Sonah cringed at the man’s words, a new fear igniting within her at the thought of the scarred and surly captain joining them.
Shifting her leg, Sonah winced against the instant rush of feeling needling her foot as it came awake. Even with how slight the movement was, the guard’s head snapped in her direction, and Sonah grimaced when he frowned over at her.
“Good,” Otto barked, striding the few steps toward her. “You’re awake.”
He bent over, untying the rope over her arms and she slumped forward. She barely sighed with relief before the man snatched the rope at her wrists. Sonah gasped as she was yanked upright. A sinking feeling came over Sonah and she wished she were somewhere she could speak with Lerek alone.
“Perhaps you’d like to hear it from one of Terena Luca’s co-conspirators. She can tell you all about how close the commander and your Royal Tracker have gotten.”
Sonah let out a squeak of surprise as Otto shoved her forward. Lerek caught her before she fell. With a grunt, he quickly untied the rope at her wrists. As the hemp fell away, Sonah sighed and rubbed at her chafed wrists, shooting a glare at the guard.
“Sonah,” Lerek said, his voice rough. Sonah winced, unable to look at him. “Sonah, is Terena allied with Sparta? Does she… are she and the commander…”
He didn’t finish, and coward that Sonah was, she waited so she’d have more time to gather her thoughts.
So much to say, but not in front of Otto. Both Lerek and Terena deserved better.
She swallowed. “So… you were dead.”
Otto snorted. Lerek raised his eyes in warning before returning his stare to Sonah.
“You all thought I was dead. I understand that. But what I don’t understand is how you continued to think so when itwas Daris Antonius and his men who took me from the White Palace.”
Sonah cringed away as Lerek’s voice rose. Around them, the sounds from the soldiers nearby stopped altogether, and she realized they had a bigger audience.
Panicking about how to respond, Sonah opened her mouth to speak when shouts at her back saved her.
Both men turnedtoward the noise and Sonah ran. Lerek reached out, grabbing hold of her arm. In her panic, Sonah whirled, slamming her fist into the side of his face.
Stumbling in shock as she watched Lerek fall back, Sonah’s mouth fell open. Otto roared and snapped forward, grabbing a fistful of Sonah’s hair when she turned away, and she shrieked at the pain tearing at her scalp.
Her foot slid out from under her and she fell, screaming again as Otto’s grip snagged what she was sure was half her hair. Turning to scramble up, Sonah gaped as a large animal leaped over the fire and slammed into the guard. Taking advantage of the chaos, she pitched forward, running for her life.
Branches tore at her clothes and face, but Sonah was mindless as she ran through the woods, the cries of the soldiers fading behind her. Something sounded at her back, and Sonah whipped her head around, her throat seizing as a giant shadow tore through the trees.
Sonah turned back, but her foot snagged on a root. Her momentum hurled her forward and she screamed as the groundrose to meet her. Her hands shot out to break her fall and she screamed again when her wrist snapped as she hit the ground.
Tears tracked down her face and she turned, her eyes wide and body shaking. Sonah held her broken wrist to her chest as her ribs squeezed painfully.
She had no weapon, and she was wounded.
And something gigantic was now prowling out of the shadows toward her.
A low growl sounded, and she swallowed past the thick lump in her throat, her eyes wild as she regarded the large dog salivating before her.
Sonah scrambling back. She let out a squeak as a form became visible in the mist.
Sonah’s eyes widened to saucers, her mouth dropping open as the form took shape and a woman stood before her. As Sonah watched the woman kneeling before her, a shaft of moonlight illuminated the woman’s face. Long black hair framed a dark face lined with ink, symbols drawn on almost every inch of it. The woman leaned forward, impassive as she stared at Sonah. Curiosity and calculation were behind the gaze of the woman before her and Sonah remained still as death, waiting.
She jerked as the dog crept closer, having forgotten the animal momentarily.
The woman lifted her hand without moving her gaze from Sonah and the dog settled on his belly, shifting his head so his snout nuzzled against the woman’s palm.
The silence went on for so long, Sonah felt her pulse quicken, and she licked her dry lips. Compelled to speak as usual when she was nervous, Sonah opened her mouth, but the woman’s voice stopped her.
“Sonah,” she said in a voice both soft and forceful and something shifted inside Sonah. All at once, her body relaxedand her heart slowed until she felt a languid heat fill her. Her lids became heavy.
Whispers sounded all around, growing louder, pressing in on Sonah before they stopped abruptly. Her gaze still locked on the strange woman, Sonah felt at peace.
