She clicked at Nyx, turning to move past the commander. He shifted his much larger stallion to block her. His horse snorted in a not-friendly way above her.
She lifted an eyebrow at Daris.
“It’s a long way to Pyrgos,” he bit out. He lifted his chin, motioning behind her. “They’ll slow us down.”
“Why would we be riding to Pyrgos?” she asked.
“Because that’s where?—”
“We’re going to Ibros,” Terena cut him off, her patience snapping. “To Thuria.”
Jason snorted behind the commander.
Daris stilled. Terena shrugged and made to move around him once more.
“A word,” the commander bit out, dismounting in one graceful motion. “Please.”
She swallowed the curse she was about to hurl, pursing her lips as she whispered to Nyx, rubbing her neck once before she handed the reins to Rydon.
Terena followed the commander as he moved a few feet away from the others, steeling herself against the rebuke she was sure he was about to give her.
She put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight as she glared up at him.
Even scowling, he was striking.
Unfair.
She wished she’d bathed before they’d left. Terena was sure she smelled of cheap wine and Ambrosia. She could smell it coming out of every pore in her body.
She took a couple of steps away from him. Just in case.
“I’m leading this party,” he hissed, bending closer as he pointed a finger at the ground.
“Aye, fine,” she said. “But lead us to Ibros.”
“And why would we go there?”
“Because that’s where Melanos is from.”
“What’s that matter?”
Terena cocked her head to the side. “Hey—out of the two of us—which one does this for a living?”
He straightened. No response, though.
A terrible headache was creeping up on Terena, making her more surly than she had intended. “That’s right. Me. And we go whereIsay. I’ll let you know when it’s time for whatever you’re here for.”
He jerked forward a step, his face tight. “Tell me why.”
Terena startled, but… gods. He looked good. Even angry. Then she remembered she was angry as well. Angry he’d ambushed her yesterday, taking her to his king for an audience ending with Sonah staying behind as hostage.
The gods must be punishing her.
Terena held out a placating hand. “Do you know the myth?”
He gave a curt nod.
She sighed. “Right. The thing is, no one knows where exactly the serpent was when it slew Melanos. There are different versions. A lot of it was lost because it was mostly word of mouth. But if we go to Thuria, where Melanos was born—he was a demigod, right?—we might find something, giving us an idea of where to look. He’s their hero. They’d know that story inside and out and in ways you and I do not.”
