground, still holding on to Daris. His hands fell to her waist, tightening his grip, and stared at her as if he could not look away. Terena flushed as she looked around at the leering soldiers, her eyes landing on Hermes, who scowled.
“You’ve got some explaining to do,” she ground out, her fury at the god burning through her desire.
“Well, if you can tear yourself away from the commander long enough for a conversation—”
Terena sprang forward, ready to launch herself at the god, but Daris’s arm froze her in place. Hermes’s smirk darkened as he arched an eyebrow at her before turning to stalk away. Some of his men followed, others dispersing as Daris shouted out orders.
Terena stepped out of his arms, but he kept one hand on her hip. A shout caught her attention, and she turned, grinning as Melanos came up to her, grabbing her away from Daris as they spun, hugging and laughing.
After setting her down, Terena took a deep breath, wiping her hands down the leather of her breeches. Opening her mouth to launch a thousand questions at the god, she caught movement at her periphery and turned to see Rydon jogging over, Gabriol and Migela at his side.
“Croak’s here, too. They came with Hermes.” The mercenary said as he and the others hugged her in turn.
“Where?” Terena asked, her eyes searching behind them. Rydon and Gabriol exchanged greetings with Daris and Melanos. “Is he all right?”
“He’s fine,” Gabriol grunted, jabbing a thumb behind him. “He’s at the tree line with Orry and Cassandra.”
“Why are they here? How—”
“Hermes made us come,” Melanos said with a scowl. “We were at Lethe, with Sonah—”
“Sonah!” Terena cried, grabbing Melanos’s arms. “You found her?”
“Aye,” Melanos said wryly. “She found us. And more besides. We’ve much to catch up on.”
“Is she here? Did you bring her?”
Melanos shook his head. “No, she stayed behind and awaits you. With my Bethana.”
Furrowing her brow, Terena tilted her head. “Bethana?”
“As I said, we’ve much to catch up on.”
Rydon lifted an eyebrow at her, motioning to Daris with a tilt of his head. She felt the heat creep up her neck once more and she scowled.
“Come,” Daris said, slipping his hand into hers and tugged her to follow. “Hermes is heading into the city.”
“Wait,” Terena said, digging in her heels. Daris turned to her impatiently. “I left Nyx across the field,” she added with a scoff. “Let me go—”
“Rydon,” Daris called over her shoulder. “Have someone—”
“Oh, no,” Terena huffed a laugh. “No, I’ll be riding on my own.”
Daris gave her a look she was sure he used to intimidate his enemies, but she refused to be cowed. She might be in love with him, despite everything, but he still owed her an explanation. For a lot of things.
The last thing she was going to do, now that she’d gotten her fear and desperation to see him out of the way, was ride off into the sunset with him on his horse.
By the set of his jaw, she could see he wanted to argue but raked a hand through his mud-splattered hair and gave her a curt nod.
“I’ll meet you there,” Daris said before turning to stalk away.
Terena watched him for a few moments. When she turned back to her friends, she made a face at Rydon who chuckled at her.
“I thought you were going to tear his clothes off right then and there.”
“If he hadn’t been wearing his battle armor, she might have,” Gabriol snorted.
Terena shoved him and he laughed.
“Glad Hermes decided to show. For a minute there, I thought he’d only sent Daris and a handful of his men.” Rydon snarked after they found their mounts where Croak, Migela and Orry waited.
Terena hugged her brother, then turned and embraced Orry.
“Daris is here?” Croak asked, his brows in his hairline.
“Aye,” Rydon said with a sly grin as he mounted. “And it looks like he’s been forgiven.”
“Just because Lerek’s still alive doesn’t mean Daris isn’t still an asshole,” Croak grumbled.
A headache began to form at her temples, and Terena growled low as she mounted Nyx.
“He’s not forgiven,” Terena snapped. The others laughed and she cursed at them. “It was a momentary lapse in judgment. He’s not getting off that easy, believe me.”
The ride through Colinas was eery. The streets were emptied and the City Watch nonexistent. As they neared Sydney Hall, Hermes’s soldiers were already setting up their encampment, surrounding the castle gates and taking up the area beyond to the main entrance of the structure.
Rydon raised his arm in greeting when he spotted Vassori standing near the entrance to the castle with Cassandra. He dismounted, glancing at Ren, whose face was wreathed in smiles to see the women again. Migela jogged ahead of her and embraced the seer as Ren walked up.
“What are you doing here?” Ren asked Vassori. “We were to meet in Metilai.”
“Aye,” Vassori said with a grimace. “But after finding my brother, he told me of the emperor’s trap for you in Ravos. I came as fast as I could.”
“I need to speak with you,” Cassandra said to Ren, laying a hand on her arm to draw her attention.
Ren looked at the woman and nodded. “All right.” Turning to Rydon she motioned with her chin. “Can you find us some tents? Have Croak and Orry help you put them up.” Turning back to Vassori she said, “We’ll speak more later.”
“No, Rydon, please stay.” The seer said as she reached out her arm toward him.
He frowned but came closer. Over his shoulder, he gave Gabriol Ren’s instructions and his friend set off in search of Croak and Orry.
Migela signed something to Cassandra and the woman shook her head, telling her she needed to speak with Rydon and Ren privately. Migela gave her a tight-lipped smile before striding away after Gabriol with Vassori behind her.
Folding his arms, Rydon shrugged at the seer. “What’s going on?”