Chapter 43
METILAI
Croak leaned his head back, the damp from the stone not even registering.
Closing his eyes, he tried to slow his breathing.
They’d returned him to his cell even more broken than when he’d first arrived, but he thought that owed more to the fact they hadn’t sent a physician in this time.
He knew his right arm was broken and he was fairly certain his right knee was shattered.
So many breaks and sores, he was a giant throbbing heartbeat.
Except for the parts he could no longer feel.
They’d taken Orry shortly after they’d been captured. Croak had cried when he’d found out. He’d been unconscious at the time and when he’d come to, Orry was gone.
Groaning, Croak coughed weakly and shifted to sit up more. He was so tired, he kept slipping from the wall. The last time that happened, he’d smacked his already bruised jaw against the stone floor and lost two teeth.
“Croak.”
Croak blinked. He turned his head as much as he could manage.
Xoran, Captain of the Imperial Guard, stood looking at him. Hands tucked into his sword belt, he sauntered closer to the bars.
“Come to finish me off at last?” Croak joked.
The captain remained silent, his gaze fixed on Croak. Croak stared back, a darkness settling within his chest, and he knew. From the slowly forming smile, Xoran’s mask fell off completely. The dread slowly seeping into his heart squeezed the organ so hard Croak whimpered.
“I knew it,” Croak whispered. A tear fell onto his cheek and he grimaced. Frustrated his body would betray him at the moment he most needed to appear unbothered.
“You know,” the captain said at last, his scarred hands gripping the bars as he looked down at Croak. “I always liked your father. I did not want to kill him, but she said I must. It was the only way to take his place. That is the only thing I regret about all that’s come to pass.”
Croak did not think it was possible for him to feel even more wretched than he did in that moment, but Xoran proved him wrong. He stared in horror at the villainous shit who’d just confessed to his father’s murder.
“You vile, miserable snake,” Croak murmured, his voice cracking. “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted you. I told her you’d show your true colors eventually.”
“If only they’d listened to you,” Xoran said, his voice unnaturally empty.
“Aye,” Croak sighed. He closed his eyes and let the tears fall.
Thanoras House was the last place Orry ever thought he’d end up.
Again.
It was a nightmare while he’d been attending as a student, let alone a prisoner.
Sighing, Orry leaned his head back against the stone wall of his meager room.
He’d lived in a room exactly like this while attending the cleric’s college five years ago, and it didn’t look like they’d changed anything.
The walls still smelled of mildew, the curtains were paper thin and the bed covers had stains of unknown origins.
One day back and already Orry regretted his life choices. He closed his eyes against the sudden sting of tears as he thought on how angry Terena must be with him and Croak for getting into this situation.
So far, High Cleric Christos had not visited, although Orry knew he was here under the cleric’s orders.
He’d had no interactions with anyone other than whoever delivered his food and picked up his shit bucket.
The door was locked from the outside. As hard as he tried to stay awake to catch whoever entered his room, Orry always jolted awake to find himself alone with a new bucket and a tray of food.
The door opened, jarring Orry out of his miserable thoughts and he quickly jumped to his feet. Heat flashed beneath his skin to stain his face red and he swallowed as High Cleric Christos entered the room.
The man was dressed in his black cleric’s robes with his gold and red braided lanaso, a cord draped over his shoulders to signify his rank. Orry had a plain red one he never wore.
As the man regarded him through narrowed, dark green eyes, his thick brows quivered as if they had a life of their own. He followed the man with his eyes as he took a step around the end of the bed and closer to Orry. It took everything Orry had not to step back or flinch away.
“Do you know,” High Cleric Christos said in his rough voice, his Roison accent thicker than Gabriol’s. “I had no idea who you were until the day of Terena Luca’s execution?”
He tilted his head in a way predator birds do. The movement was eerie and Orry suppressed another shudder.
Orry did not reply. He knew High Cleric Christos well enough—well, through what others have said, at any rate—to know his questions were usually rhetorical. Orry unclenched his hands to clasp them at his back instead. Nothing good ever came of anyone standing before this man showing weakness.
“I knew of you, of course,” High Cleric Christos said with a sigh. “I shook your hand at graduation. And yet, before that day,” the cleric shrugged. “The day of Luca’s execution, I wouldn’t have been able to pick you apart from the baker.”
The cleric crossed his arms and Orry almost fainted at the abrupt movement.
Breathe, Orry. He’s just a man. A very scary, powerful man. But a man. I bet he, too, used a shit bucket once. Maybe. Gods, please spare me from—
“You will tell me everything about the god, Terena Luca. If you fail in any detail, you will wish you’d never caught my notice.”
Orry shook. He couldn’t help it. An image of Ren in the dungeons flashed in his mind. Her swollen eye and bruised body. Orry did not doubt this man planned the same and worse for him if he didn’t comply. And yet, he could not betray his friend.
Stiffening his spine, Orry lifted his chin an inch and met the cleric’s gaze.
“Oh,” the man said with a worrying smile. “You wish to play the hero? Very well. Let us begin.”
Rydon paced the small pantry at the back of the Boar’s Head Inn. His friend and the innkeep of this establishment, Eden, had let him in through the back entrance. He’d had the man send a note to Xoran earlier.
Sighing, Rydon turned and eyed the shelves, leaning in to sniff at a bunch of herbs hanging from a hook above the shelves.
“A little late to be out shopping.”
Rydon’s head swiveled around and he grinned at the speaker.
“Never know when you might need some rosemary.”
Gabriol grinned back as they clasped arms. “Rosemary, huh? You plan on making some savory pies or something?”
Rydon shrugged as he tucked his thumbs into his sword belt. “Not a bad profession. Might look to switch soon.”
Gabriol snorted. “Come. They’re expecting you.”
“What news?” Rydon asked as they walked. Huddled beneath his cloak, Rydon kept his head down whenever they passed others walking about. Daris and his men were not far behind. Once the City Watch caught sight of the Liodari, Rydon knew the city would be locked up tighter than a priestess’s legs.
“The usual. One step away from discovery and execution.”
Rydon snorted. “How many times have you clobbered some sense into Croak while I’ve been gone?”
Gabriol’s steps faltered, and Rydon frowned.
“Croak’s been captured,” Gabriol said with a quick glance at Rydon.
Rydon’s breath caught. “What?”
Gabriol nodded with a grim smile. “Aye. I’m not surprised it happened; the fool insisted on going to the cleric’s old rooms and the Watch found them both.
Ren is… beside herself. But the prince and Xoran came up with a plan to rescue him.
Oh, and there’s a fancy to-do tomorrow night so a bunch of royal pricks are at the castle. ”
“No wonder there was more security at the gates,” Rydon mumbled. “I thought it was because of our victory in Ravos.”
Gabriol laughed darkly. “It is both. The guests were already on their way but when General Peleon brought back word of their defeat, Emperor Solon had him and Xoran triple the guards within the palace and the city. I’m surprised no one snatched you up to conscript you.”
Rydon ran his hand down his face and looked about. “Fuck that. I’d love to have been tested. So, who’s attending this celebration? All the dukes and their wives?”
“And more besides,” Gabe replied. “Terena said there are foreign dignitaries as well. I’ve seen a few uniforms I don’t recognize. Also saw someone wearing Roison colors and a few from Offeni.”
“What’s going on?”
“Apparently, a month ago, the emperor named his youngest boy as his successor. Now that Prince Lerek’s back from the dead, he wanted to have a big dinner to reinstate him as the crown prince and his heir.”
“Perfect timing,” Rydon grumbled, and Gabe flashed him a grin.
“Aye.”
“How’s she holding up?”
Gabriol shrugged. “About as well as can be expected, considering her brother’s been snatched, the cleric too, although he was taken somewhere called Thanoras House, and her sister is in the hands of a deranged Olympian.”
“Sounds like any other day to me,” Rydon scoffed.
“Aye.”
“Can you sneak me in now or should we wait for nightfall?”
Gabe shook his head, glancing over his shoulder.
“I can sneak you inside now, but getting you to where Ren and the others are will need to be done later tonight. There’s some sort of reception for the royals and other fancy guests, so everyone that matters will be in the throne room.
” He reached out and clapped Rydon’s shoulder. “Your timing is uncanny.”
They walked for a bit in silence. Rydon kept his gaze down, which was easy to do with how unsettled the news of Croak’s capture made him.
“I’m assuming they took the boy to the dungeons,” he said aloud. Gabe glanced back at him with a short nod. “Any chance you can sneak me in to see him?”
“No, not now. But if you’re still around, you can help us get him out tomorrow night.”
“Good. It bothers me more than I like, thinking of him down there. At the hands of the man who tortured Ren.”
Gabe nodded again, ducking his head as he sighed. “Aye. Hopefully, he’ll keep his damned mouth shut.”