“We have to get there before Hermes!” Daris shouted to Melanos. The giant god smashed the head of one of the Heylian soldiers, pointed to Daris and nodded. He knew Melanos wasstill worried about Bethana, but the moment Hermes had focused on Metilai and sacking the city, the nymph was no longer in danger. Leander would watch over her and Sonah.
When Sonah had come tearing out of Hermes’s tent earlier, she’d made Rydon go to the palace in place of Daris. He’d objected, only to have Sonah yell at him he was no longer immortal, and Ren would kill her if he died because of Sonah. Rydon had agreed, even as Daris chaffed at being left behind.
He was a warrior, ready to die for Terena, and no one would stop him.
Melanos had stopped him with a bonk to his head from his giant, meaty fist. By the time Daris had come around, Rydon was already gone.
As they made their way through the city now, Daris spared a thought to the carnage surrounding them. This was worse than any he’d seen in battle before, and he scowled at the bodies littering the city streets as they neared the palace. Most of the casualties were ordinary citizens. His blood boiled as they passed yet another woman with deep wounds, dead eyes staring into the night.
“How will we get inside?” Melanos yelled over to him as they ran.
“Rydon will come out. Be ready.”
Just as they approached the palace gates, another quake shook the ground beneath them. Daris stumbled as Hermes cackled ahead of them. A second later, they all dropped back as every window in the palace exploded.
Chapter 48
METILAI
Rydon ran through the corridor outside of the ballroom, the masses racing around him in every direction. He shouted, calling out Cassandra’s name as his head swiveled around, his eyes wild, searching for the seer. His pulse roared in his ears, mixing with the shouts of frightened royals, nobles and servants, everyone unfortunate enough to be trapped inside while Hermes’s men raced toward them.
“Rydon!”
He whipped around and his eyes widened, his heart squeezing as Cassandra screamed his name. At last, the bodies parted and he saw Migela shoving her way toward him with Cassandra clutching the assassin’s waist.
Rydon’s relief was immediate, and he became lightheaded. Stumbling forward, he threw his arms around both women, dropping a kiss on Cassandra’s blonde head.
He growled and roared at people to move as he shouldered his way back toward the ballroom with Cassandra sheltered close to his body.
When they were safely away from the press of those trying to escape, Rydon turned to address Migela, but the little seer grabbed hold of his tunic, her grip surprisingly strong.
“It’s not Sonah! I mean, itisSonah but not yourSonah!”
Rydon could not make sense of what she was saying and when he glanced at Migela, the assassin’s hands flew in the language of the mute. He lifted his hands in surrender, his mouth dropping open. Migela huffed in frustration.
Cassandra whirled him back to face her and he blinked down into her slate eyes. “I think Vassori betrayed us! I saw her! I saw her speaking to that woman and she called her Sonah! She said, this way, Lady Sonah. And then the woman turned, and it was not our Sonah! It was a different woman but she had the amulet, Rydon! The Amulet of Kaïra! She was wearing it, and they called her ‘Lady Sonah’!”
Rydon did not know what to make of her rantings but he grabbed hold of Cassandra’s arms and shook her gently.
“Listen, listen! Right now, I need you and Migela to follow me out of here. Terena and Gabriol are waiting in the dungeons for you and I?—”
Migela snapped her fingers at him and then started doing her hand language.
He shook his head in frustration. “I don’t know?—”
“She says she knows where the dungeons are and she can take us there herself,” Cassandra snapped, her eyes flashing up at Rydon.
He nodded. “Good. All right, go now. I have to get to Hermes before he finds Ren. Go!”
The women took off and he watched them run to the far side of the ballroom. Before he turned away, Cassandra looked over her shoulder. Their eyes caught and held until Migela grabbed her and shoved her through a door and out of sight.
Terena shookGabriol by the shoulders, her eyes wild as she pleaded with him. “I don’t have anyone else I can trust with this! It has to be you, Gabriol, please!”
Lerek hung back near the archway in the very back part of the dungeons, his vacant gaze on the ground. Cassandra and Migela held each other as Terena gazed up at Gabriol.
They had arrived a few minutes ago as Gabriol was about to go back up to search for them. After exchanging brief hugs, they had made their way toward the exit when Terena grabbed Gabe, stopping him.
Gabriol shook his head, his eyes falling away from her. Terena choked back a sob. She thrust her hand beneath her leather armor and pulled out the oilcloth-wrapped shroud, shoving it against Gabriol’s chest.
