Terena blinked.
Sonah’s laugh turned louder, until it was a hysterical cackle. Full bodied and harsh, she laughed until the general rose.
“My father,” Sonah said between bouts of laughter, then laughed even louder. Peleon motioned to one guard, and the man stepped forward to unlock the cell. As he heaved open the door, Peleon lunged inside and dropped low, viciously landing two quick punches on the girl.
Terena winced when the laughter abruptly stopped. She flinched again as another punch landed. Sonah only grunted, silent at last.
“I can’t wait to see you pulled apart tomorrow,” Peleon snarled down at her, then stood. He spat at the ground or on Sonah—Terena couldn’t tell—before striding out of the cell. The guard surged forward to close and lock the door.
General Peleon didn’t bother to look at Terena as he strode out of the dungeons, the guards following behind.
Terena waited a minute more, listening after their departure—silence broken up by the quiet sobs coming from Sonah’s cell.
“Sonah,” she called out.
No response.
“Sonah.”
The crying stopped. Terena heard rustling as Sonah shifted. A long moment passed before she shuffled back to the bars and Terena saw her peeking out, her eyes blinking as she glanced around.
“Hello?”
Her soft voice cracked and Terena closed her eyes. “Sonah, it’s me. It’s Terena.”
“Terena?” Her voice was so hopeful Terena felt a pang in her heart.
“I’m across from you.”
She saw Sonah look in her direction so she held out her bruised hand through the bars and waved. “It’s me, Sonah. I’m here.”
Sonah saw her and the moment she did she started sobbing anew.
“Sonah, please,” she said soothingly. “Honey, I know, I know.”
Her words only caused the poor girl to cry harder.
Terena listened to her cry a little longer.
“Shhhh, Sonah,” she crooned, “honey, listen to me, please. Can you do that for me?”
She watched the girl as she nodded, closing her mouth and with an effort Terena knew was difficult, she controlled her hitching breaths and wiped at the tears on her cheeks.
“Good,” Terena soothed, “good. Take your time, Sonah, take your time. And when you’re ready, can you tell me what happened? Where they’ve kept you since… since that night? Anything at all?”
The girl nodded again, exhaling raggedly. Terena smiled at her, then the girl opened her eyes to meet Terena’s gaze.
“I don’t know what happened,” she said, her words a whimper. She shuddered, her next words stronger. “I was walking outside with Lady Maranou. It was shortly after dinner.”
Terena nodded encouragingly.
“We heard noises near the courtyard entrance, then a guard camerunning out to speak with Captain Cortis and then they dragged me away.” She wiped at her lip and winced.
“Someone hit me. Hard enough I don’t remember what happened after that,” Sonah said and sniffled. She wiped her nose on her wrist. “At first they brought me down here. I don’t know how long. When I woke up, I was in the kitchens. You know, the room where the female servants take their meals?”
Terena nodded.
Sonah closed her eyes, her face crumpling. “The general came in and started questioning me, asking me all kinds of things that made no sense. Who was I working with? Who told me to drug the princes?” She sighed and wiped at her eyes. “I didn’t know what he meant. No idea why I was even there. I begged him to tell me what was going on, but he got angrier and angrier. He wouldn’t let me see Sybil, Lady Maranou. Wouldn’t?—”
