He was silent, hoping some of what he had shared was sinking in. He dropped his chin, then lifted his eyes once more to his friend. “Also… I talked with Ren. She said?—”
“Stop.”
“Remember the time?—”
“Stop. Orry.”
Orry pressed his lips together and leaned back.
A long time passed before either spoke.
“I wish we had the luxury of time, Croak, but,” Orry shook his head. “I need you. I need your help to free her. They’re going to make it a public execution. Not only is she being charged with murder and treason, but she’ll be executed as a god.” He shook his head when Croak leaned forward with his mouth open and forestalled him. “Listen, I gave my judgement she is not a god — if she was, she’d have manifested powers to free herself. The fact she cannot heal after the tort—sorry… anyway. It didn’t matter what I said. I’m certain Peleon changed my judgement to suit his purposes.”
He looked across at Croak, his mouth screwed up in frustration. “They won’t let me back in to see her.” Orry reached out to Croak. “I hope you’ve thought of a way to get her out of this, Croak. Becausetomorrow she is going to be executed. I hope you have a plan to rescue her. Her and Sonah Yahn.”
Croak’s head snapped up. “Both?”
Orry scowled at him. “You honestly think I’d let another innocent be sacrificed because of the emperor’s grief? Ren said it too. We have to get them both. And we have a few hours to come up with how. So,” Orry sighed and slumped his shoulders. “What’s the plan?”
Sonah lookedacross at Terena Luca’s cell. Despite the shadows, Sonah managed to see the bruises on Terena’s face and body, with one eye swollen shut. Blood crusted her lip, and the hand hanging out of the bars was caked in blood and swollen.
The good eye stared back at her. “Who’s not your father?”
Sonah sniffed and wiped at her nose with her wrist. “Duke Ovenno. He’s not my father.”
Terena didn’t respond. Sonah closed her eyes and dropped her gaze to the middle of the room. “I feel strongly he is not coming because he doesn’t want to, not because he’s not at home. I’m not his daughter, so it’s a good possibility you’re not dying alone tomorrow.”
“We’ve known you for years, Sonah,” Terena said, her voice harsh. “If you’re not his daughter, who are you, then? What’s your real name?”
Sonah looked across at Terena, resigned. “Sonah is my real name. But Yahn is not.”
Terena scoffed. “Lie.”
“Truth,” Sonah said. “I’m an orphan. Left on the steps of the Lethe Monastery seventeen years ago. They only ever called me ‘Sonah’. Duchess Ovenno came to see me there, I was told, and my plight moved her so much she visited every year on the day I was brought there.”
Sonah shrugged. “When I was nine, the abbot took me to see Duke and Duchess Ovenno. A year later, on the tenth anniversary of my arrival, they presented me to Emperor Solon as Sonah Yahn. Icouldn’t even tell you if theyhada daughter, but I guess they must, because I was expected. I didn’t understand half of what went on that day. Only that I wouldn’t be going home to the monastery.” Sonah bent her head, her eyes glazed as she recalled. “I remember seeing my new room. Being presented to Sybil—Lady Maranou. I met the other girls the next day and gods, I rememberthatday very well, too.”
“How did you let it go on?”
Sonah lifted her eyes to Terena, blinking a few times to settle her focus. “Before he left, the duke said he would have the abbot murdered if I said anything. That man raised me,” she whispered. “I told myself I could do this. For him.”
A long silence pressed in. Sonah lost herself in her thoughts, then took a breath and said, “I’m scared.”
Terena said nothing for so long, Sonah thought she might not have heard. Didn’t matter. Didn’t stop it from being true.
“I am too.”
Sonah’s eyes welled.
“Why is this happening?” She hated how weak she must sound to this woman whom she admired.
“I don’t know. There are too many things it could be. But each time I think it must be this one,” Terena laughed, gesturing to Sonah with her hand, her voice bitter as she said, “I find out something likethat.”
“I only said it because you looked like, you know, hopeful,” Sonah grumbled. “I didn’t want you thinking we might get out of this because of the duke.”
“I understand it though,” Terena said, as if she hadn’t heard Sonah. “I don’t know any duke—any father—liking the idea of giving over his firstborn daughter to be the Royal Taster for the Crown Prince. Duke Ovenno doesn’t have a son, though. So either he didn’t want to give up his daughter and played a dangerous game by placing you in her stead, or?—”
Terena looked up, her jaw slack.
