“But one of the better Olympians,” Bethana added. “He was always kind to me.”
Sonah frowned. “Another god? How? And what’s he doing with Daris?”
“I don’t know,” Melanos muttered, rubbing his hand across his beard.
“Is Terena with them?” Sonah asked excitedly, straightening in her saddle.
“No,” Melanos grunted. “She’s in Ravos now.”
“Ravos, why?”
“He does not say,” Melanos grunted. “But the commander is still in Ermanel. Looks to be a few days ahead of us. His man, Jason, will stay behind to meet up with us.”
Sonah swallowed, darting a glance at Leander, who watched her through narrowed eyes. Pressing her hands to her hot cheeks, Sonah ducked her head. She was acting foolishly. Jason hadn’t bothered to visit her while she’d been at Arestia Castle. So why should she care whether or not the Liodari was now waiting for them?
Sonah lifted her eyes to find Leander still staring at her. Blood of the gods! Why did she feel so awkward all of a sudden?
“Well, then… let’s start heading east,” Sonah said, flicking the reins and trotting off.
“Wrong way,” Fane called out.
Sonah’s face flamed as she wheeled her mount around and followed after the others.
ERMANEL
At night, Leander transformed into his wolf form to hunt for their dinner, which was convenient and about the only good thing she had to say for his company. Otherwise, she was on edge. And always too warm.
He’d sit too close, or lean in too close, or breathe too close. It was annoying.
She’d objected once when he’d returned with a brace of haddon, leporids with ears larger than Leander’s hands, their thick feet dragging on the ground as he held them at his side. He’d dumped them in front of a grinning Melanos. The god had gotten to work skinning the animals while Leander dropped onto a log beside Sonah. His breath stank, and she’d told him so, which did nothing to the man’s ego. Instead, he’d thrown his head back and laughed.
“Aye, it usually does after I go hunting.”
Sonah wasn’t pacified. “Well then, don’t sit so close to me!”
Leander had flashed her a wicked grin. “Well then, stop being so beautiful, and I will.”
Sonah groaned, recalling how hot she’d gotten at his words, even now pressing a hand to her overheated skin. Which was ridiculous because it’d been raining all morning and she was soaked and freezing.
“Everything all right back there?”
Sonah glanced at Melanos’s back and twisted her lips. She opened her mouth to retort when something whistled through the air.
“Cover!”
Leander’s roar made her ears ring and Sonah cried out when her horse reared back. Fane and the Spartans wheeled their mounts around until they encircled her. Shouts came at them from all sides, and Sonah’s breath caught. They were quickly overrun; Fane was knocked from his horse while soldiers attacked the Spartans, her protection gone.
Melanos bellowed something she couldn’t understand. Swinging around, Sonah saw Bethana running toward her. Sonah’s horse bucked and she lost her grip on the reins. The horse’s movements made her slip. With a cry, she fell awkwardly from its back.
The ground rushed up to meet her. She grunted as pain lanced up her arm and hip. Hands pulled at her, and she looked up to see Bethana screaming at her, her beautiful face contorted. At last, Sonah shook herself out of her stupor and scrambled to stand.
Sonah screeched when someone tore her away from Bethana, grabbing her braid and yanking hard. She slammed back onto the wet ground.
Fighting for air, Sonah scrabbled on the slick grass when a soldier forced her back down, pinning her with his much larger and heavily armored body. Myriad shouts and cries filled the clearing, but Sonah saw nothing but stars, the pain in her scalpalmost unbearable. She struggled to breathe as he crushed her ribs with his thighs.
Turning her head, she looked up into the hate-filled eyes of the soldier, his wet and muddied uniform the white and gold of Heylisia but with the eagle emblem of Ovenno stamped on his breastplate.
That thought registered a second before the man raised his hand, his sword aimed at her heart.
