Page 110 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

He felt a flood of emotion flowing out of her. She spoke to him without words. She felt anger, regret, despair.

She was sorry. More than anything else, she was sorry.

Her hand stroked over his hair. For a second, he felt the beginnings of that tranquil feeling she had calmed him with so many times. But then she pulled it back, as if she’d thought better of it.

He felt her asking a question without words: How did he want to die? How did he want to feel while it happened? Should she make him numb and uncaring, or did he want to savor his last seconds of life by staying fully conscious and aware?

You’re not really going to kill me,Vaara thought to her in disbelief.

She didn’t respond in words, but he felt her thoughts leaking across the link between them like water bursting through a broken dam. It was the feeling of someone breaking inside. It was exactly what Patros had wanted her to feel.

Command me to kill him,Vaara thought.

She shook her head faintly.Can’t.

There must be some other way.

His only answer was a mental sensation like sobbing and hatred.

“Wrap up the conversation and let’s get moving. I don’t have all night,” Patros said.

Crow raised the knife reflexively. Her hand was shaking. She was breathing hard, deep, slow. She was trying to resist it. Even delaying it this long was only due to her astounding ability to resist him. Vaara felt a pang of pride and gratitude.

I would like to say that at least I had a good life,Vaara thought,but I have to be honest, it was short and mostly shitty.

The dark attempt at humor only sent another gush of sadness his way.

I don’t blame you,he thought to her.

You should.

Patros sighed. “Do. It.”

Vaara felt her panic as her binding compelled her. He made to jerk away from her in a final mad attempt to escape, but she sensed his intention before he’d even begun to move. Her mind wriggled through his, wrapping around and around like a constrictor, commanding him to hold still. He did.

She brought the knife to his throat, unable to stop it.I’m sorry,she thought again.

And then an arrow shot across the room.

Chapter 32

The arrow shot through the air, hit Patros in the chest, and then, bizarrely, bounced off him and skittered to the floor a few steps away. He stumbled, but seemed unharmed.

Crow spun toward the doorway to the hall. Novikke crouched in the shadows there, the light from the lantern illuminating her face in a faint yellow glow. She quickly nocked another arrow.

When Crow turned away from him, Vaara grabbed her around her middle and pulled her against him. She gave a surprised cry and reached a hand up toward his face. He caught it and pinned it at her waist where she couldn’t touch him.

“Let—” she began to say, but he’d pulled his scarf over his hand and pressed it over her mouth before she could finish the command.

Crow writhed and kicked. He didn’t let go. The binding did not like that at all. He could feel it squeezing in his chest, urging him to release her, but it wasn’t too powerful for him to resist.

“How much time has to pass before his command wears off?” he asked her.

Her only response was to wriggle more.

Patros started toward Novikke. His vest was unmarred, as if the arrow hadn’t touched him. Some kind of magic was protecting him.

Before he could get any farther, Aruna melted out of the shadows beside him and swung a blade at him.

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