“He wants the Shroud of Faybhen.”
Terena laughed.
The sound echoed throughout the otherwise silent room, everyone watching her as if she’d lost her mind.
“Good! Give it to him,” Terena said at last, waving her hand.
The king scowled at her, then glanced at Daris, his brow furrowed.
“I gave it to Duke Aurora,” she added, when the king didn’t respond.
“I know,” said King Altos, “and the duke gave it to me.”
“Ha!” Terena laughed. “Even better!”
“How is that better?” The king glared at her. “Do you know what the shroud is?”
“Of course I know what it is,” she scoffed. “That’s how I make—made—my living. That shroud is worthless.”
The king crossed his arms at his chest. “That shroud?—”
“Is fake.”
Terena had a moment’s satisfaction at the way the king’s mouth dropped open, his face turning several shades of red. She winked at Daris who also looked like he’d been smacked in the face.
Terena shifted her weight and planted her hand on her hip while she waited for it to sink in.
“What do you mean?” the king asked slowly.
She gave him a knowing look. “Who do you think gave Duke Aurora the shroud?”
He frowned, annoyed. “I know it was you,” he said. “You gave him a fake?”
“Aye,” Terena said, preening. Then a thought occurred to her. “Wait. Why doyouhave it?”
“Never mind that,” the king spat, his face thunderous. “You’re telling me the Shroud of Faybhen is fake?”
Terena twisted her lips. “The oneyouhave is fake, aye.”
Daris wiped his hand over his mouth and looked up at the ceiling as he turned away.
“I need—” the king began, then stopped abruptly, hanging his head. Taking a quick step toward Terena, he jabbed a finger at her. “I needed that shroud! You do not know?—”
“Why do you need it?”
The king’s face became even more mottled. Terena glanced behind the man to his advisor, who watched them all with wide-eyed panic. The Captain of the Royal Guard shifted, his eyes on Terena.
“Would you leave us?” she called out to them. The advisor gawked at her while the captain ignored her. King Altos shifted his hard, dark brown eyes to them both and gave a quick wave of his hand. The advisor bolted for the doors. The captain stared at his king with a scowl before motioning to his men to follow, and they all quit the room.
When the loud thud of the doors closing faded, Terena shifted her gaze between the king and Daris and frowned. “You haven’t told him?”
Daris cocked his head, his brow wrinkled.
Terena’s head fell back. When she looked at King Altos again, it was through narrowed eyes.
“I think you know, or have suspicions, I am a god,” she started. She saw the second she had his undivided attention. “I’ve learned my—our,” she said with a wink at Sonah, “our father is the god of war. Ares.”
The change in the room her words caused unnerved her. At first, the king looked at her as if he hadn’t heard. Then his eyes rounded, his mouth going slack. He looked like someone had dumped a large sack of jewels at his feet.
