“Stop calling me that,” Terena muttered, yanking on Rydon’s wrist. He finally let go, allowing her to pull him away, but he continued to stare at the man.
Terena looked at him a moment more before turning to Xoran, her eyes gleaming. “You lie. You lie because Hermes himself made Rydon my eudaemon.”
Xoran stared back at her, his lips falling to a frown. He wagged a finger at her. “He made him the heir’s eudaemon.”
“What?” Croak asked.
Rydon blinked at Xoran. “Aye. And Terena is?—”
“Not the heir,” Terena sighed, her hand drifting to Rydon’s bicep. He swung around to look at her, his heart heavy.
“What?”
“I don’t understand,” Croak said, moving closer to Rydon’s side.
“I… didn’t tell you about my conversation with Hermes when we first arrived in Olympia,” Terena replied. Her hand slipped off Rydon’s arm and she brought both hands to her face as she shook her head.
“That was… that was over a month ago!” Croak cried out, arms spread as if he was the wronged party in all this.
“It just—it slipped my mind!”
“What? How the fuck?—!”
“Croak, please,” Terena groaned, finally dropping her hands. She turned to face her brother. “I have a lot on my fucking mind these days and the order of my birth was really low on that list!”
“Well, what do you think now?” he asked, exasperated, as he motioned to Rydon with his palms up.
“How’s that possible? You’re older?—”
“We’ll speak on it more later,” she replied through gritted teeth, giving Rydon a pointed stare.
“Terena, I?—”
“You’re wasting time,” Xoran cut in. “The emperor tasked Duke Ovenno to return with Sonah Yahn. He has something he’s holding over the duke. I know not what, but he agreed to hand her over in exchange for something. I am to meet them in Calla and escort the lady back to Metilai.”
“What could Solon have over the duke to make him do his bidding?” Rydon pondered.
“As I said,” Xoran replied, cutting him an insolent glare, “it matters not, because the emperor has no plan to give it to him. He ordered me to bring Sonah to the White Palace.Duke Ovenno was never going to get back whatever it is he’d exchanged Sonah’s life for.”
“So your plan is to what, hold my sister hostage for an amulet?” Ren’s face closed up as she stared at the captain.
“I do not wish ill on your sister, I truly don’t. But if I’m to betray the emperor, I at least deserve the amulet in return for my trouble.”
“This is bullshit,” she said and turned, striding for the door.
“I’m going with you,” Vassori said, moving toward Terena. Her brother reached out, grabbing hold of her wrist.
“Vas—”
“You’re playing with a god right now,” Vassori snarled, yanking her wrist away. “How fucked up are you? Do you know what she can do to us?”
“Believe me,” he griped, “I do know. I was there when they were about to execute her.”
“Oh, aye, let’s bring upthatjoyous occasion,” Croak scoffed.
“The duke’s allies have retreated to their own provinces. He is all alone against Emperor Solon right now. In case you haven’t heard, Colinas fell a fortnight ago; The emperor sent Duke Ravos to Calla with half his face melted off. Duke Ovenno’s facing annihilation if he doesn’t bring Sonah Yahn back from Sparta. The emperor promised to do worse to him than Duke Ravos if he failed.”
Rydon could feel Terena stiffen at his side with each word from the captain. Her face turned ashen and a deep scarlet in quick succession.
