Sonah started. The twins?
“You don’t want to do this,” Terena said, her tone almost pleading. She looked between Sonah and the king and raised her left hand, as if to placate him. “I don’t want to hurt you. Just give me what I want. Let go of my… friend, and I’ll leave your city today.”
The king’s mouth dropped open, staring at Terena in disbelief. He turned his head and shared a look with the guard holding Sonah. She gaped, her eyes wild, and locked on Terena as the guard put a blade to her throat.
Clearly, this man had a death wish.
Terena’s eyes and face went blank as she stared at King Altos.
Sonah chanced a look at the king and swallowed when he smirked in triumph.
Then his face flattened. He grabbed for his neck, his hands clawing at the skin there. Sonah’s mouth dropped open and her eyes flew to Terena. She stood with her left hand up, fingers arced as if she were gripping something, her face so cold, it chilled Sonah deep in her bones.
Daris Antonius swore.
Steel rang out as he unsheathed his sword. The guards all yelled at Terena, threatening and cursing. Daris looked at the king and yelled for Terena to stop. Sonah almost felt bad for him.
“I warned you,” Terena said, her voice sharp and without emotion. She ignored Daris as he took another step toward her.
“I dare you,” she whispered to Daris when he stepped in front of her. Sonah saw the way her lips trembled as she stared down the commander. The king’s face was turning purple and his eyes bulged. He flailed his left arm, turning his head enough to look at the guard holding Sonah, and the man lowered his dagger and stepped away.
Sonah stepped off the dais.
Daris raised his sword at Terena. “Don’t do this, Terena,” he said, his voice pleading. The scars on his left cheek and ear were stark white against his tanned skin. “Please.”
Sonah thought she might ignore him. Then Terena dropped her arm and the king fell to the dais. Guards moved within two feet of Terena, swords lifted. Terena continued to stare at the king, who had gotten to one knee as he took deep gulps of air.
Daris turned back to Terena and, though he was still angry, there was something else in his expression Sonah thought looked much like how Lady Tollis had stared at Prince Lerek when she thought no one was watching.
With longing.
“The rumors were true,” King Altos whispered, staring at Terena in awe.
Rising to his full height, the king’s face still showed traces of red as he rubbed the sore flesh of his neck. It was so awkwardly quiet in the room, the pressure moved Sonah to break it.
“Your Majesty,” Sonah said in a voice she thought was soft but, in that room and with the quiet so loud you could hear a mouse scurry, she winced at how loud—and meek—she sounded.
All eyes turned to her. She blushed and cleared her throat to try again. “Your Majesty,” she said in a stronger tone, “Please, if I may suggest a… solution, to this stalemate?”
The king turned his head to her. After a long moment, he nodded.
“I will stay with you?—”
“Sonah!”
Sonah held up her hand to Terena, pleading with her eyes before she turned back to the king. “I will stay with you while Terena goes to look for this… Bethana?”
“Sonah,” Terena begged.
King Altos did not reply. Instead, he continued to regard her silently. She took that as permission to say more.
She clutched her hands together and took a step toward him, only to freeze when she heard movement behind her. Sonah’s chin trembled. Hated the show of weakness in front of everyone.
“In the meantime,” Sonah went on with a lift of her chin as she straightened, “You give Terena what she came for.”
The king looked as if he might protest, but Sonah hurried to forestall him. “I’ll still be here, as a guarantee Terena will return. She’ll come back with your… teeth. Or whatever. She’ll come back for me.”
King Altos stared at her as the color returned to normal in his complexion, the olive skin only slightly red in the cheeks. Sonah waited, holding her breath, not daring to look at Terena.
