Page 62 of Ryld's Shadows
“And if they don’t find anyone willing when they come, what happens then?” Kai’s voice had grown even softer, though there was a chilly light in his eyes.
Sean sighed and gestured toward the open door. “Look around. Do you think they lack for mothers desperate to believe their children will have a better life among the humans? Some of our people have learned not to trust, but for each one like Ella, there is a neighbor who says it’s all made up just to scare us and she knows so-and-so who got a postcard from the child they sent away. There’ve been fights over who believes what.”
Hank caught Kai’s eye. “It’s not hard to see why. Probably lots of disinformation from Ms. Albright and her staff.”
“While I agree, we can’t slide into speculation,” Kai admonished before he turned back to Sean. “When the aelfe bucks come, do they pay or do they act entitled to the sex workers?”
“Depends on their mood I guess. And how much honey wine they’ve had.”
“And the young drow?” Kai asked, a definite note of dread in his voice. “What do they come here for?”
Sean shrugged. “They mostly come to bet on the fights. Or they buy dust.”
Kai actually sagged with a hand on the wall. “Thank the goddesses of the deeps. Still not a thing they should do, of course.”
Sean was regarding him oddly, and Hank was sure his expression matched. He was definitely going to ask Kai what he’d been afraid the answer was on the way back. “This is all important information, Mr. Dove-Feather. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Was there anything else you wanted to mention?”
“Don’t go stirring the pot with the elves. This is Elvenhome land, they remind us often enough. We don’t need any trouble from them. That orphanage though, if they are sending pixie children to homes and boarding schools like they say, we want to know where, and why we’re not allowed to see them once they’re taken.”
“The children must be the primary concern.” Kai put a hand to his heart and gave Sean a little bow. “If everything is being done as it should be, these records are…perhaps noteasyto obtain, but still possible. We’ll do everything we can.”
* * * *
The knock on the door was light, but enough to pull Ryld’s attention from the paper in front of him. Not as colorful as the wings he’d given Hank, this one was a hatch work of dark and light lines made with a very fine brush and several different pigments that now stained him up to the elbows.
“Yes? Enter.”
A goblin opened the door partway, leaning in without actually entering. Ryld wondered if he’d been instructed to keep his distance.
“Beg your pardon. A visitor would like to see you. He requested I inform you he is drow.”
Ryld went still. He wasn’t sure what to do. What would a drow want with him? And why did he want to make sure Ryld was told he was drow? Instinct told him he should refuse to see this drow…but he was also curious.
“I—I’m not supposed to leave these rooms.”
“I’ve been told so, yes. The drow is waiting down the hall and I’ll let him in and escort him out, if you want to see him.”
Ryld pressed his lips together. Tiny leaf-like shadows stirred around his legs. “Okay, show him in, please.”
A moment later, the drow entered and stayed by the door after the goblin closed it. His height was more usual for a drow, almost as tall as most aelfe, and his hair was bone white, but his eyes were gray, marking him asnotusual.
“I am Dzev.” He swept Ryld a formal bow, the black, bell-shaped sleeves of his shirt trailing on the carpet. “Lady Ksatha sends her greetings and asked that I speak with you.”
His accent left Ryld feeling like ants were tickling over his skin and he awaited their sting. Kai had traces of an accent too, but it was only noticeable on certain words or when he was under a great deal of strain. To Ryld’s ears this drow sounded much more like himself, though less stilted. It flooded him with memory and froze his blood.
Dzev stood exactly as he was, not speaking or moving. Ryld swallowed. “I’m Ryld. Why are you here?” He meant the words to be strong, sharp, but his breath wouldn’t come, and he could tell they only made him seem afraid.
“Ah. Her ladyship mentioned you might fear me.” Dzev took half a step in and sank to his knees. “I am sorry for that. You are here in an aelfe court to learn from aelfe mages, I have heard.”
“They are idiots.” Ryld shut his mouth quickly. He probably should not have said that.
Dzev didn’t quite smile, but Ryld thought it was close, and he tipped his head to the side in a drow acknowledgment. “I would lie if I said I had a high opinion of aelfe mages. But perhaps we should be fair to them and admit that drow magic is most likely not, ah, familiar to them.”
“My magic is not familiar to anyone. Not how to use it, I mean.”
“I had wondered.” Dzev settled his hands on his knees. “Your friend and champion is a powerful drow mage and yet he seeks teachers for you. This must be something he has not encountered. And yet…I see your shadows, little one.”
“Kai cannot teach me because he says his magic is different than mine. He says it’s the difference between turning on a tap for water and creating a cloud to make rain.”
