Rydon shrugged, nonplussed. “I guess. She trusts him, at least.”
Daris colored as Rydon watched him. They were silent, with Melanos’s giant frame blocking them from anyone’s prying eyes.
“Why did they come to Metilai in the first place?”
Startled, Rydon glanced up at Melanos and shrugged. “That was the plan all along. Before we left Olympia, Hermes said we’d meet up here. But I know she wanted to come because of something she figured out about the prophecy. She saidsomething about it back in Ermanel when we found the prince. And Cassandra was adamant that?—”
“Who’s Cassandra?”
“The seer,” Rydon said with an uncertain glance at Melanos. At the blank look on the god’s face, Rydon grunted with impatience. “She was with us in Ravos. Blonde woman. About this tall?”
As Rydon gestured, a grin broke out on Melanos’s face.
“Aye, the little one who was draped all over you. Are you together, then?”
“What?” Rydon spluttered, feeling his face heat. “No, we are not together. She’s not… I’m not…”
“All right, what did the seer say about Metilai, then?” Daris cut in. “She was adamant about what?”
“That she follow Lerek. Join him in Metilai. She seemed to think we’d find an amulet here. An amulet with a terrible power. Something about twisting people’s desires until they’ve ruined themselves and everyone around them.”
Melanos snapped out his hand, clutching Rydon’s forearm hard enough to make him wince. When he looked up at the god to loosen his grip, Melanos’s eyes were wide with alarm.
“The Amulet of Kaïra? It’s here?”
Rydon frowned. “Aye. I guess. She seemed to think so.”
Melanos cursed under his breath, which worried Rydon.
“So how do we help?” Melanos asked, dropping his hand to stand akimbo. “We cannot allow Hermes to find that amulet.”
“The emperor searches for it as well,” Rydon grumbled. “Ren struck a bargain with Xoran, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, to find it. Who knows what nefarious plan Solon has for it.”
“Wait,” Daris said, shifting so Rydon was forced to look over at him. “You allied with Xoran? Wasn’t he one of the ones trying to kill Ren back when you first met her?”
Rydon shrugged and chuckled mirthlessly. “I said much the same to Ren at the time. Although, he’s proven trustworthy, thus far. As has Vassori. She and Ren have gotten close over the last few weeks.”
“Vassori is the tracker? What’s she have to do with this?”
“She’s Xoran’s sister.”
Daris stared back at him for a moment, incredulous.
“Someday, I hope to hear more of what happened to you all before we found each other again.”
“For now,” Melanos added with a scowl, “we need to find a way inside. Perhaps we can help with Croak’s escape.”
“I think I have a way.”
Startled, they all took a step back as Sonah ducked out from Daris’s tent.
Sonah struttedtoward the first part of her plan: Hermes.
The god was inside his tent, the largest in the encampment. He’d left her alone for most of the journey to Metilai, although she caught him more than once staring at her. She wondered if he was still upset over her defiance at Lethe, but the way he looked at her was more frustrated confusion than annoyance.
Sonah squared her shoulders as she approached, the two soldiers posted outside eyeing her warily. She’d not voluntarily been in Hermes’s presence before, and Rydon had worried her sudden interest would instantly alert him to her hidden agenda.
While it was a worry, it wasn’t what preoccupied Sonah right then as she gave both of the guards a tight smile and asked to enter.
