Chapter 14Julos woke up exhausted. It was like he hadn’t slept at all. His eyes were gummed shut, his throat raw from shouting. His tunic reeked of sweat, though the air was so cold he could see his breath. He peeked about the royal bedchamber. The room wasn’t much more than a sleeping cell, but he treasured it. After all, nobody else in the fortress got a space to themselves, and nights were hard enough without having to put up with anybody else’s snoring.
He sat up and hugged his knees. It took him a moment to remember why he felt so tired and miserable. Yesterday afternoon, they dug out Sergestos’s body from the wreckage. Last night, every time he closed his eyes, he had seen the scholar’s long hair caked with blood, his head lolling. The body lay wrapped in linen, ready for burning al
