“There’s no glory in killing an injured warrior,” Daris called out angrily. “Come for me instead.”
The serpent remained at Terena’s side. “She’s much more interesting.”
Terena’s gaze locked with Daris’s. “Go,” she whispered loudly. “Please, go.”
Daris shook his head once, ignoring her plea. “Come for me, Bethana.”
“Willing to die for your love?” The serpent crooned.
“No one has to die,” Daris said. “If you move away from her now, we’ll leave you in peace.”
The serpent let out a hoarse laugh. “That’s not a very enticing offer,” she said, her voice seductive. “I want to know more about your lover. There’s something fascinating about her.”
Daris took another step closer, earning him a hiss loud enough to reverberate through Terena’s body.
He stopped, holding up his free hand. “What’s so fascinating about her?”
The serpent, Bethana, moved, and Terena could see her out of the corner of her eye. She shifted her gaze back to Daris.
Daris looked between Terena and Bethana.
“You know,” the serpent hissed.
“No, I don’t. What is it?”
“She smells likethem.”
Terena quaked. She sensed the rage emanating from the reptile. She turned her head a bit more and winced when she saw its eye focused on her.
“Who do you mean?” Daris called out, his voice loud as if to force the serpent to keep its focus on him.
“He was jealous,” the serpent hissed at Terena, its tongue darting out to flick Terena’s cheek. “He found us. Turned me into this!”
“Do you speak of Poseidon?”
The serpent snapped forward, hissing angrily at Daris. “DO NOT SAY THAT NAME TO ME!”
Terena let out an involuntary sound as the serpent raged. She caught sight of its body and closed her eyes.
Bethana was much bigger than Melanos had led them to believe.
“She smells like him.” Bethana turned her head and Terena’s blood drained from her body, terror squeezing her heart as she beheld the face of nightmares.
“She’s not like him!” Daris shouted.
“DO NOT LIE!” The serpent snapped forward again, this time at Daris. To his credit, he did not flinch.
“I amthisnow. My love killed. Because ofhim!”
“Melanos lives!” Terena cried out, her voice breaking. She swallowed.
The serpent whipped its head back to her. It crept close slowly and Terena froze.
“Lies!”
Terena shook her head quickly. “No. No, in truth, he lives. We just saw him. We dined with him last eve. He lives.”
Bethana watched her with those unblinking eyes. “Where?”
