Page 98 of The War and Deceit Series omnibus

All of a sudden, I don’t want to hear it as my gut clenches.

What are you so worried about? That he will do as he threatened earlier and leave you? What do you really expect to happen here?

My thoughts berate me, and I push them away, focusing on another important question instead. “Where are we?”

He pauses, as if confused by my sudden change of subject, but I can see him nod out the corner of my eye.

“We’re in a cave in the cliffs.”

Wait, did he say cliffs? I heard the seagulls and the sound of the sea, but they can be heard for miles from the castle—at least that’s what I’ve been told. Turning to face him, I know my shock and confusion are evident on my face.

“The cliffs, as in the Black Cliffs?” I don’t like how high my voice goes as I speak, but I’m trying to calm my panic at the thought of being within shouting distance of our captors. Vaeril doesn’t look happy about it either, but he just crosses his arms as if daring me to challenge him on the decision.

“You needed to rest, and I couldn’t run as fast with you in my arms.” His explanation makes sense, but surely he could have found somewhere a little farther? “Besides, they wouldn’t expect us to be so close to the castle,” he continues, and I have to admit that this is the last place I would look if I was searching for traitors.

Traitor. That’s what you are to your people now.I’m not so worried about the kingdom, but the people I left behind and those children I couldn’t help. The thought makes me sick, and I have to take several deep breaths with my eyes closed until the feeling goes away.

Misinterpreting my panic, Vaeril goes on to explain how we escaped.

“We left the castle complex on the north side, right at the back, so we were right next to the cliffs. It’s a dangerous route to take, but I didn’t want to go through the town.”

I nod in understanding. The castle is built right at the edge of the Black Cliffs of Morrowmer. Escaping that way would be a death sentence for any normal human. The wind is wickedly strong and with little handholds or purchase, it would be a swift fall onto the jagged rocks below. The front of the castle complex is built into the city of Arhaven, which sprawls down the cliffside. The river weaves its way through the bottom of the city, where the industrial buildings are built along its edge. Beyond that are the slums, so Vaeril is right, we never would have passed through the city undetected.

“I’m going back to my people.”

His words hit me like a physical blow, and I’m glad I’m sitting down because I fear I would have fallen otherwise. Why does this feel like a betrayal? We’d never made a plan as to what we would do once we escaped, and he never promised anything other than to help me get free. I suppose, deep down, neither of us thought it would work. A captured elf and an ex-slave, working together.

“Yeah, that makes sense, I mean, why wouldn’t you? They probably think you are dead, so they will be pleased to see you,” I babble, looking away and using my finger to draw patterns in the dirt on the stone floor. The weight of his eyes is heavy, and I know if I look up, I’ll see him frowning again.

“You could come with me.”

Surprise, fear, shock, and…excitement, flood my system. I’m flustered, and words escape me as I try and formulate a response. “Wha—” Shaking my head, I push up onto my knees and face him, looking for signs that he’s joking or doesn’t mean what he’s saying. His expression is completely serious and my heart flutters with excitement.

He wants me to go with him, he doesn’t want to leave me. His earlier outburst makes me slow to reply, after all, he just said he was going to get rid of me as soon as possible. Was that just his temper snapping, or did he truly mean it?

Did I expect him to disappear as soon as we escaped? Apparently no, given how upset I became when he told me he was returning to his people. Part of me, the part that feels pulled towards him, just wants to say yes, screw the consequences. Yet the rest of me is more cautious. I didn’t survive twelve years as a slave by coincidence and luck.

Taking a deep breath, I try to think of all the reasons going with him would be a bad idea. “A human wouldn’t be welcome among the elves,” I point out, gesturing between us, my frustration making the action jerky. “We’re enemies!”

Raising a single eyebrow, Vaeril continues to watch me, not moving from where he rests against the wall. “Are we? Can you tell me here and now that you hate me because I’m an elf?”

His question makes me pause. I don’t hate him, not at all. Thinking back to when I first met him, I realise I was scared of him, but I never hated him.

“No,” I reply slowly, and he nods, his eyes brightening. “But your fellow elves might not feel the same way.”

He leans forward from the wall, and I see a fire has been lit inside him, as if my answer confirmed something for him. “But we have a mutual enemy.”

“The king,” we declare in unison, our eyes meeting for a second before I avert them. I’ve not seen him like this before and I’m not sure what to make of it.

“Besides, you are no normal human.” His voice takes on that excited edge again, like he’s figured out something I haven’t.

Frowning, I pull my cloak tighter around me like it could protect me from whatever he’s going to say next. “What do you mean?”

I hear him moving about, and next thing I know, he’s kneeling in front of me with an intense expression. “Come on, you can’t tell me that you haven’t noticed you’re different. You can detect magic, and you can break spells.” I start to back away slowly, not because I don’t want him close to me, but because I don’t want to hear what he’s saying. “You’re not a mage, I would sense it if you were, you are something else. Besides, not even magicians can break spells.” He doesn’t follow me, allowing me to put space between us, but he keeps speaking, not letting me escape his words. “You can’t tell me that you don’t feel the pull between us.”

There is it. He’s mentioned being drawn to me before, but this is the first time he’s directly mentioned the bond, the pull. Ipress my hand against my chest where that draw resides, and I see his eyes narrow on my movements.

“What is it?” I ask quietly, his eyes flashing in triumph as I confirm what he’s been saying.

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