Soros hesitated, and Terena felt his gaze searching her face, but she dared not look away from Isher. “I thought?—”
“Leave,” Terena said, turning at last to face the captain. Whatever he saw on her face made him throw his hands up in compliance. She turned back to Isher when Soros left.
The silence was thick, pressing in on all sides until all she could hear was a deafening roar in her ears. Isher didn’t take his eyes off her.
He started speaking, his words garbled behind the gag, and he shook his head. Bringing up his right leg, he planted his foot and rose unsteadily. The prince breathed heavily, watching her, eyes filled with fury. But there was wonder there, too.
And then his face softened, and he gazed at her with?—
Terena cursed and moved, striding forward to yank him around. She grabbed hold of one of his wrists and unsheathed her dagger. Moving the blade to cut the bindings, she spotted the bracelet on his wrist.
Terena froze.
Exhaling raggedly, she grabbed a fistful of his tunic and spun him to face her, dagger raised to his face as she yanked the gag from his mouth. Taking two steps back, she sneered at him.
“You fucking worthless dog,” she said softly, an edge to her voice she saw gave him pause. “That bangle you wear was a gift I gave Lerek. Is it not enough he’s dead? You need tobecomehim?”
Isher closed his eyes and when he opened them once more, she saw something she hadn’t seen in a very long time.
Dread flashed through her.
“After everything we are to each other, it saddens me you think I’m my brother.”
Terena’s mind screamed at her until she thought she might faint. Taking another step back, she shook her head.
The prince lifted his chin and smiled. The way Lerek used to smile at her.
“Say it,” he whispered.
Terena shook her head again.
He took a step closer and stopped. “Say it.”
Her lips parted and her heart thundered behind her ribs. She felt as if the world had stopped turning.
Swallowing, Terena took another step back. But she could not escape what was in front of her eyes. What her heart knew before her mind did.
“Lerek.”
Lerek stared at Terena,drinking in everything about her, from her disheveled sable hair to the mud-crusted boots as she paced in front of him. She was more beautiful than he remembered. Harder, too. Her face seemed thinner, and her hazel eyes had an almost manic glint to them, although maybe it was shock at seeing him alive.
“How?”
Lerek blinked out of his reverie to focus on her question. “How? That is a very convoluted story.”
“Try anyway,” Terena bit out, twin spots of color pinking her cheeks.
He sighed. “Might I have some water? Your men stole me away from camp some time ago and I am parched.”
Terena’s beautiful eyes narrowed. “Swallow your spit.”
“Not going to make this easy, are you?”
Terena laughed, the sound snapping out at him like a slap, and he flinched back.
“No,Lerek.I don’t think I will.” She walked to him, stopping within inches of him. “Start talking.”
Lerek straightened. This was a very different Terena from the one he’d known his whole life. The one who had befriended him when most children were scared to say anything to the crown prince.
