“And yet here he sits. Now where is my sister?”
“Who is your sister?”
“If you do not know by now that Sonah Yahn is my sister, then you are stupider than you look. Bring me Sonah Yahn. Now!”
“I am a duke, you insolent baggage! I am now Duke Ravos! And I will not?—”
“Luca,” Soros barked out. “Shall I?”
“No,” Terena grumbled, shaking her head. “No. Unfortunately, I need him still. At least until he BRINGS ME MY FUCKING SISTER!” This last was screamed up at the new Duke Ravos as Terena shot up in her stirrups.
The ground trembled beneath them.
Laughter sounded behind her from Hermes’s men as she sat back down. Terena caught Gabriol’s smug smile.
“Listen to what I’m trying to fucking tell you!” the duke roared at her. “I do not have Sonah Yahn! I don’t give a fuck about Sonah; never even gave her a moment’s thought except to laugh at how pathetic she was. Especially not since the day she was hauled away to be executed!”
“I know you have her, Galen. Send her down and I won’t kill you. Promise.”
There was a shuffling of bodies as the duke moved back. Rydon shifted, moving his mount closer to Terena.
“I don’t like this.”
“They won’t try anything,” Terena said, her eyes trained on the battlements. “Not with Lerek at my side.”
Galen, Duke Ravos, stepped back into view. Leaning his arms on the stone wall, he quipped, “Sit tight, Luca. She’ll be along shortly.”
He moved back, his grating laughter drifting down to them as he moved behind the cover of his men. When he again pushed to the front, he crossed his arms, smiling wolfishly at them.
“You’re not actually buying this shit,” Soros hissed, surprising Terena when he stopped at her side.
“You heard the scout,” Gabriol said. “She’s here.”
“And yet, any sane man with a god at his doorstep would’ve brought her out by now.” Soros replied with a sneer.
“Lord Galen?—!”
“I’m the duke now, you brat! You will address me properly or I will finish what the emperor clearly failed to do!”
“Oh my gods, this man!” Rydon sighed.
Terena grinned at him. Turning back to the apoplectic duke, Terena cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “I don’t fucking care what you call yourself these days, you overblown shit! You have five minutes to bring my sister to me.”
Terena didn’t wait for the man’s response. She turned Nyx and looked over at Captain Soros. “Pull your men back to that ridge there,” she said and nodded over the man’s shoulder. “I don’t want our men in range of their archers if this buffoon is stupider than he’s already shown himself to be.”
“What are you planning?” Rydon asked.
Terena leaned toward Lerek and yanked his gag down. She turned to Gabriol. “Take Lerek. I want you all next to Soros when Ravos’s men come out.”
“What?” Lerek scoffed, complaining, while Rydon and Gabriol voiced their concerns.
“Terena—”
“No! You can’t?—”
“Listen!” Terena hissed. They all shut their mouths. “I want him to get cocky. I want him to make a mistake and he’ll do so if you are all well away from me. I’m going to make his men come out and attack me.”
“You’re going to do what?” Gabriol scoffed.
