Page 81 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

She held onto him a moment longer for good measure, making sure the thought was firmly implanted in his head before she let go of him. Her trickery wouldn’t last forever. She had to get out before he realized what had happened.

As the guard slowly turned and went back up, shutting the door behind him, Crow threw her clothes on. Now that she was listening, she could hear the sounds of heavy booted feet walking back and forth above her. After a time, the sounds moved toward the door and then faded.

She cracked the door and peered through again. Only silence met her ears. She crept up the stairs.

The room, now that she was alone in it, felt too large, empty and cold. The guards were nowhere to be seen, but neither was Vaara. There was a large pool of blood in the corner of the room—and gods, she hoped it wasn’t Vaara’s, because it was far too much blood for one person to lose.

They had taken him somewhere. She couldn’t say for sure whether he was alive or dead, but she had a hunch that Alexei wouldn’t be eager to kill Vaara quickly. Slowly, maybe, but not quickly.

She couldn’t leave him to Alexei. She had to find a way to get him back.

She still needed him to kill Patros, after all.

She gathered her things and left in a rush. She had just stepped onto the street when she heard a familiar low panting.

The dog—the very same one she’d freed from a trap on the way to Valtos—grinned and wagged its tail as it trotted toward her. She looked around to be sure it was alone, then bent to rub a hand across its ears.

“I bet you’re here to find me,” she murmured to it. “Will you help me find Vaara, instead?”

The dog licked her hand.

“Good. Let’s go.”

* * *

She backtrackedthrough the city until she found herself at the bottom of a staircase in a remote alleyway. She knocked on the door.

The tiny window in the door slid open, and a familiar pair of violet eyes appeared. They looked behind her, as if noting that Vaara wasn’t with her this time. “What do you want?”

“I was here the other day, with my friend.”

“I know,” the half-Varai said, remaining unimpressed.

“I need to talk with someone. The Varai man and the human women we met here before—are they here?”

The eyes blinked slowly. “You caused a lot of commotion the last time you visited. We don’t need people like you here. Don’t come back.” He began to shut the window.

“Wait—” Crow pleaded, stepping closer. “I know I made a bad impression last time. I apologize. I’ve come to make amends.”

“No one here is interested in apologies,” he replied. “We just want to be left alone. It’s in your best interests to leave now. I won’t warn you again. Come back if your skin happens to change color.”

The window slammed shut. Crow glared at the door.

“I thought you Varai looked out for each other. That’s why this place is here, isn’t it?” she said through the door. “Come on. Just let me in. Don’t be difficult.”

She glanced down at the dog by her side, who looked back at her unhelpfully.

She kept imagining what might be happening to Vaara. She didn’t like having to beg for help, but she would do it for his sake.

“My friend has been taken,” she said to the door. “He… he’s in danger. I don’t know where else to go.”

There was no answer. The door remained closed.

“You know why I had to come back here. You know no one else would help. Please.”

She was about to knock again when the lock clicked. The door opened, and the half-Varai studied her suspiciously. Just like the last time she’d seen him, she was struck by his looks. He was uniquely attractive in a way none of the other night elves were, with deep brown hair tucked behind his ears and skin like some kind of dark metal.

She wondered suddenly if it would make Vaara jealous to see the way she was looking at him. She would like it if it did, she realized. Then she wondered where a thought like that had come from, and quickly pushed it aside.

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