“I’m trying to be stealthy,” Croak said in a loud whisper.
Orry rolled his eyes. “Well, get in here already! You look conspicuous.”
He moved back into the room and headed for his door when he heard a thump and then a scraping noise coming from outside the window.
Surging back toward the window, Orry leaned out in time to see Croak climbing the wisteria vines. He’d planted his left hand on the window ledge when his foot slipped. Orry lunged for him, grabbing hold of his hand, grunting with the effort as Croak’s legs flailed before finding his footing again.
He pulled back and Croak thrust his chest over the ledge, the air whooshing out of his lungs as Orry fell onto the wood floor.
Croak slithered the rest of the way in as Orry scooted back along the floor until he’d grabbed hold of his chair and lifted himself up.
Croak lay sprawled on his belly.
“Imbecile! I have a perfectly good door and a sturdy staircase you could’ve used!”
“Can’t,” Croak said, his voice muffled with his face on the floor. “City Watch all over, looking for me.”
Orry blinked. “What? Since when? I haven’t heard?—”
“One of the men I’m with heard them,” Croak said as he lifted himself up off the floor. He dusted off his breeches and stood, hands on hips. “Said I’m being sought for questioning.”
Orry shook his head. He pulled out his chair, motioning Croak to take it and moved to sit on his bed. He watched his friend as he plopped into the chair. His face was flushed, but he couldn’t tell if it was from the climb or nearly falling.
“Have you seen her?”
Orry didn’t bother asking who he meant. “Yes, of course. Almost as soon as I arrived. She’s being kept in the dungeons.” He hung his head before continuing. “She’s been worked over, Croak.” He lifted pained eyes to his friend. “She’s in terrible shape. The Royal Inquisitor.”
Croak closed his eyes for only a second. When he opened them again, there was resolve in them as he sat forward, bracing his forearms on his legs. “What are they saying? What didshesay? All we’ve heard is crazy shit I will not believe unless I hear it from you.”
Orry splayed his hands. “It’s not good, Croak. They have her because she attacked Isher. At first they thought she’d killed the guards and Lerek too. Maybe they still do. The general hasn’t said. They’re also holding Sonah Yahn.”
“Sonah? Little Sonah Yahn?”
“Aye,” he said, “they think she drugged the princes and let in whoever it was killed the guards and Lerek.” Orry wiped a hand over his face. “I saw her too, poor thing. She looked terrified, with no idea of what’s going on. Or what’s going to happen to her on the morrow.”
“What do you mean? They won’t execute her,” Croak scoffed. “Ovenno will?—”
Orry shook his head. “No. Her father’s in Ermanel. He won’t make it in time. The girl is to be executed alongside Terena at dawn.”
Croak gaped at him. “But… that will start a war! At the very least, the royals will gather and protest! The dukes?—”
“He doesn’t care,” Orry interrupted. “The emperor doesn’t care. He’s in a rage, I tell you. He’s out of his mind with grief. He wanted both of them killed on the spot but General Peleon convinced him to allow him time to question them. Especially after what Terena did to Isher.”
“What do you mean? What did she do?”
Orry steepled his hands and gazed across at his friend. “Apparently, Ren attacked him without ever touching him. She did the same to the guards.”
Croak looked at him expectantly when he didn’t elaborate. He motioned with his hands. “How? What’s that mean?”
“According to Isher—and a few of the guards that were there—sheused some kind of… power. Somehow, she choked him, elevating him several feet off the ground.”
“Ren’s strong for a woman,” Croak grumbled.
“No,” Orry said, shaking his head, “No, you misunderstand. Croak, Isher and the guards all said she was nowherenearhim when she did it. She was standing by Lerek. Well away from where Isher had been sitting. When the guards came in, they saw her with her arms raised as if she were choking him, and there across the way, high up on one of the pergola columns, was Isher, flailing against invisible hands!”
Croak stared at him in horror he tried to mask by ducking his head. “They lie.”
“Croak.” Orry frowned across at his friend. He spread his hands. “All of them? I mean—I know it sounds absurd. Nothing like that has happened in close to a thousand years! When the last of the demigods were killed.”
