“Your questions are beginning to annoy,” the king said with an arched eyebrow. “Understand, it is because of who you are and what you mean to Sparta I am as patient as I have been. But even my patience has a limit, lady. I am sending my most valuable warrior to what could be a rival king, and that isonlybecause of who you are.”
Daris shifted his gaze between Terena and his king. Altos stopped a foot away from Terena, hands at his hips.
“Solon may be fighting his own provinces right now, but make no mistake. He will come for us, and when he does, he will have weapons made for gods in his possession. This invasion will not be the last. He has other trackers now, so he no longer needs you.”
“He doesn’tneedme,” Terena scoffed. “He wants to kill me!”
“And he will have his allies from Rois,” the king added, ignoring her. “Daris will ensure you return when the time comes for you to help lead our army.”
Terena balked. “Return? I?—”
“Aye,” the king snarled, lunging forward. His face was inches from Terena and Daris’s skin prickled as if insects raced across his body. He moved close to Terena’s side and stared back at King Altos when the man’s shocked eyes swung to him. He realized with shock his hand gripped his sword. Something in his head was screaming at him he was close to drawing down on his sovereign. All because of how the king had leaned in too close, threatening her.
Daris’s blood rose to flood his face as his hand slowly fell away. He dropped his hands to clench at his sides.
When the king finally turned back to Terena, Daris closed his eyes. He willed his heart to stop its erratic pounding, the need to spill his king’s blood over the threat he posed to Terena still so strong Daris panicked for a second. Had his desire for this woman so overpowered his loyalty to his king? Is this what he’d been reduced to?
Years of loyal service now rendered meaningless because of this woman.
“You may be a god, the daughter of Ares, but all that means is you no longer have agency. You are not for yourself anymore, Terena Luca. You are forus.You were promised, you are the one fated to bring back the Olympians and if there’s ever a time we need their help,yourhelp, it is now.”
“You think you can control me?” Terena asked softly.
Daris tensed, warring with his own body to keep his hands from unsheathing his sword.
What was wrong with him?
“Stop!” Sonah cried out, her voice shaking, yet strong. Daris took a step back, snapping out of the mind fog that had replaced his common sense.
She put a hand on Terena’s arm and looked at King Altos. “Must I make another deal to get you both to calm down?”
King Altos cast a wry glance as he stepped away from Terena.
“I’m sorry,” Terena said at last. Daris assumed she was speaking to her sister.
“I think it’s a good idea to have an escort of the most powerful warriors in Elysium,” Sonah said, her voice pitched low yet Daris heard. “Daris is right. If the entire continent’s at war, how are we to make it to the north without help?”
“I made a promise, Sonah,” Terena said, her voice as soft. “I have to go back for Melanos.”
“We’ll come with you,” Daris said and both women’s eyes shot to him. Terena looked annoyed but Sonah beamed.
“There!” she said, waving a hand at him. “We’ll go together to Melanos and then bring him with us to rescue Pytho. Who is Melanos?”
“He is the god from what we’d thought was a myth,” said Terena dryly. “I’ll tell you later.”
Turning back to King Altos, she frowned.
“If we have another god with us,” Terena groused, “why would we still need the Liodari to escort us north? Melanos is plenty to frighten anyone with a design on us.”
“You assume he’ll go with you,” Daris replied. “You wish to bring back the Olympians. One of those Olympians is why he was stuck in that cave for more than a thousand years and why his lover is a giant snake.”
“So?”
“He’s right, Terena,” Sonah said, tugging at her sister’s wrist. “What will it hurt to have them come with us north? We’ll get what we need up there and come back.” She tightened her grip on Terena’s sleeve until she turned to her sister. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Daris watched the exchange between the women, his eyes resting at last on Terena’s face, his chest tightening as her face relaxed and her beautiful eyes shone bright.
Terena groaned loudly and waved at King Altos. “Fine. But I have a promise to fulfill first.” She turned to Daris and he straightened. “We’ll meet you in Messene in a ten days.”
