Terena waited a few seconds for him to speak. When he didn’t, she bowed her head, sweeping her left arm out. “So. We start in Thuria.”
She took a step forward to head back to their group, but he stopped her with a hand at her elbow.
“You’re right,” he said, surprising her. Terena’s gaze flew to his face. He was looking down, his face so tight a muscle jumped at his jaw. “You are the expert. I apologize for overstepping.”
She huffed a laugh. Terena hoped she sounded as unaffected as he seemed; his touch sent a spike of lightning down her belly.
“I’m sure it won’t be the last time.”
A corner of his mouth curled up, and he gave a quick nod before letting her arm go.
“We good?” she asked breathlessly.
His eyes stared into her, and for a second she was sure he could see inside her head.
Daris straightened and nodded curtly. Terena stared at him a moment before moving to step past him, then stopped.
“How is Sonah?” she asked softly.
The commander didn’t respond. She looked up at him. He sighed and his expression softened.
“She’s fine,” he said. “King Altos is a good man. You need not fear for her.”
Terena searched his eyes, deciding at last he was in earnest. “Thank you.”
She turned to leave, but he grabbed her elbow again. “I am sorry for what happened yesterday,” he said, his tone urgent. “I had no time to send a warning, and in front of my men I…” He dropped his head and shook it, then lifted his eyes to her. “She’ll be well cared for. You’ve no worry on that account. But I am sorry for my part in the affair.”
Terena frowned and mumbled her thanks. She knew that wasn’t something he’d control. If Altos had ordered him as Commander of the Liodari, Daris had had to obey without question. That didn’t mean she had to like it.
But she could be more gracious toward him, she decided.
“Mama and Baba are done arguing,” she called out to the others. “Let’s get this quest started!”
Croak whooped in excitement. Even Daris's men were grinning.
Daris choked on a cough behind her.
Rydon and Gabriol both grinned at Terena before mounting. She mounted Nyx and glanced over to check on Croak.
Croak hocked and spat on the ground before mounting his horse so smoothly she was impressed by his constitution that morning. He seemed to be the only one of them not hurting after last night’s bad decisions.
Maybe it was the anticipation, but Terena was excited as well, her lips widening as she turned her gaze to Daris. He watched her with an unreadable expression.
She gave him a pointed look, and he rolled his eyes.
He turned his horse to the gates and rode off, Jason and the other Liodari falling in behind. Terena and the others followed.
They rodeuntil an hour after sunset, until the moonlight was the only thing to light their way. Daris steered them toward dense woods off the Greek road they’d been traveling.
As they neared a clearing, Daris called a halt. Terena dismounted and handed the reins to Rydon. He and Gabriol led the horses to the edge of a creek. Terena set off with Croak to gather wood. They found berries in a thicket further away from where the others set up camp and picked some to bring back.
Once they’d eaten, they sat in silence around the fire Daris had built with Rydon and Jason. Croak sat next to Terena, his legs pulled up to his chest as he stared into the glowing embers.
“I feel like we should be singing,” Croak said, his voice a shade too loud in the peaceful silence.
Rydon grunted, tossing a twig into the fire. Jason looked over at him from his right.
“Sing away, if you know any,” Jason said.
