Page 107 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

There was a short pause. And then Patros’s gloved hand came up and slapped her so hard that she staggered and fell again.

Even though she’d been expecting it, she hadn’t quite been prepared for the strength of the attack.

“Get up,” he said again.

Crow swallowed, then did as he said, bracing herself.

He slapped her again. This time, she caught herself on the wall, but her head was spinning so hard that she almost fell again. He grabbed her by her collar and threw her to the floor anyway. Crow flinched, covering her head.

Patros shook out his hand. “What’s happened to you in the past month? I’ve never known you to behave so foolishly.”

Crow panted, staring at the floor. “I’m not working for you anymore.”

“You can say that as many times as you want, but it won’t change the fact that you’re mine. You’ll always be mine.” He dusted off his hands, then removed his gloves and placed them back in his pocket. “You’ve had an awfully leisurely life thus far. I don’t know what could possibly have driven this idiotic rebellion. Do you really feel you’re entitled to even more? Or is this all due to some kind of extended adolescence that half-elves have? I hope you grow out of it soon, because I’m running out of patience for this nonsense.”

Crow said nothing. She rested her cheek against the stone floor. Vaara was right. The cold of the stone numbed the pain.

“Perhaps some more time in the dark would cool your temper. Would you like that?”

She hated how easily the words triggered panic in her. “No.”

“Then let’s try to behave.” He walked down the hallway and turned through a doorway to what must have been a balcony. Moonlight poured through it. “Come,” he said belatedly.

He had a way of making her feel like a child again, no matter how old she got.

Her cheek stung when she touched it. She was already developing a headache. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d hit her. It wasn’t his usual manner of punishment. He preferred more subtle methods of control.

She glanced in Toreg’s direction. He was watching her with an expression so serious it was almost approaching guilt, as if he hadn’t expected this to happen. Crow sneered at him as she got up and walked past him. He silently fell into step behind her.

Patros awaited them on a balcony that looked out into dark, snowy hills. Crow folded her arms around herself, shivering in the wind.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“An old family property,” Patros said. “It’s been abandoned for years. Not the nicest of places, but you can rest assured no one will bother us here.”

She hadn’t been aware he owned any other property, but she wasn’t surprised to learn that he did, nor that he’d hidden it from her. He wasn’t the type to share information with anyone, even those closest to him, unless it was necessary.

The moons were half hidden behind cloud cover, and it was difficult to make out much beyond the shape of trees and hills and a road that curved through them. In the distance, a solitary blue mage light flashed on the road.

“What’s that?” Toreg asked.

“It appears Crow’s slave has come calling for her,” Patros said. “An unfortunate choice for him.”

Crow stared out at the light. There was no way it was him. He wouldn’t have come after her.

But—she’d almost forgotten—he was still bound. If Sarna had noted her absence and had told him where she’d gone, he would have had no choice but to follow. He wasn’t strong enough to resist the pull of the binding yet.

“Once he gets here, we can deal with him and put an end to this.” Patros said.

That was his goal, Crow realized. He’d drawn them here, out of territory they were familiar with, to put them on their heels. To cripple Crow first and then Vaara. He was going to kill Vaara, and her hopes for freedom, in one blow.

“Just let him go, and we can forget any of this happened,” Crow said, trying to keep the fear from her voice. “You don’t have to bring him into it.”

“I wouldn’t have, if he’d had the sense not to come after you,” Patros said as he turned and went back inside.

Crow turned to Toreg. He straightened.

“How many times are you going to do that?” he asked.

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