Page 123 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

“I thought you might want it. Although I’m now reconsidering whether you need any more.”

“Don’t be a killjoy.”

“It’s almost morning. We should get back into the city while we still have some darkness to cover us.”

“Do you ever stop being so serious?”

“No.”

She hung off his arm. “Don’t be so morose all the time, for Astra’s sake. We deserve to celebrate.”

His lips tilted up with secret amusement. “You’re behaving like a fool.”

“I don’t care. I feel great.” She swung an arm around his neck to pull him down into a kiss.

He patiently allowed her to manhandle him to her heart’s content, but when she pulled away, he murmured into her ear, “Let’s get back to Akaia’s.”

She sighed. “If it pleases you.”

He tugged her back toward the road.

She watched the city as they approached. In the moonlight, she could just see the outlines of the buildings high above them. Tiny lights twinkled all across the city, illuminating it like a great shining jewel in the landscape.

“Valtos really is beautiful,” she said quietly. She was suddenly exhausted. She blinked slowly, yawning. “Have you ever noticed?”

Vaara was quiet for a moment. “It’s not bad, at night,” he admitted.

* * *

Valtos hada good number of inconspicuous, unguarded entrances, like the one Crow and Vaara had used when they’d first arrived. But Novikke and Aruna’s usual method for sneaking in, it turned out, was to walk right through the front gates.

As they neared the bridge into the city, Crow watched Aruna pull a ring from his pocket and place it on his finger. Before her eyes, his entire body seamlessly shifted into a brown-skinned, human version of himself. He would have no trouble getting past the guards at the gate.

“A glamour?” Crow said, impressed. It was a rare magic, difficult to create and expensive to maintain when cast into an enchantment.

“Made by our mage friend,” Novikke said. “It comes in handy.”

Vaara, unfortunately, didn’t have such an easy time blending in. But he had his ability to fade. Crow took the initiative to create a distraction by playing up her drunkenness—it wasn’t hard, at that point—and he was able to slip inside without trouble.

Nero was guarding the door to the tavern again when they arrived. He raised an eyebrow as they tripped across the entryway. “I thought you were going on a dangerous rescue mission, not having a party.”

“It became a party after the mission was successful,” Crow informed him, giving him a sloppy grin.

He frowned, as if personally affronted by their victory. He was a fun-hater, like Vaara. “I see that. Are you all unhurt, then?”

“They’re fine,” grunted Vaara, the only sober one in the group. He held Crow’s arm as they went up the stairs, half carrying her. When they reached the bedroom they’d been staying in, Crow collapsed onto the bed, shivering. Her hair and clothes were all damp and freezing.

“You should take those clothes off,” Vaara said.

She looked up, smirking. “Are you flirting with me?”

“No. You should take them off so you don’t freeze and die.”

“Okay, Mister Serious.” She fumbled with the laces on one of her boots. Her fingers were cold and clumsy. After a minute of making no progress, Vaara knelt down at her feet and started unlacing them for her.

She leaned back on her hands, watching him make quick work of the laces. His hands were more adept than hers were at the moment, but they still struggled a little. A pang of regret hit her when she realized the reason for it: he wasn’t used to using his hands without his missing fingers.

He gently pulled off the boot and set it aside, then he paused to glance up at her.

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