“Daris? Daris Antonius? How? What?—”
“I’ve already let him in, lord,” Talian interrupted, his harried gaze shifting between all of them. “He’ll be here any moment.”
“Listen,” Rydon said as he tugged on Sonah’s hand sharply. “He must be alone, but he’s still here for you. Play along andat the earliest opportunity, get yourself to the back exit. You remember where, aye?”
“Aye.”
Rydon gave her a brief nod before he ran out of the courtyard with Melanos. Bethana moved closer to Sonah and took hold of her hand.
Sonah pasted on her best smile (she didn’t have one) as the door opened and Daris walked through. Spotting her immediately, he flashed a quick smile before his face turned grim. As he neared, his usual stoic mask was firmly in place.
“Daris!”
Daris inclined his head as he stopped a few feet away. He muttered his greetings and gave a deep, formal bow to the abbot.
“It is a pleasure, Abbot.”
Abbot Malis smiled warmly at Daris. “You are always welcome, son, as long as you mean no harm to anyone under my protection.”
Daris had the good grace to duck his head as he smiled. “I assure you, I am not here with ill intentions. Just a warning, for the lady.”
“What warning?”
Daris’s eye widened as he looked at Bethana. His brow furrowed as he glanced at Sonah.
Sonah colored. Gesturing to the nymph, she said in a voice reminiscent of a screeching cat, “Daris, this is Bethana.”
“Lady,” Daris murmured after a long pause.
“I’ve heard much about you, Commander,” Bethana said in her soft, musical voice.
“All good, I hope.”
Bethana grinned at Sonah, whose blush took over her whole body. “Of course. If it was otherwise, I wouldn’t have believed it. I had the measure of you when we first met.”
Daris hesitated, his good eye flicking to Abbot Malis before he turned to look at Sonah. Suppressing a shiver at the black leather patch over his destroyed right eye, Sonah dropped her gaze to his grimy boots.
“May I speak with you? Alone.”
The plea in his voice, soft and raspy though it was, made Sonah glance at Bethana, who tightened her grip. Glancing at her, the nymph winked and dropped her hand. She followed the abbot out of the courtyard.
Sonah turned back to the commander. There were a thousand other things she wished to do in that moment, but nowhere on her list was speaking with Daris Antonius after the disastrous way they’d left things the last time she’d seen him.
When they were alone, Sonah fiddled with the hem of her corset, looping her fingers around the strings until she wound them so tight around her forefinger it cut off all sensation.
“Are you still not speaking with me?”
Sonah’s gaze snapped up and for a moment words eluded her. What could she say? ‘I’m sorry for being so drunk I eavesdropped on a conversation I had no business spreading and ruined your relationship with my sister’ seemed appropriate but also very lacking.
“Daris,” she started, swallowing past the huge lump of regret in her throat. “I am so sorry.” She took a step closer, holding out her hands, palms up. “Really. I can’t say it enough. As soon as Ren comes, I’ll tell her what an idiot?—”
“She’s not here?”
The note of suspicion in his voice made her pause. Sonah scrunched her face. “I… no? I thought she’d be coming with you. I told Croak to let her know I’m here. He said he’d tell her himself and when you all were done with the fighting stuff, he’d bring her back. Are they not with you?”
Daris stifled whatever comment he was about to make and turned his head away. Sonah waited. Turning back, Daris brought a hand to his mouth as he considered.
“No. They are not. We had a—Ren had a… disagreement with Hermes. But I don’t see how even that would keep her away. I know how much she’s missed you.”
