Terena whirled, a dancer caught up in a deadly song, her face a terrible beauty carved in stone; her left hand pulled back as the right hand slashed down at his thigh and he barely blocked it as she instantly swung the sword in her left hand. She stepped back, spinning as she bent over, her left leg fanning up and out so her foot struck him in the jaw. He stumbled to the side.
His men roared behind him, and he saw Terena’s friends surge forward, Rydon and Croak holding their swords.
Terena bounced forward but Daris swung down on her weapon until his sword had snared hers and pulled her in. They locked eyes, hers spitting fire.
“I love you,” he said through gritted teeth, their faces so close he could see the sweat above her lip. Could see her nostrils as they flared, her eyes widening at his words. “I fucking love you, Terena. Please stop and let me explain?—”
“Ihateyou,” she said softly, her voice breaking. He saw the devastation in her eyes and wanted to give up.
She may hate him just then, but she hadn’t used her powers on him. Neither had Sonah. That thought popped into his head as another quickly chased behind it.
Yet.
He had to hope she’d listen.
“Ren—”
He had barely said her name when she shoved at him and a second later something hot tore down his side. Terena stepped back as he fellto one knee, his hand going up to his side, blood seeping over his fingers. He looked at her in shock, saw the short sword in her right hand coated with his blood, and then looked back up at her. Her face was pale as she looked at him wide-eyed, her lips trembling as they moved wordlessly.
The silence was deafening. As if the world had slowed, he saw his men form a wall in front of him. Gabriol dropped his arms, releasing Sonah, who stood there in shock. Terena dropped her swords, her face crumpling as she sobbed.
She screamed, and it tore through his soul.
Rydon and Gabriol stepped forward, swords fanning out to protect Terena as she stumbled back.
Daris surged up, grabbing hold of Fane’s shoulder as he pulled past him, trying to get to Terena. His men held him back.
Terena continued crying gut-wrenching sobs as her knees buckled. Sonah snatched up Terena’s sword and pointed it at him and his men. She moved forward and threw her arm over Terena’s shoulder, pulling her back. Sonah’s scared face was pale and streaked with tears, still pointing that sword at them as she backed away. Terena all but collapsed in Sonah’s embrace, shaking as she sobbed.
Croak eased forward, casting wary glances at Daris and his men as he grabbed up Terena’s other short sword, then backed up slowly.
“Terena!” Daris called out, trying again to get her to listen to him, but it was no use.
Rydon jerked his sword at him in warning. Daris watched in despair as Sonah hauled Terena’s limp figure further away, two hunched forms disappearing behind the wall of their friends.
“I fucking knew it,” Croak muttered, his face tight with anger. “Iknewyou were bad for her.”
“Croak—”
“Shut the fuck up,” he whispered, and Daris swore he saw hurt in his eyes before he spat on the ground in front of him. “You never deserved her.”
Daris ordered his men to stand down as he watched Sonah drag off Terena, who looked completely broken, followed by Gabriol andRydon. Croak stopped long enough to grab some food and supplies, stuffing them in a rucksack before he scrabbled after them.
Daris watched until they mounted their horses and rode off. The thundering of hooves faded long before he dropped his eyes from where they’d disappeared.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Terena clutched at Nyx’s reins, blinded by tears and anger and a pain so sharp she thought she might die from it. She cried harder when she thought of the pain she’d experienced seeing Lerek’s dead body that night.
This pain was different.
This pain broke her soul.
Made her want to rage at the gods.
Her breathing was coming so fast now, her chest hurt. Nausea roiled up in her belly.
“Hold!”
