Page 43 of A Fractured Song

“Indeed.” His voice carried the same disdain he’d just shown for the singers.

“So…” Marieke gave her head a little shake, confused. “So the elves didn’t support the royals?”

“The pickaxe hung from quite the other belt,” said Rissin, again sounding faintly affronted.

“What?” Marieke just stared at him.

“Elf saying,” Svetlana interjected. “It means it was the other way around.”

“The royals supported the elves?” Zev sounded skeptical.

Rissin’s eyes glittered. “The royals…and their courts. They supported our kind financially.”

The other elf’s eyes had glazed over. “How rich our ancestors were,” he said wistfully. “With so many humans willing to spend their ill-gotten wealth on our talismans.”

Svetlana sent a swift scowl at the elves. “You’re hardly in a position to criticize the monarchs of old. Had your people chosen to do so, they could have defended the royals against the singers’ attacks. Some people might argue your kind have blood on their hands as much as singers do.”

“Then those people would be imbeciles,” said Rissin without heat. “But happily, their opinion would not interest me in the slightest.” He stood, the movement unexpected since he pushed himself to his feet right there on the chair, standing for a moment before lightly leaping down to the ground. “If you’re determined to keep these two prisoners overnight, we’ll leave you to it. We won’t return to our ship now, though. We’ll camp in the canyon, and if you try to slip them past us, you will regret it.”

“Your threats leave me terrified,” Svetlana said, the sarcasm light enough not to provoke a reaction from Rissin.

The three elves pattered out of the cave, back the way they’d come.

Chapter

Eleven

“Maddening little creatures,” Svetlana commented, her eyes following them. “But at least they’re consistent.”

She gave a subtle nod to the man standing next to the doorway leading outside, and he melted out of view, in the direction the elves had taken. Svetlana turned to Marieke and Zev, folding her arms over her chest.

“You’ll find that human notions of honor are meaningless to elves,” she informed them. “They’re often considered unscrupulous according to human perception, but they do have their own codes, and they follow them meticulously. Just never expect altruism from an elf. You won’t find it.”

“Thank you for that wisdom.” Zev’s voice was just dry enough to convey dignity without being inflammatory. “Does the fact that you’re giving us life advice mean that you intend to give us the opportunity to use it?”

“I’m not in the habit of arbitrarily killing people, if that’s what you’re asking,” Svetlana replied coolly, one eyebrow rising as her gaze flicked to Marieke. “Not even singers.”

“You’ll have to forgive our skepticism,” Zev retorted. “Sincethat was precisely the habit of the only other member of your community we’ve dealt with.”

“I already told you that Gorgon didn’t act on our behalf.” But Svetlana had the decency to look a little uncomfortable. “I should add, neither do the elves.”

“That much is clear,” Zev said. “What are they doing down in the canyon, anyway?”

“Back up a bit,” Marieke interjected. “The first question isn’t what are they doing. It’s whatarethey.”

Svetlana looked amused. “The first question of many, no doubt. And I have my own. But it can wait until after food and sleep. Your hands will be unbound,” one of her silent companions moved to make it happen as she said the words, “but remember that you’re not guests. You’re captives. Every entrance is guarded, and you won’t be allowed to leave. If you try, you will hurt your chances of favorable treatment. And even if you made it out of the cave system, the elves are waiting in the canyon. I don’t advise you to entrust yourself to them. Now you’ve seen them and know of their existence, they won’t be eager to let you return to the surface alive.”

Marieke brought her hands around to the front of her the moment they were freed, rubbing her sore wrists with relief.

“There’s an underground spring in the cavern through that door.” Svetlana gestured behind them. “You can wash up before dinner.”

She took a step toward the door through which the clattering had come earlier, then paused, looking back at Zev.

“You going to be all right?”

“How do you mean?” Zev asked stiffly. His eyes flicked to Marieke.

“I’m not asking if she’s all right, because I can see that she is,” Svetlana told him. “She seems level-headed to me.”

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