Page 151 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

Novikke glanced in Crow’s direction as she climbed to her feet. Her gasps of breath made puffs of cloud in front of her face. “Thanks.”

“Any time.”

“You could pick up a blade if you want to help, you know.”

Crow glanced at the guards’ long, sharp swords, then at their arms and faces. They were almost entirely covered in cloth and steel.

“No, thank you,” Crow said.

Novikke scoffed, smiling. She went to join Aruna and Vaara.

All but one of the remaining guards were dead on the ground, and Vaara stood above them, breathing hard.

Aruna was kneeling, holding his side. Novikke knelt at his side, pulling his arms away to check the extent of his injury.

Vaara paid them no mind. His attention was focused on the last guard. It was only then, when Crow looked up at him for the first time, that she realized who was standing there before them.

Alexei. TherealAlexei.

The mage torch in his hand cast an eerie, dim glow over the bodies on the ground. Blood dripped from somewhere under his armor onto the snow beneath him.

He pulled a tiny bottle of panacea from a pocket and downed it in one gulp. His breath puffed out from between his teeth, making trails in the air. His eyes were locked on Vaara.

Crow watched Alexei’s expression change, subtly, over the course of long seconds. Where once there had been simple, unchanging confidence and anger, there was now a hint of fear.

He was outnumbered. He was tired. The running and fighting had exhausted him. The rest of his guards were back at the prison.

For once, the odds were against him.

Vaara took a step toward him.

Alexei drew in a breath, hesitated for half an instant, then turned and ran the other way. Vaara let out a curse and sprinted after him, kicking up snow as he ran.

Crow glanced at Novikke and Aruna. Aruna was trying to stand up and not succeeding. Novikke was pushing him back down as she pulled out a bottle of wound sealer from her pocket. They wouldn’t be able to accompany her any further.

Crow cursed under her breath, then ran after Vaara.

He was nearly invisible as they ran through the dark, so she followed the bobbing light in Alexei’s hand. The snow reached halfway to her knees now, and it was like running through molasses. Alexei was quickly outpacing her. She realized, as she caught glimpses of shadowy movement in front of her, that he was outpacing Vaara, too—even with his armor weighing him down.

“Coward!” Vaara roared, still bounding through the snow.

Alexei didn’t respond. The light briefly disappeared over the crest of a hill.

At the bottom of the hill, Alexei abruptly stopped and turned to face them. His chest rose and fell quickly, and his face was twisted into a furious grimace.

Vaara slowed, and Crow almost lost track of him again. She and Alexei both watched the holes his feet left in the snow as he moved.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” Alexei said, raising his sword.

Vaara said nothing, not wanting to give him the advantage of hearing where his voice came from. Another hole appeared in the snow as he stepped forward.

Alexei glanced over his shoulder to check his footing, then took a calculated step backward. His eyes flicked over to meet Crow’s. “Neither should you,” he added.

Another hole appeared in the snow. Then another.

“You’re quite clever, aren’t you?” Alexei said to Crow, his voice even and unconcerned. He tilted his chin up. “Or just good at manipulating people. I am embarrassed to say you had me fooled for a while.”

She reached into the snow to pack another snowball, though her hands were raw and numb from the cold. Alexei gave her an amused smile—a look that made her feel rather like a silly child and sent a shiver through her at the same time.

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