Page 114 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

Crow came forward—but she was heading toward Vaara, not Patros. Without hesitation, without giving him a chance to react, she folded her arms around his neck and kissed him.

It was more out of instinct than anything that he put his arms around her and squeezed her so hard that he picked her up off the ground. She made a surprised sound, and before he could put her back down, she’d wrapped her legs around his hips.

Vaara pulled back a little to look at her. Her lips were far too close. And his hands were very much holding her ass. And her breasts were pressed up against his chest, and her warm breath brushed his cheek, and—

He quickly put her down. She only just had time to get her feet back under her as he let go of her.

She took a step back. “I’m sorry. For before. I’m so sorry. I was… I just couldn’t—”

“I know,” he said.

The bruising on her cheek looked worse up close, but she was otherwise unhurt.

“Was it Patros or Toreg who did that to your face?” he asked.

She nodded in Patros’s direction.

“Are you sure you don’t want to desecrate his corpse?”

She stared down at Patros. “I want to forget he ever existed,” she said. “I’ve heard it said that a person isn’t truly dead until all the living have forgotten them. Patros has no one but me. No friends or loved ones. Most of his business associates have never met him. I’m the only one left to remember him. When I forget him, he’ll truly be gone.”

Her eyes lingered on the body, as if she’d realized that it would be the last time she looked upon her master. She shook her head. “Let’s get the hells out of here,” she said.

She started toward the stairs, then stopped. She’d noticed a rack in the corner filled with dusty bottles. She picked up as many as she could carry, then started up the stairs. Vaara followed dutifully behind her.

Chapter 33

“Aruna let you go?” Vaara asked. He couldn’t be depended on for anything other than being overly nosy and showing up when he wasn’t wanted, apparently.

And for having utterly magnificent timing, he supposed. Not that he would ever admit that aloud.

Crow adjusted her armful of bottles. “I stomped on his foot until he let go of me and then threw a handful of nightshade on him.”

“Nightshade?”

“That black powder.”

Vaara raised his eyebrows.

“It’s not as if Iwantedto do it,” she said.

“What about Novikke?”

“I grabbed her hand. She’s not wearing gloves.” She looked a little regretful. “They might be angry with me. More than they already were, that is.”

“I suppose we should make sure they’re unharmed.”

“I think that would be good, yes.”

They returned to the foyer. Aruna was on the ground, unconscious, and Novikke was sitting against the wall beside him. She glanced up at them suspiciously.

Vaara stopped in the doorway just long enough to toss the sword carelessly in her direction. She gave him an annoyed look as it bounced on the carpet.

“Sorry,” Crow said to Novikke, setting her bottles down on the floor. “I—”

Vaara took her arm. “They’re fine. We can talk with them later. You and I have some things to discuss, first.” He pulled her into the hallway.

“Things?” she repeated warily. She let him pull her down the hall, up the stairs, into another room. He pushed her inside and shut the door behind them. It was a small bedroom.

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