Page 77 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

He watches me with a strange expression on his face, like he’s seeing me for the first time. I feel naked under his gaze and shift from foot to foot nervously, but I don’t look away.

What’s taking him so long? Why is he looking at me like that?

“Yes, it’s part of my culture.” His gaze stays steady on mine as he speaks. It’s the truth, I can feel it, but something about it feels off. He’s not telling me the whole truth. I wouldn’t know if it wasn’t for this connection between us, where I can reach out and…touch his soul.

“Okay. I won’t ask again,” I say with a nod, and that strange expression crosses his face again, like I’ve surprised him.

“Thank you.” It’s my turn to blink at him in surprise. I never thought I’d have an elf thanking me. We watch each other, our fragile truce between us still so new. “You’re not what I expected a human woman to be like.”

That makes me chuckle, a sound that causes him to tilt his head to one side as he observes me. The gesture reminds me of the cats I sometimes see around the castle, the way they watch a mouse if they’re trying to decide if it’s prey or not.

“I am no normal woman, trust me,” I joke awkwardly, feeling strangely exposed under his gaze. “You’re not what I expected an elf to be like either.”

“And what did you expect me to be like?” He doesn’t smile, but his voice is lighter, and I get the impression he’s amused at the route this conversation has taken.

“I’ll tell you when we escape.” The comment was meant as a jest, but he takes me seriously and nods, his face returning to the stoic expression I’m now used to. He picks up a weapon from the workstation and starts polishing the blade, and I notice his armis shaking. The remaining cuff is making it difficult for him to be away from his work for long.

“You have a plan?”

He’s focusing on his work now, but I can see the faint gleam of hope in his eyes. I know he can’t see it, but I nod in agreement before sighing.

“I can’t leave, but we will soon.”

His polishing slows and eventually stops, his hand tightening around the rag in his hand.

“Why must we wait?” He doesn’t look at me as he speaks, but I know I am testing his patience. He’s been trapped here for so long, and he finally got a glimmer of hope that he might be able to escape, but now I’m dangling it in front of him like a carrot. I feel bad for making him wait, but if I left now, I would never forgive myself.

“They are going to kill families and enslave hundreds of children. I can’t let them go through what I did, not if I have the power to stop it,” I share, hoping he understands why. If anyone can, it’s him. He starts to polish the weapon again, but keeps his body facing away from me so I’m unable to see his expression.

“What is your plan?”

“I have a connection on the outside who has a type of shielding magic.” This seems to catch his attention and he freezes. “He’s going to help people leave, to escape unseen.” My voice is low. The guards are far away, but I still feel the need to speak quietly. He turns to face me and stares at me with a blank expression. “Until I know that it’s working, that people who need it have a way out, I can’t go.” I take a step back when I realise I’m practically begging him to understand, frustrated with myself. I want him to know why I have to stay, at least for now, but a part of me insists that it’s cruel to make him wait. “But it won’t be long.”

“You’re risking your life for the very people who enslaved you.” I hear the surprise and disbelief in his voice as he speaks.

I’m not sure what I was expecting him to say, but it wasn’t that. He’s right, though, although I’d never thought of it that way. The children and the serving families had nothing to do with my slavery. Even had their parents been directly involved, I still couldn’t sentence them to slavery.

“They’re innocent children,” I reason, shrugging as I turn away. To me it seems simple, why wouldn’t I help them if I could? Walking back to where I left my bucket and brush, I lower to my knees and start scrubbing again. The guards periodically check on me through the slot in the door, and if they catch me not working, there will be hell to pay.

“They don’t deserve you,” Vaeril calls out, going back to his work.

Did he just compliment me?The thought swims around in my mine and I keep playing it over and over again. Eventually, I shake my head at myself as I scrub.I’m behaving like a teenager.Pushing those thoughts aside, I focus on my task as I go over the plan to help the children, but after a time, my thoughts return to the elf.

“If you want to go without me, I’ll look at your cuff today, see if I can break the magic on it,” I offer. I don’t look up, I just keep working on the floor, there’s a spot I just can’t get out. “That way you don’t have to wait for me.”

Suddenly, I realise that the only noise I can hear is the fire from the hearth and my scrubbing. Something tugs in my chest, causing me to look up, and I see Vaeril frowning down at me like I’m a puzzle he can’t work out.

“You won’t escape without me.” Fact, and we both know it.

“Well, I might be able to get out with the children—” I start vaguely, but he cuts me off with a shake of his head.

“That route of escape will only work for a short time. They will soon realise people are all going to a certain place at a certain time. Even if they don’t work outhowpeople are escaping, they will figure out how to stop it, making it impossible to get around without being watched or followed.” I hadn’t thought that far ahead, and he’s right. We’ll only be able to do it a couple of times before it becomes too difficult.

“Then we need to make it count.” I mean every word I say, even though it scares me. Grayson isn’t here to save me anymore, and there’s a real possibility that I could die.

“Break the spell.” Vaeril holds his arm out to me, and I look at his remaining cuff.

“Oh.” Although I offered to break the spell and for him to go without me, I hadn’t thought he would actually do it. My chest tightens and a feeling of disappointment fills me as I glance away, staring at the items on his workstation.

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