Soren grasped inside herself for a hint of power strong enough to at least knock the three out. But whatever had a hold on her, blocking the magic and Vane, tightened its grip. It was as if a hand was wrapping around her neck, slowly squeezing.
“Missing something?”
She flashed her gaze to the king. “How?”
“With some help from a friend?”
“Anabeth can’t do?—”
The king laughed. “No, no, the ‘scribe’s’ daughter has been detained. She was becoming difficult.”
Soren glanced at the corner where Cion stood. “Father?” the princess whispered. “What are you talking about? What did you do to Anabeth?”
Johannas sighed. “Ah. I forgot about your little dalliance with her. I would have assumed that would have run its course by now. She is not who you think she is.”
“She would have told me.”
Johannas rolled his eyes. “Because you think she loves you? Is that it? Gods and their kin are hardly capable of such an emotion. They may claim to be, but what they truly crave is power.”
“Anabeth isn’t…” But Cion trailed off when Johannas raised his hand to silence her.
“The proposal I offer still stands,” the king said, looking squarely at Soren. “Serve me, win the war, and you go free.”
Soren’s smile was bitter. “There is no freedom for me, not while Kronos lives. And I think you know that. I won’t waste time killing for you.”
“So you can spend your time finding ways to end him?” Johannas murmured, leaning down to look directly at her.
When Soren didn’t reply, he straightened. “Fine, then. Come inside, Vane.”
Soren’s breath caught as the tent flap turned back and Vane entered. He was armed to the teeth, wearing leather flight armor just like Cion. His eyes were red-rimmed and his jaw was tight. She met his gaze, but he didn’t react, the pathway connecting them still dark.
“Vane,” the king said in a light voice, “I want you to torture her. Ah—wait. Let’s be more specific. Break her left pointer finger. We’ll start there and go on if we need to.”
Vane took a step closer to Soren. She held on to his dark eyes, even as he reached for her hand, his muscles so tense, it looked painful.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “I know you said you could fight it around me, but if you can’t…it’s okay.”
“Sora,” he said through clenched teeth, closing his eyes. “Do you remember the first time we kissed?”
Commander Eton glanced at Johannas, but the king merely waved his hand and muttered, “He can’t resist it, not now.”
“The memory is hazy,” Soren said quietly but quickly. “But yes.”
Vane was holding her hand now, his grasp tight but not hurting, not yet. “Tell me.”
She shut her eyes even as he put pressure on her finger. “It was warm, that’s what I remember most. The color of the wheat,the late afternoon sun, and feeling in my chest. I remember thinking I hadn’t felt that warm in all my life.”
The pressure increased, and tears pricked at her eyes. “I knew it was wrong, what could happen to you if anyone found out, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop.”
“Why?” His entire body was shaking with restraint when she opened her eyes to look at him.
A tear ran down her cheek, and he shut his eyes tightly. “For the first time in my life, I was choosing something. It was reckless and dangerous, and yet, in that moment in the field, I had never felt safer.”
Vane exhaled sharply, eyes flying open. “Together,” he breathed. “Always.”
“Together,” she vowed, the promise resounding with every frantic beat of her heart as he released her and whirled.
Commander Eton stepped in front of Johannas and the princess, two swords in his hands. “I thought you said you had complete control over him!”
