The style of his short-cropped brown hair, tipped with gold, was unusual for the empire and caught the light from the tall windows he passed, accentuating the strands of gold and copper. He also had the beginnings of a beard, as if he had been traveling and could not shave.
The only thing the men of Heylisia hated more than short hair was facial hair.
His head was bent toward the guard who was speaking, two more large men at their backs. He wore silver plates at his shoulders with matching bracers and greaves. The rest of his outfit comprised dark brown leather, his weapons belt bare. A cape of deep red, pinned at his shoulders by silver clasps that looked like miniature shields, rustled as he walked.
As they neared, Terena continued to study the warrior, but couldn’t place him, and she knew almost everyone worth knowing.
Lifting her eyes to meet his, their gazes locked. Time stilled. Eyes of a light, clear blue pierced her soul.
Her heart stuttered. Something squeezed in her chest—almost to the point of pain.
A memory—only a flash of something—swept by her so fast she thought she’d imagined it. Still, she couldn’t shake it. It almost felt like… she knew him.
But that wasn’t right.
She’d never seen him before.
The man broke off first, dropping his gaze to the ground and then quickly past them, as if he hadn’t been staring at her, too.
Her skin was too tight. Terena’s lips twisted, and she clutched at her belly when something shifted within.
Terena squeaked when Croak shoved her from behind.
“You’re holding up the line.”
She punched his shoulder, then turned and walked faster, her face in flames.
“Ouch!” he whined. Then, “Do you know him?”
“Who?”
“Who? Are you hard of seeing?” Croak snorted. “Wait. You really didn’t…? Of course not. What was I thinking?“ He shook his head and jogged to catch up to her. “Next time I see Lerek, I’ll congratulate him. Anyone that can ignorethatkind of man has to be in love. Ah, I need a moment.”
She punched him again. He hunched up and she punched him once more.
“Had your fun?” she asked as Croak rubbed at his arm. “Now, what is it? I saw three men being escorted by the duke’s man. Same as you. What of it?”
Croak’s face scrunched. “Well, if your world wasn’t pink with unicorns and rivers of starlight, you’d have recognized the colors, at least.”
She frowned.
“The uniform of the men? The one’s in back, I mean. The one in front—that’s got to be Daris Antonius,” Croak said, still massaging his shoulder where she’d hit him.
Terena froze.
The servant ahead of them cleared her throat, hands folded in front as she eyed them pointedly. Terena lifted a finger at the woman before turning back to look up at her brother.
Then she looked past him to the empty hallway. “Those were Liodari? You’re sure?”
Croak arched a dark eyebrow. “I know those were Liodari. And—I’ve neverseenhim before, but the description was enough that as soon as I sawhim,” he jabbed a finger down the way the men had gone, “that was definitely Commander Daris Antonius.”
Terena stood there a moment longer, thinking.
Was that the feeling that overcame her? Was she recalling a flash of seeing the man before but couldn’t place him?
She liked that thought a lot better than the one that had invaded when they’d locked eyes. Her face heated as she shook her head, forcing the thought from her mind.
No.
