Sonah Yahn stared at Crown Prince Lerek of Heylisia as if she’d seen a ghost.
Hewasa ghost.
He had to be.
Prince Lerek was murdered on his terrace in Metilai seven months ago.
And Sonah should know; she was accused—along with her sister, Terena Luca—of his murder.
Clutching the towel tight in her shaking hands, Sonah took a few tentative steps toward him.
“Prince Lerek?”
“Aye, Sonah,” he said, with the same heartbreaking smile she knew so well. “It’s me. I heard you were back here and thank the gods, I found the right tunnel exit this time.”
“Tunnel? Prince?—”
He came at her so fast she gasped as he threw his arms around her in a fierce embrace. Sonah froze, then lifted a hand to his back in a feeble attempt at a hug. Her mind struggled to keep up with reality. She trembled, and Lerek’s arms tightened.
Dropping a kiss on her head before pulling back, Prince Lerek grinned at her, his brown eyes swimming with unshed tears. He swallowed a few times and chuckled.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” he said, his voice gruff. “Where’s Terena? Is she with you?”
Sonah’s stomach fell. She felt like throwing up. Images of Terena fighting Daris Antonius in Messene over what Sonah had told her flashed behind her eyes.
She was an idiot. And she should’ve kept her big idiot mouth shut.
“No, Prince?—”
“It’s Lerek, Sonah. For the millionth time.”
“Lerek,” she said and cleared her throat. “No, Lerek. By now, she’s with the new king in the north.”
He seemed dejected at her answer. She reached out and grabbed the sleeves of his tunic. When his cheeks colored, Sonah fumbled at her towel and ducked back into the bathing chamber.
Snatching her robe from the chair near the tub, she called out apologies to the prince. After cinching the sash tight around her waist, she smoothed her hair and walked out of the room to face him.
“What happened to you? How are you not dead?”
He looked the same as he had all those months ago, except his hair was much shorter and he wore the clothes of a Spartan courtier.
Then it hit her.
Isher. Isher is dead.
Sonah shook. The blood leeched down her body and she felt cold. So horribly cold.
“Gods,” she whispered, shaking her head as the tears Lerek had held back finally fell. Sonah choked on a sob and Lerek rushed forward once more. He held her close as she cried, thoughts of Isher throughout the years flooding her mind,tearing at her soul. Her knees buckled and Lerek bent with her, cradling her as she kneeled on the floor and sobbed.
At length, her trembling settled, and she hiccuped as she pulled back to look at the prince.
“Was it… was it Daris? Was it Daris Antonius that killed him?”
“No,” Lerek rushed to respond. “No. Gods, Sonah. There’s so much to tell you. I fear I don’t have time?—”
“We have time!” she cried, her fingernails digging through the silk of his sleeves. “I need to know! I made a terrible mistake, Lerek, and I need to see if I can make it right!”
“Sonah, you were bathing,” Lerek said and looked pointedly at the robe barely covering her.
