“Really?” Sonah brightened. “So… you two… talked? Is everything all right between you again?”
Daris scowled and turned his head away. “We did speak, aye. But, no. There’s been a… complication.”
“Complication?” Sonah frowned. Crossing her arms, she waited for Daris to say more. When it became apparent he wouldn’t, Sonah reached out, laying a hand on his chest. “What do you mean, Daris? What’s happened?”
“You must be Commander Daris Antonius.”
Sonah groaned, clamping her mouth tight as she closed her eyes and counted to five. When she opened them, Leander stood beside her, his muscled arms crossed at his chest. He wore a sleeveless tunic, much as he’d done while they traveled, claiming his blood ran hot because of the whole shifter thing.
“Leander—”
“Aye, I am. And you are…?” Daris asked, his scratchy voice pleasant as he smiled over at Leander. Sonah rolled her eyes when she caught the wink he sent her.
“Daris, this is Leander.” She frowned and turned to Leander whose chest looked about three sizes bigger than it had earlier. “I forgot to ask if you have a last name? Sorry, that’s weird.”
“I am Leander of Gadanar.”
“A little far from Osta, aren’t you?”
Sonah’s head swung back and forth between the two men as they spoke.
Leander shrugged. “It’s been many years since I’ve been.”
“What brings you to these parts?”
Raising his chin a notch, Leander narrowed his green eyes. “Found my way into the company of this beautiful lady. What bringsyouto these parts?”
Sonah wanted to melt into the ground. What was he doing? Whatever would possess him to speak like this to the Commander of the Liodari?TheLiodari!
Thankfully, when Sonah lifted her hotter-than-the-sun red face to Daris, she caught the faint smile on his face.
“I’ve also found my way to this beautiful lady.” Again with the wink to Sonah, which Leander must’ve caught because he moved closer to her.
“He’s my sister’s eudeamon,” Sonah grumbled, taking a step away.
“Really?”
Sonah nodded.
“Croak told you?”
Looking back at Daris, Sonah nodded. “No, Pytho did. Long story. But Croak said he and the others went looking for a tracker in Ovenno on Hermes’s orders and then they found Cassandra in Ermanel, and she’s the one that told them, although I haven’t met?—”
“Sonah!”
Sonah barely registered the large body that all but tackled her. Solid arms banded around her and lifted her off the ground. Sonah squeaked as Jason swung her around before setting her back on the ground. Her cheeks flamed when he leaned down and kissed her cheek with a loud smack.
Now would be a fantastic time for her to manifest a divine power like invisibility. Between Daris’s amused expression, Jason’s grinning, beautiful face she’d definitely missed these past months, and Leander’s thunderous mien, Sonah felt certain that somewhere in the realm the Fates were laughing.
Stepping back soJason had more room, Daris grinned at Sonah’s red face. The man standing over her shoulder like an enraged gargoyle looked at his lieutenant with murder in his eyes. Fane came up just then and her face lit up momentarily when she spotted him.
After she’d embraced him and the Spartan soldiers who’d ridden with him, Sonah turned back to Jason and blushed.
“Where’ve you been?” Jason asked, his eyes sparkling as he searched Sonah’s face. “We’ve been all over the continent looking for you! Why’d you leave in the first place?”
Daris could tell by the stunned look on Sonah’s face she had no idea what question to answer or who to speak to. The man beside her, Leander, puffed out his chest as if that alone would deter Jason. But Jason had eyes only for Sonah. Daris worried his lieutenant was still enamored of the little goddess.
“We don’t have time for that.” Daris moved closer to Sonah. With a wary glance at her protector, Leander, Daris frowned. “Hermes is on his way. You need to leave. Now. Tell Bethana?—”
