Page 79 of Rogue Elves of Ardani

Alexei paced in front of him. As Vaara slowly tilted his head to look up at him, he stopped moving. A sneer twisted his lips.

“You’re awake. Good. I’m tired of waiting.”

Vaara’s gaze went to the small, glinting knife in Alexei’s hand. His heart thudded heavily in his chest. Guards appeared on either side of him to take his arms, holding him still.

Alexei was livid. Vaara hadn’t seen him like this for months. But his fury was hardly visible on his face. It was hidden beneath the surface, writhing there like a nest of snakes, waiting to strike at whoever came too close. Most people wouldn’t have noticed it. Most people didn’t know him like Vaara did.

He knew better than to beg or threaten. There was no point. If anything, it would only make him enjoy it more.

“Do you feel recovered from the nightshade?” Alexei asked. “I want you to be fully conscious for this.” He came closer, raising the knife toward his face—toward his eye—with a purposeful look that Vaara knew too well.

Raw panic went through him. He bucked, kicking out and almost connecting with Alexei’s legs.

The guards pulled him from the chair and dragged him to the floor, kneeling on his arms. Vaara thrashed wildly while Alexei watched him with bland amusement.

“I was worried that the drug would dull your senses,” Alexei said as he knelt beside him. “I’m relieved to know that is not the case.”

“Alexei—” Vaara began, and Alexei calmly clamped a hand over his mouth, not even allowing him the freedom of screaming.

“You may call me ‘Warden’ if you call me anything at all, but I’d prefer you just kept quiet. Hold still if you want a clean cut,” Alexei said, and the knife appeared over Vaara’s face, far too close.

“Sir—”

Everyone looked up. Callias stood in the doorway. Callias’s eyes went to Vaara. The boy went white as a sheet.

The knife moved away a little. “Yes?”

Callias looked like he was fighting nausea. “I…”

“Spit it out,” Alexei said.

“It’s, uh, Olivos wanted me to tell you that the lady mage—”

“The Ashara, Callias. She’s not a mage.”

“Yes, sir. Well, they can’t find her. She’s nowhere on the hotel grounds. They’ve questioned the staff. No one knows where she went.”

“Do the dogs have her scent?”

“The dogs are still, uh, misbehaving, sir.”

Alexei rested his hands on his knees, quiet for a moment. Vaara didn’t so much as breathe.

“They want to know your next orders. Sir,” Callias said, clearly eager to be as polite as possible, considering Alexei’s current disposition.

But his rage seemed to be cooling. Alexei waved to dismiss Callias, and the boy practically ran from the room.

Alexei stood up, crossing his arms. “Who is she?” he asked Vaara.

Vaara let out a soft, shuddering breath. His heart was pounding in his ears and his body was trembling, and his mind was so overtaken with visceral horror that he could hardly think.

He already knew that selling out Crow wouldn’t save him. But he also knew that Alexei had a preternatural ability to sense when someone was lying—and he took great offense to being lied to.

“Her name is Crow,” Vaara said. “I don’t know anything else about her.”

Alexei looked skeptical. “You don’t know her?”

“No. I’d never met her before this.”

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