Chapter 36
COLINAS, RAVOS
“We’re going to Lethe now, right?”
Croak strode after Terena when she moved past him, throwing back the tent flap with a little more force than was necessary. His arm snapped out to stop it front slapping him in the face as he followed her inside.
Terena ignored him while packing up her things.
“All right, good. I’ll take that as a yes. When do we leave?”
Terena swore under her breath. He waited while she sat there, presumably thinking.
“I need to do one thing first,” she mumbled. Tying up her bedroll she glanced at him over her shoulder. “We’ll go right after, I promise.”
Croak crossed his arms and exhaled. Loudly.
“Fine, but I don’t know how happy she’ll be to hear that you, once again, put someone else ahead of her.”
Terena shot to her feet. Croak took a step back, bracing himself for her rage. His shoulders fell when she turned away, gathering her clothes and shoving them into a rucksack.
“It’s not a someone, Croak. Cassandra’s been badgering me about that stupid amulet and I just want to find it and get it over with already.”
“Ah,” Croak said as he watched her finish. “I didn’t think you were still looking for it since, you know, we found Sonah.”
“Well, I am,” Ren snapped. She moved past him out of the tent and instructed one of Soros’s men to have it torn down.
“Or better yet,” she said as she turned back suddenly, making Croak falter as he, too, paused. “Let the men know there’s an empty tent in case anyone is without.”
Not waiting for a response, she strode off, with Croak hot on her steps.
“Orry was saying something about the amulet,” Croak panted as he kept pace with his sister.
“Right,” Terena snapped her fingers. “Good. Go get ready to depart and tell Orry as well. I’ll find Rydon and the others. And where the fuck is Cassandra?”
“The beauteous witch was with some of the soldiers, telling fortunes.”
“She’s not a witch,” Ren muttered. “She’s a seer.”
“Whatever.”
“Where?”
“Huh?”
“Where was she?”
“Oh,” Croak spun, looking at his surroundings. When he caught sight of the three tents near the fire pit to his left, he pointed. “Just past those tents there; turn left. You can’t miss her.”
Terena nodded and strode away.
Croak watched her and sighed. Turning around, he glanced at the soldiers nearby and began walking in a random direction. As he strolled through the encampment looking for Orry, a hand grabbed hold of his arm.
“Croak,” Vassori said, standing close enough to kiss him which, if he was honest, wouldn’t be the worst thing. “I need you to do something for me.”
Croak sighed and patted her hand where it still clutched at his arm. “Fine. You can kiss me if you want, but I am warning you, one won’t be enough. I’ve been told by many women that my kisses are addictive.”
Vas rolled her eyes and groaned. She tugged at him, pulling them away from the soldiers into a secluded spot at the edge of the camp.
“Ah, even better. Prying eyes and all.”
Ignoring his comment, Vassori glanced around. “Xoran wanted me to tell Ren he was taking Prince Lerek back to Metilai. During the battle. He didn’t want her thinking he’d betrayed her, but couldn’t see a way around it. With the way things are right now, he won’t be able to search for Sonah.”
“He doesn’t have to,” Croak said as he crossed his arms. “We found her.”
Vassori blinked. “You have?”
“Aye. She’s at Lethe Monastery. We’re going to go get her now. Well, after Ren finds the amulet. Which is somewhere inside Sydney Hall.”
Vassori opened her mouth, a thoughtful expression on her face. Croak edged closer. “Anything else, my ravishing tracker?”
“Aye.”
Croak frowned at the strange expression on her face. Before he could comment, she continued.
“Tell Terena that Xoran’s offered to be her eyes and ears within the palace. And that he hasn’t betrayed her, despite having come here and taken the prince.”
“Why not tell her yourself?”
Vas stomped her foot. Adorable.
“I can’t be the one telling her my brother isn’t a traitor just because he took the crown prince! She’ll think I’ve betrayed her as well and kill me. You need to tell her. She won’t hurt you.”
“I’m sorry, but hurting me is exactly what my sister would do. It’s practically written in the sibling handbook. You should know this, having a brother of your own. And she’s a god, so I’m ninety percent positive she might hurt me fatally.”
“Please, Croak.”
Croak dropped his head and closed his eyes. “You should go and get ready to leave. We’re meeting at Sydney Hall. I need to find Orry.”
“All right but, you’ll tell her?”
Croak twisted his lips. “I’ll tell her for a kiss.”
“How about a punch to the throat?”
“I will go tell her now.”
Terena was pacing near the entrance to Sydney Hall when Croak called out for her. She turned and watched as he jogged over with Orry trundling along after him.
“I forgot to tell you something earlier.”
Terena rested her hands at her hips as she watched her brother. He pulled at the collar of his cloak, his gaze everywhere but on her. She folded her arms, twisting her lips as two spots of bright red blotched his cheeks.
“I, I… I saw… I saw Xoran, earlier.”
Terena stilled. Her smile dropped.
“Go on.”
Croak shifted his gaze to his feet and toed the ground with his scuffed boot. “So, he said to tell you he was taking Lerek with him, but it didn’t mean he was betraying you. He said he had to, because it would look weird if he didn’t. I agree, personally.”
Terena closed the distance between them and Croak lifted his chin as if expecting a blow.
“Seems kind of an important detail you… forgot to tell me. You seeing him, and all.” Terena said in a deceptively soft tone.
Croak shuddered and held up his hands. “In my defense, there was a lot going on. I only remembered because I saw Vassori and you know,” Croak snapped his fingers as he smiled wanly at his sister. “It came back to me. I thought it was something you should know, so…”
Terena opened her mouth, and after a beat, nodded. “Weird he wouldn’t say that to Vas, though. After all, they came here together.”
“So weird.”
“Huh.”
“And,” Croak’s voice strangled on a chuckle and cleared his throat. “And, he’ll be your eyes and ears inside the White Palace in exchange for you finding the amulet. Which we’re doing anyway, so, win-win.”
Terena furrowed her brows. “Vassori!”
Croak winced and took a step away as Terena looked around. Vassori came bounding up, breathless, as she looked between Croak and Terena.
“Aye?”
“I need you to ride for Metilai. Find a way to speak with your brother. Tell him I accept his terms and I’ve sent you as our intermediary. When we’re done here and I have Sonah, we’re going to Metilai and I want you to update me on everything he’s heard or seen. Understand?”
Vas exhaled and nodded. She glanced at Croak who was still looking down at his feet. Terena frowned.
“There’s an apothecary south of the palace, near the road leading to the army barracks. You can’t miss it. The man’s a friend. You can trust him. Give me a week and I’ll meet you there.”
“Aye, Ren,” she mumbled and turned away. She cast a last look at Croak who nodded at her.
“Cassandra!”
Terena grinned when Croak winced for the second time.
The seer stood near Rydon and she could tell by the set of his shoulders and the scowl on his face Cassandra was baiting him.
Cassandra had told her she liked the big mercenary and teased him whenever she could, but the dumb oaf didn’t seem to understand her overtures. Perhaps he needed a more obvious sign.
“Stop flirting with Rydon! I need you a moment.”
Laughter rose around them as Cassandra grinned and whirled away from Rydon, swishing her hips in a decidedly exaggerated fashion. Rydon’s eyes were riveted on her movements.
“Yes, oh goddess divine?”
Terena twisted her lips. “Tell me again where the amulet is?”
Cassandra’s smile fell as her expression turned serious. “It should be in the duke’s chambers, inside Sydney Hall. It was there the last time I saw it. In a drawer by the bed. My vision confirmed it’s there.”
“You were in Duke Ravos’s bedchambers?” Croak scoffed.
Cassandra gave him a nasty smile. “The previous duke’s, aye.”
“Oh gods,” Croak said as he put his hand to his mouth and stared as her as if she’d sprouted horns.
“Old Duke Ravos? That guy was missing the whole front bottom row of his teeth! And he had a mole the size of the continent on his neck which I’m fairly certain was a twin he’d eaten in the womb. You were sleeping with that guy?”
Terena threw her head back and laughed, even as the seer punched Croak in the arm. He flinched back and whined about it as she yelled at him. Vassori turned to greet Migela, who strolled up and grinned, watching with arms akimbo.
“I didn’t mean the old, old duke! You do know Lord Galen is the new duke, aye? I slept with his father. That duke.”
Croak waggled his eyebrows. “Oh, that duke was ravishing. Too bad Emperor Solon had his face melted off.”
Cassandra’s face grew thunderous and Terena reached out to pull Croak away. Clearly, her brother lacked the survival instincts every other human was born with.
“Enough,” Terena said, looking between the two. “So, you were with the former Duke Ravos and saw it in his bedchamber?”
“Aye.”
“Great. Galen hasn’t been the duke long enough to have changed the furnishings so we’ll start there.”
“What if Lord Hermes has already claimed the rooms? Should we tell him the amulet—”
“No,” Terena shouted, then clamped her mouth shut as she looked around.
She held out a hand to Cassandra, who’d been startled by her outburst. Leaning closer, Terena whispered, “I do not want him knowing about it. Not yet. I’ve told the others to keep quiet about it as well. I’ll tell him myself when I’m ready.”
Cassandra gave her a dubious look but nodded her assent, regardless.
“And what do we tell him when he sees all of us running around the castle?” Croak asked, still rubbing his arm where Cassandra had punched him.
“That we decided we’re staying at Sydney Hall as well.”
Daris waited for Hermes to finish speaking with his men before approaching. As the others left to do the god’s bidding, Daris looked around to ensure their privacy.
“You look like you could use a friend.”
Daris swung his gaze back to Hermes. The god smothered a smile as if he already knew what Daris wanted to discuss.
“May I have word?”
“Aye, of course,” Hermes said as he stretched his arms wide. “Come.”
He turned and strolled to a table on the left side of the room.
The main hall looked as if it had been used to feed the soldiers, because the room was a mess.
Dishes still had food on them, as if they’d been interrupted.
There were chairs knocked over and water carafes still full in the middle of the trestle tables.
Daris licked his lips. His pulse raced and the way his throat clogged up, he should’ve taken more time with this idea. And yet, the longer he waited, the greater the chance he might lose her forever.
Bracing himself, Daris pushed away his hesitation and said, “I will swear an oath to you, Hermes. In return, you make me immortal and tell me how to break the soulmate bond.”
Daris caught the quick twitch of Hermes’s lips before the mask fell over his face, obscuring his emotions.
He was about to open his mouth to speak when someone shuffled into the hall, calling out to Hermes about Terena wanting access to a bedchamber.
“Fine!” Hermes shouted back, the lethal look on his face catching the messenger by surprise.
Daris did not recognize the man, assuming him to be someone on Duke Ravos’s household staff.
The man stumbled back, his mouth opening and closing like a trout out of water.
“Tell her she can take the duchess’s rooms.”
“We don’t—”
“Then whatever fucking room is best! Get out!”
Hermes closed his eyes, the fury melting away from his face as if by magic. Daris watched him as he regrouped.
“Great. Swear your oath to me to me now, and I’ll make you immortal.”
“And tell me how to break the bond.”
“No,” Hermes said in a low voice.
The strange silver liquid in his eyes swam across his irises, darkening the blue so they looked more like the deepest depths of the ocean.
“I thought—”
“I’ll need a little more than your oath,” Hermes said in a conversational tone that did not fool Daris. He waited for the god to continue. When he didn’t, Daris sighed and asked what more he wanted.
“I, too, have had time to think since our last conversation. To be made immortal,” Hermes feigned a shiver and it was all Daris could do to stop himself from rolling his eye.
“It is no small thing. In the old days, we’d all have to meet atop Mount Olympus and discuss it in a forum where other gods would have their say. Then we’d all vote—”
“But you made Rydon immortal.”
“The Fates marked him as Eudaemon. I was just the messenger.”
“So this is not something you can do alone?” Daris scrubbed a hand over the lower part of his face. He swore inwardly. If this was not something Hermes could do, he’d have to find another way.
“That’s not what I said,” Hermes said, interrupting Daris’s thoughts. He looked over at the god with a frown, waiting.
“I can do it alone,” he said with a shrug. “But you won’t even know it’s done because you’re still Eudaemon. At least for another what… week. But this is one of those situations where I’ll need to give you the gift first, because you won’t be able to do what I need you to do without it.”
“A dangerous task, then,” Daris said with a curt nod. “I will do it.”
Hermes laughed, incredulous. “You don’t even know what it is yet.”
Daris thought about this for a moment. “Does it involve me killing anyone Terena cares about?”
Hermes scowled. “No.”
“Betraying her?”
“No.”
“Then it doesn’t matter.”
“You should rethink—”
“Will you do it or not?”
The slow way Hermes smiled made Daris want to scratch his skin. He pushed aside the screaming inside his head warning him this was not a smart move.
As a Spartan, especially as the leader of the Liodari, Daris prided himself on always listening to that voice.
Prudence.
And yet, equally loud, was his heart shouting at him this was the only way to hold on to her.
“I will, Commander. Whenever you’re ready.”
Squaring his shoulders, Daris settled his hands atop the pommel of his sword.
“I am ready.”