“Stop flirting with Rydon! I need you a moment.”
Laughter rose around them as Cassandra grinned and whirled away from Rydon, swishing her hips in a decidedly exaggerated fashion. Rydon’s eyes were riveted on her movements.
“Yes, oh goddess divine?”
Terena twisted her lips. “Tell me again where the amulet is?”
Cassandra’s smile fell as her expression turned serious. “It should be in the duke’s chambers, inside Sydney Hall. It was there the last time I saw it. In a drawer by the bed. My vision confirmed it’s there.”
“You were in Duke Ravos’s bedchambers?” Croak scoffed.
Cassandra gave him a nasty smile. “The previous duke’s, aye.”
“Oh gods,” Croak said as he put his hand to his mouth and stared as her as if she’d sprouted horns. “Old Duke Ravos? That guy was missing the whole front bottom row of his teeth! And he had a mole the size of the continent on his neck which I’m fairly certain was a twin he’d eaten in the womb. You were sleeping with that guy?”
Terena threw her head back and laughed, even as the seer punched Croak in the arm. He flinched back and whined about it as she yelled at him. Vassori turned to greet Migela, who strolled up and grinned, watching with arms akimbo.
“I didn’t mean the old, old duke! You do know Lord Galen is the new duke, aye? I slept withhisfather.Thatduke.”
Croak waggled his eyebrows. “Oh, that duke was ravishing. Too bad Emperor Solon had his face melted off.”
Cassandra’s face grew thunderous and Terena reached out to pull Croak away. Clearly, her brother lacked the survival instincts every other human was born with.
“Enough,” Terena said, looking between the two. “So, you were with the former Duke Ravos and saw it in his bedchamber?”
“Aye.”
“Great. Galen hasn’t been the duke long enough to have changed the furnishings so we’ll start there.”
“What if Lord Hermes has already claimed the rooms? Should we tell him the amulet?—”
“No,” Terena shouted, then clamped her mouth shut as she looked around. She held out a hand to Cassandra, who’d been startled by her outburst. Leaning closer, Terena whispered, “I do not want him knowing about it. Not yet. I’ve told the others to keep quiet about it as well. I’ll tell him myself when I’m ready.”
Cassandra gave her a dubious look but nodded her assent, regardless.
“And what do we tell him when he sees all of us running around the castle?” Croak asked, still rubbing his arm where Cassandra had punched him.
“That we decided we’re staying at Sydney Hall as well.”
Daris waitedfor Hermes to finish speaking with his men before approaching. As the others left to do the god’s bidding, Daris looked around to ensure their privacy.
“You look like you could use a friend.”
Daris swung his gaze back to Hermes. The god smothered a smile as if he already knew what Daris wanted to discuss.
“May I have word?”
“Aye, of course,” Hermes said as he stretched his arms wide. “Come.”
He turned and strolled to a table on the left side of the room. The main hall looked as if it had been used to feed the soldiers, because the room was a mess. Dishes still had food on them, as if they’d been interrupted. There were chairs knocked over and water carafes still full in the middle of the trestle tables.
Daris licked his lips. His pulse raced and the way his throat clogged up, he should’ve taken more time with this idea. And yet, the longer he waited, the greater the chance he might lose her forever.
Bracing himself, Daris pushed away his hesitation and said, “I will swear an oath to you, Hermes. In return, you make me immortal and tell me how to break the soulmate bond.”
Daris caught the quick twitch of Hermes’s lips before the mask fell over his face, obscuring his emotions.
He was about to open his mouth to speak when someone shuffled into the hall, calling out to Hermes about Terena wanting access to a bedchamber.
