When they left the room, the guards from yesterday had been changed out with two she didn’t recognize. They tilted their heads at her before shifting their focus back towards the opposite wall.
The door next to hers flew open, and Askold tumbled out.
“Seda! Good morning!” Askold exclaimed as he approached. “Nice dress!”
“Morning, Askold. Thank you. Did you sleep okay?” Seda politely asked as he stepped beside her.
“Sure did. Feel like a billion food tokens,” he replied with a grin and a wink.
Another door opened, and Roya and Ferona stepped out, appearing as if they hadn’t slept well all night.
“Everything okay?” Seda asked them.
“There’s something we need to discuss,” Ferona said with a downturned mouth.
“Have you heard from the Corvids?” Seda asked.
Ferona and Roya nodded.
“Your father’s been promoted to Lord of Joro. No one has seen Mordred since,” Ferona said.
Seda gasped. “How’s that possible?”
“We don’t know yet. But we’ll try to find out,” Roya added.
Luelle walked up the hall and met them. Seda noticed Luelle smile at Ferona and step alongside her.
“Does Benny know?” she asked the Corvids.
“Yes. We told—” Roya began, but was rudely cut off by Suza.
“Let’s go!” The mean woman snarled at them.
“Damn, calm your chonies.” Luelle rolled her eyes at her. “I just got here. We can leave now.”
Seda turned to follow Suza, who was giving them all dirty looks as she gestured for them to hurry their pace. Seda’s mind was racing. Learning her father was now the Lord of Joro and knew what was going on in the Camp made no sense. It wasn’t like him at all. He started the Rising, after all.
When they entered the room, everyone else was already there. Benny sat next to Praxis, who sat beside Neoma, who sat next to Meir, who sat next to Cahir.
Cahir motioned for Seda to sit beside him again.
She walked over and sat in her chair, recalling last night and him touching her dangerously close. Heat bloomed in her belly, and Cahir looked at her quickly. She locked her eyes with his, and they stared at each other for a long moment.
“I don’t know about all of you, but I slept like a rock.” Luelle broke the staring contest and smiled at Neoma, as if she were hiding a secret. “How wasyournight, Neoma?”
“Uneventful,” Neoma replied too quickly.
Praxis quickly glanced at her with wide eyes, his jaw falling open. Then he muttered something under his breath.
“Is that so?” Luelle pressed, smirking at Praxis.
“Didn’t you learn your lesson last night?” Meir scolded Luelle. “You embarrassed yourself and got kicked out of this very room.”
“I recall that rather fondly,” Praxis chimed in, and Luelle glared at him.
“Where’s Ojore?” Seda asked, just now realizing he wasn’t in the room.
“He left early this morning to join the others on the trade route,” Cahir answered.
