Page 54 of Ash and Feather

“Clearly she is a guest in our city, unaware of our customs.” Andrel’s gaze darted to the hand on my throat. “And that is no way to treat a guest.”

The second soldier lowered his dagger, but Blood Eyes kept a secure hold on me until Andrel spoke again, a hint of warning in his otherwise casual tone.

“Stand down,” he ordered.

Reluctantly, my captor released me. Both soldiers took a step back as Andrel moved in, though they remained uncomfortably close—one on either side—giving me no real space to make a run for it.

Andrel regarded me with a cocked head and a cold smile. “I should have known I’d bump into you again. You had a troublesome air about you.”

I had no reason to believe he knew my true identity, but I didn’t like the way he was looking me up and down as though trying to place it.

I kept silent, motionless, fighting the urge to claw his eyes out as they took me in. I hadn’t forgotten what was at stake, and I’d already messed up enough for one mission.

“Who are you—really—and how is it that you know the Godwalker’s true name?” he asked. “She’s gone to great lengths to keep that identity a secret from all except the highest-ranking soldiers and leaders among us.”

So the ones who’d grabbed me were not merely common, overzealous guards; they were potentially both as powerful and dangerous as Andrel.

Just perfect.

“Well?” Andrel prompted.

“I…I knew her when she was younger.” It was perilously close to the truth, but what else could I say?

I kept my gaze on his as though I had nothing to hide.

He stared back, silent for several moments past the point of uncomfortable, but all he said in the end was, “Interesting.”

I held in a relieved sigh.

He had a short sword hanging from his hip—one that hadn’t been there earlier. His fingers absently tapped the jeweled handle, but he didn’t draw the weapon. He didn’t have to; I was already breaking out in a cold sweat at the mere sight of it, images from our last meeting playing rapidly through my mind. The rocks against my back. The river roaring nearby. The glint of the blade as it stabbed toward my heart…

Pain spasmed through my chest.

I willed myself to continue taking small, consistent breaths.

I could still slip away from this city without causing a real scene. I just had to survive Andrel’s questioning, his cold scrutiny. I’d managed that for years when we lived together; why should now be any different? If anything, I was stronger now. I was not the same person he’d nearly killed weeks ago. Not the same one he’d used and abused for so long. I could handle this.

“You know, every elf I’ve ever met from the Calan region had very specific markings under their left ear.” He tapped his own slender ear for emphasis before dragging his finger downward. “Three dots that ran down here.” He reached and gently pushed the hair from my neck, revealing the unmarked skin underneath. “I couldn’t help but notice that youdon’t. I started to ask you about it earlier, before we were so unfortunately interrupted.”

“You clearly haven’t met many from my region,” I said, with as much haughtiness and confidence as I could muster. “Or else you would know that most of my kind abandoned that tradition a generation ago.”

“Is that so?”

“It was an old homage to the old gods who have abandoned us,” I said, “and we have little allegiance to those Creators now. So why should we continue to honor them?”

This seemed to please him. I knew it would. It didn’t matter if it was true or not; he just wanted to hear more voices speaking ill of the gods.

His hand fell away from my ear, only to brush against the side of my face. It lingered there as if he was feeling for something else—for scars, I feared.

No.

My disguise was still intact. He couldn’t possiblyhave realized there were marks hiding beneath Mairu’s magic.

Marks he could likely map better than anybody.I cringed at the thought. Our history was a stain I couldn’t seem to get out, no matter how hard I scrubbed.

He finally drew his hand back. Yet something about the way he continued to study me made my insides feel like they were turning to liquid. I subtly shifted my stance, bracing a hand against the wall behind me.

“It’s clear we have a lot to learn from one another.” His gaze shifted between the restless crowd at his back and the two soldiers who were helping to corner me. “Escort her to my office,” he told them.

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