“We heard what happened, if that’s what you mean,” Abbot Malis said as he took a seat at Sonah’s side. Orry took a seat in an arm chair by the desk. The abbot looked out at each of them. He had kind eyes, set deep in a thin face lined with fine wrinkles at the corners of hiseyes and mouth. Croak imagined he was older than Rydon, although he wasn’t great at guessing someone’s age.
“And what’s happened?” Rydon pushed.
Sonah took hold of the abbot’s hand. Rydon shot a look at Gabriol that clearly showed they were wondering at the relationship, same as Croak.
“First, the sad news of the prince’s murder,” Abbot Malis said, casting a sympathetic look at Sonah. She dropped her gaze to her lap. “Then of course the escape of the two thought to have carried out such a heinous crime, although,” here, the abbot had squeezed Sonah’s hand, “we did not believe a word of it. And we thanked Gaia for sparing Sonah.” The abbot then looked up at each of the men standing before him and, with his heart in his brown eyes, bowed his head. “We thank you, as well.”
Croak had shifted uncomfortably. The conversation then turned to Terena and her injuries, sleeping arrangements, and how long they could stay before Terena was well enough to travel.
The abbot had said no one from Metilai had come to their doors, and if anyone from the empire bothered to seek them out at the monastery, the abbot assured them he had a place for them to hide.
The question Croak had been asking himself was, why?
He’d just left Terena’s sick room, happy her color had returned when he caught sight of Sonah sitting with a monk in the courtyard. As he moved a few steps closer, he saw her wave brightly at two monks walking across from her.
He frowned and leaned against a pillar, watching her.
“You thinking the same thing I’m thinking?”
Croak glanced to his right to see Rydon sauntering over, his thumbs tucked into his sword belt. He was wearing clean breeches and a white tunic and, for the first time since he’d met him, didn’t look as menacing. His red beard was trimmed neatly and even his hair was tamed and tied at the back of his head.
“Are you thinking it’s been a couple of weeks since you’ve had sex and maybe taking a chance and going into town is not a bad idea?”
Rydon snorted. “Are you ever serious?”
“I’ve got plenty of time to be serious when I’m old like you.”
Rydon arched an eyebrow at him then turned to look out at the courtyard. “Don’t be any more ridiculous than you already are. I was talking about Sonah.”
“What about her?”
“She’s familiar with the monks here. I know she claimed she was here when she was younger, but I’m curious how the daughter of a duke would’ve become so attached to the monks of a monastery in Ravos.”
Croak shrugged. “I’ve known her since she was ten and this is the first I’ve even heard she had any knowledge of a random monastery in Ravos.”
“How’s your sister?”
Croak shifted. “Much better. Asking when we can head north, of course.”
“Well, we can’t do that yet. We need?—”
“Master Croak! Master Rydon! Quickly!”
A monk by the name of Daniel was huffing his way toward them and Croak looked back out at the courtyard to see Sonah running to them, her face a mask of terror.
“What’s happened?” Rydon demanded. Gabriol and Orry came around the corner with another monk escorting them, the monk’s face pale and pinched.
“Heylisian soldiers are here,” the monk said breathlessly as he caught up to them. When the others came close, he looked up anxiously at Sonah. “Abbot Malis is with them now, but he wanted me to find you.”
Gabriol cursed, and Rydon shoved past Croak toward Terena’s room. Croak had a second to look at him before he turned back to the monk. “Where do we go?”
“We anticipated something like this since your arrival, so if you’ll follow me, I can hide you until they’ve gone. If you need to leave, the packs we’ve gathered for you will be with you and you can go from there.”
Sonah grabbed hold of Orry’s hand and they all followed afterDaniel, Croak lagging behind long enough for Rydon to come through the door. Terena was secure at his side, her face a kaleidoscope of colors from the bruises, but standing for the first time since they’d rescued her.
He came up on her right and helped Rydon carry her along.
Croak’s heart raced as they moved into the corridor leading to the dormitories. They turned left down some steps and then into a much darker hallway.
