Sonah wouldn’t believe it. She must have misheard.
Sonah wiped her face with her hand. She rose slowly, her mission forgotten as she climbed the stairs, her feet leaden and heart heavy.
Her last thought as she pulled up the bedsheet and closed her eyes was whether or not to say anything to Terena.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Terena cringed and put a hand to her nose at the stink in the room she shared with Sonah, grateful she wouldn’t be there long. She was only there to change her shirt, wash quickly, and brush her hair. Sonah had still been asleep when Terena had left the room.
When they were readying their horses to leave, Terena had glanced over at Sonah. She was about to mount when she turned again, truly looking at the girl this time. Her face was pale, drawn.
She looked ill.
Terena had gone over, a hand on Sonah’s shoulder. “Are you all right? You look sick.”
Sonah had shaken her head and mumbled she’d been out too late and the drink had not sat well with her. Croak had caught the tail end of that comment and punched her in the shoulder, telling her she shouldn’t hang with the big boys if she couldn’t handle her drink.
Sonah heaved on his boots.
While the others laughed, Terena had shoved her brother away, cursing as he lamented the state of his boots. Terena had helped Sonah clean up, then asked Gabriol to help her get Sonah up in her saddle. The girl looked on the verge of tears and Terena felt for her.
They rode all day, Terena falling behind to stay near Sonah. The girl no longer seemed ill, but despondent. Terena grew more and more worried as the day wore on.
When the sun set, Daris called out to stop for the night. Terena silently thanked him.
While the others took care of the horses and setting up camp, Terena took Sonah off toward a small stream nearby, hoping some cool water on her face might help settle her.
Sonah crouched pathetically near the edge of the water while Terena tore a strip off the bottom of her shirt and soaked it in the water. She brought it to Sonah’s head.
“A few weeks more and we’ll be in the north,” Terena said softly. “I know it’s been rough, but you’re doing so well. Next time, maybe don’t drink as much. Those men are much bigger than you and can drink a lot more?—”
Sonah started crying. Terena felt awful, thinking she was the cause because of what’d she said.
She tried to apologize, stroking Sonah’s blonde hair. “I’m sorry, Sonah, I know you’re?—”
“I have to tell you something,” Sonah said softly. Terena narrowed her eyes, uncertain.
“What was that, love?”
Sonah swallowed and raised tearful eyes at her, the soft brown and green of her eyes turning a beautiful smoky quartz through her tears. “I have to tell you something.”
“All right,” Terena said, a reassuring smile on her face as she stroked Sonah’s hair again. “I’m here. What do you need to tell me?”
Sonah reached out and gripped Terena’s wrists. The wet cloth fell on the ground between them. She opened her mouth, then quickly closed it on a whimper. She shut her eyes tight. When she opened them back up again, Terena braced at the look on the girl’s face.
“I got sick in our room last night,” Sonah began, swallowing before she could continue. “So I went downstairs to find something to clean it up. I heard the Liodari come in. I heard them talking.”
Something oily slid under Terena’s skin. She fought hard to keep her smile in place. “What did they say?”
Sonah’s face crumpled. Then she seemed to steel herself. She wiped at her face and exhaled. “I heard Fane say something. He said… he said something about…”
Sonah paused. Terena sensed the air shift and snapped at Sonah, “What did he say?”
The girl winced. “He said Daris killed the prince,” she whispered, her voice so low, Terena had to lean in to hear the words.
Even then, she wasn’t sure she’d heard her. She couldn’t have heard.
“What did you say?”
