Terena bit back a smile and ducked her chin, waiting until she’d schooled her face into a blank mask before turning back to the king.
He glared at her for a moment, then exhaled. “‘Lightning turns to ice, the ground lies frozen and the skies weep. Twenty-four moons and the Heir wields Athena’s Weapon, leading her army of undead from the mouth of the serpent.’”
The hairs on the back of Terena’s neck rose. It was as if someone had whispered a secret to her soul.
She stared at King Altos for a long time; her pulse was the only sound in her ears. An odd feeling flashed through her; not dread, exactly, but similar enough she cast a glance at Sonah to make sure she was all right.
“That’s what the oracle told me,” King Altos said, assuming her lack of comment was due to confusion. Terena knew those words, although she swore a minute before he spoke them she’d never heard them before.
Terena nodded slowly, thinking. “It was more than a year ago the north was devastated by some freak storms; weather anomalies changing the whole of the continent.”
“Aye,” King Altos said as he walked toward her.
Terena worked through the rest of what he’d said in her head. Two years after that freak storm she was supposed to wield Athena’s Weapon. But the short swords Altos had given her were called The Twins.
She looked over at Daris.
The Spartans had called him ‘Athena’s Weapon’. Is that what Pytho meant? Was she supposed to use him to lead an undead army?
“Army of Undead from the mouth of the serpent,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she shifted her gaze to Altos.
“Aye,” he said, his lips pressed in a tight line. “That is when theoracle told me it would be you that brought me the fangs from the serpent.”
She pointed at Daris. “And he’s Athena’s Weapon? Not The Twins you gave me?”
“I cannot say for certain,” the King said. He clenched his fists at his sides, his mouth pinched. “I was to give you The Twins and have you retrieve the fangs. Beyond that…”
“Well,” Terena sighed and let her head drop back, her eyes darting over the empty ceiling. She looked back at the king. “We have time, I guess. It hasn’t yet been two years since the north froze.” Her eyes widened. Terena lifted a hand to her mouth before she caught herself.
“What?”
She didn’t know if this was something she should share. Telling them both about how Melanos told her she’d come into her full powers when she reached the age of twenty-two made her insides twist.
“Nothing,” she answered at length, ducking her head. “Thank you for trusting me with the counsel you received from Pytho.”
“She said it is the Spartan prophecy.”
“Spartan prophecy,” she repeated. That seemed oddly specific. Why not just ‘that’s the prophecy’?
“What will you do now,” Daris asked, jarring her from her thoughts.
“I will,” Terena glanced at Sonah, then dropped her eyes to the ground. “I’ll head north. That was my plan all along.”
Daris stared at her a moment longer before turning his eyes to his king. When the king nodded, Daris said to her, “We’d like you to come with us to Messene. To help with the oracle.”
Terena balked. “I amnotputting myself out there for my enemy, Daris,” she hissed, shaking her head. She motioned to Sonah. “What of my family? I did my part. I got the fangs for you and I warned you about Pytho.” She waved her hands. “You’re the Liodari. You alone are enough to get her back.”
He cocked his head. “We’ll escort you north once we’ve reclaimed her,” Daris said, taking a step closer. “To Seleste.”
It took a few seconds for what he’d offered to register.
“Heylisia and its provinces are at war, Terena,” he added, taking another step closer. “We can get you there safely.”
“Why?”
“Because Daris will stay with you once you get there,” King Altos snapped.
“What? Why?”
