Sonah turned, curious, her eyes widening when they brought in Leander.
Sonah’s movements became frantic. What had he done to Leander? She turned to Rydon, who stood beside Daris at the bottom of the dais. “Rydon! Help me!”
Rydon’s face was pained as he lifted sad eyes to Sonah. Daris looked downright murderous.
“Let me go,” Sonah said, tugging at the god’s arm.
Hermes laughed. To Terena he said, “You know I won’t do that, dear niece. Why don’t you stop whatever foolishness this is, so we can all enjoy our victory.”
“Let her go!” Terena screamed.
Sonah gawked at her sister when the room shook.
“Daris!”
The commander pulled his gaze away from Ren and frowned at Sonah.
“Please, help me!”
Daris spared a glance for Hermes before he said, “I’m sorry, Sonah.”
“Rydon! Please?—”
“Don’t waste your breath, child,” Hermes said. “I hold the mercenary as long as I hold you. And the commander… well, let’s just say his life is now bound to me.”
“What?” Sonah gasped, her head swinging from left to right. Both men looked angry, but beneath, she saw the frustration that ate at them. The way Rydon would not look over at her, the high color in his face as he continued to look anywhere but at her.
And Daris. His face was thunderous, ready to unleash a storm. He looked to be in so much pain, Sonah felt a momentary sympathy for him.
Then she got angry.
“You two are the most useless warriors a lady could ever have the misfortune of surrounding herself with!” she grumbled.
Turning back to Terena, who paced near the center of the room, she yelled, “Don’t do it, Ren! I’ll find a way to get free and then we’ll make him sorry! He can’t hurt us!”
Hermes chuckled and leaned close to her ear. “You won’t get free, little niece. And you’re mistaken, because Icanhurt you, remember? I can hurt your pet wolf, here. So do not test me.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Sonah seethed.
Hermes smiled cruelly. “You want to play? I warn you; I’m too strong and you’re not strong enough.”
Sonah snapped around and snarled at him. “We both knowthat’snot true. Or did you forget our conversation outside the city?”
Hermes’s sneer faltered and he snatched hold of her arm.
“Let her fucking go!” Daris yelled.
Sonah turned her head to see him struggling against whatever hold Hermes had him under. He almost broke through the invisible bonds, the veins in his neck straining, muscles bulging, and she gasped at his raw power.
“Oh not you too, Commander,” Hermes chuckled, although she noted the uncertainty in his expression. Hermes had zero problems holding onto Sonah as she struggled against his grip. “Terena, look, even your lover is moved to speak up at last! Rydon!”
Before Sonah knew what he was about, she yelped when Hermes dropped his arm and shoved her toward Rydon. She stumbled into him, glaring daggers at Hermes as Rydon wrapped her in his arms and moved her away. Leander was still frozen in place, his face and neck red with exertion as he tried to break free of Hermes’s control.
Rydon tried to calm her when she struggled to get to Terena, crying in frustration. Terena stood still with her hands balled at her sides, her face scarlet and her lips thinned to the point they disappeared.
“Now,” Hermes said, stepping down from the dais in a leisurely fashion as he made his way to Daris’s side. Sonah balked when Hermes grabbed Daris and hauled him bodily in front of him, steadying the Liodari commander with a chokehold on his breastplate. Daris struggled, his face identical to her sister’s in color and temperament.
“Perhaps I’ll take your lover’s other eye?” Hermes mused, a dagger in his hands faster than Sonah could blink. Renewing her screaming and yelling, she switched the focus of her cries to Hermes, begging him to release Daris.
