Page 102 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

“She could be lying. Do you trust this person?”

Vaara glanced at Sarna, who was staring owlishly at them. Not long ago, he would have said no. In the past, as a rule, he wouldn’t have trusted any humans—especially not weird ones who lived in houses full of old garbage and had a knack for saying the most inappropriate thing at any given time.

But maybe that was why he found it so easy to believe her. She put all of her things straight on the floor instead of hiding them in cupboards. She cast spells badly in front of her customers. She said aloud whatever she was thinking. She was not someone who was accustomed to hiding things. There was something refreshingly straightforward about her.

“Yes,”he said simply.

He went to gather his things from his room. When he returned, Aruna was waiting for him.

“We’re going with you,”Aruna said.

Vaara took one look at Novikke, who seemed mildly annoyed but resigned, and shook his head. “I don’t need help.”

Aruna frowned. “Your friend does.”

“I can take care of her on my own.”

“It’s going to be that way, is it? You’re too proud to accept our aid?”

“Yes.”

“You’re refusing our help, aren’t you?” Novikke interrupted.

Vaara glared at her.

“Don’t be a fool. He’s offering to help you save your friend. If you care about her at all—”

The anger shuddered through him. “You’ve done enough,” he snarled. “I don’t want anything you have to offer.”

Aruna took Novikke’s hand, almost reflexively, and put himself between her and Vaara.

She was looking at Vaara with complete sincerity in her eyes, with an earnest desire to help… and she was still holding Zaiur’s sword in her hand. Vaara wondered how often she’d used it. How many lives had she taken with it? How many had she saved?

He didn’t hate her as much as he should have. That was the part he couldn’t make peace with. If she’d been an intolerable, unapologetic, irredeemable witch, he could have killed her and had justice served. But she wasn’t, and it didn’t feel right punishing her over someone like Zaiur, and so he could do nothing. There was no closure to be had. There was no satisfying ending to this story.

He waited for her to reply, and she didn’t. She didn’t move or say anything at all.

He left with Sarna, leaving the two of them behind.

Chapter 28

Crow was awoken by the sound of wheels crunching over gravel and slush.

She peeled her eyes open. Her mouth felt like she’d been eating sand. She’d been stuffed into the back of a cart with her hands and feet tied. Black sky dotted with stars floated high above her.

She groaned and tilted her head toward the driver’s seat at the front of the cart. A figure swam before her eyes, lit by the lantern beside him. She shook her head, trying to remember how she’d gotten there.

She’d gone out to meet with Sarna. She recalled leaving Akaia’s Haven, and walking toward the center of the city. She’d walked down an alley. A man had approached behind her.

She’d thought she would see Alexei’s dogs before he saw her. She hadn’t expected anyone else to be looking for her. Patros had seemed content to let her come to him.

The figure turned toward her. A chill went through her. Toreg looked down at her from the driver’s seat.

“What the hells…” she rasped, “...are you doing? What…?” She twisted her hands, but the thin rope that was twined around her wrists held tight. She felt weak from whatever he’d drugged her with. Distantly, she recalled black powder, sneezing…

Godsdamned nightshade. Its cultivation had been outlawed decades ago, but that did little to stop anyone from growing or using it. She’d been drugged with it twice before. It always gave its victims an awful hangover afterward.

Maybe Patros feared her more than he’d let on, if he’d decided to get to her before she had a chance to get to him.

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