Page 82 of Sun Elves of Ardani

“I know,” Safana said, glancing away. “I wouldn’t be telling you if it wasn’t important.”

“It’s a matter of life and death,” Gregoris said. “We need your help.”

“Rebellion will not be productive. A single town on the outskirts of Ardani can’t stand against all of Ysura.”

“We’ve realized that,” Safana said. “We joined them with the hope that there might be some way to improve the situation here—to demand better treatment from the Ysurans, at least, or to pressure them into leaving Refka alone. But the entire thing has spun out of control.”

“It’s Sergio,” Gregoris said. “He’s the one leading us. He’s taken things too far.” Kadaki shook her head. Of course it was Sergio. “At first, he was talking about things like organizing strikes and sabotaging their caravans. Then he started talking about assassinations. Now, they’re preparing for a war for Refka.”

“And people are going along with this?” Kadaki asked.

“People are desperate,” Safana said. “Nothing else has worked. They don’t know what else to do. I had even considered inviting you to join us after what they did to you.” She nodded toward Kadaki’s collar.

“They’ve been preparing for a battle,” Gregoris said. “They have fighters. The local hunters and army veterans, and some of the miners. They’ve been making shields to protect against the fire. And Kleo predicted heavy rain tonight.”

Kadaki froze. “Tonight?”

“They’re going to be slaughtered,” he said. “The entire town will be aflame. We tried to tell Sergio to rethink what they’re doing. He said that if we’re not with them, we’re against them. Then he implied that Safana might be loyal to the Ysurans.” He glanced up at Safana, who looked nauseous.

“What are they planning? To attack the Ysuran quarter?”

Gregoris nodded grimly.

“You have to try to stop them before the fighting begins,” Safana said.

They were right; it would end in slaughter. Needless, pointless death on both sides, and it would change nothing. If anything, it would make the Ysurans retaliate with worse treatment, harsher punishments, more restrictions, curfews…

“Why tell me this?” Kadaki said. “I can do nothing more than you can.”

Safana and Gregoris exchanged a look. “One of the Ysurans is sympathetic to us, isn’t he?” Gregoris asked. “Or to you, at least?” Both of them gave Kadaki a too-curious look.

She avoided answering the question. “You’re going to be sorely disappointed if you think he’ll fight for you.”

“Yes,” Safana said, “but maybe he won’t kill us on the spot if we explain everything to him. If we lead the Ysurans to the rebels now, before it’s too late, maybe they can stop them before things get violent. And maybe Sair Neiryn would try to convince the other Ysurans not to execute everyone involved… if you asked him to.”

“Can he be trusted?” Gregoris asked Kadaki. “Would he help?”

Kadaki knew he would if she asked, but that didn’t guarantee a happy ending for the Ardanians involved. Rebels were dealt with mercilessly by Ysurans. Their fate would be out of Neiryn’s hands.

And they would have to tell Rhian. They’d need her soldiers to stop the rebels. The idea of crawling to her for help put a bad taste in Kadaki’s mouth, but it was their best chance at avoiding bloodshed. There were lives at stake.

“I’ll get him,” she sighed.

There was a footstep from the doorway. Kadaki spun, startled. Neiryn opened the door and stepped inside. Safana and Gregoris both looked like they were considering running.

Somehow, he looked completely transformed. He was playing the part of the aloof sun elf again, and there was nothing left of the man she’d been with earlier. He was imposing. He commanded respect. His presence filled the room. But then he looked at her, and his mouth tilted up.Every time I look at you, I’m wishing I were kissing you.

Kadaki crossed her arms. “You’ve taken to eavesdropping now?”

“We call it ‘spying’ when it has to do with issues of defense and political concern,” he said. “Eavesdropping is for gossip.”

“I call it eavesdropping when you’re pressing your ear to the door like my nosy old aunt.”

“Perhaps your nosy aunt would make a good spy.” He turned to Safana and Gregoris, his expression growing less friendly. “You’ve gotten yourselves into quite a mess, haven’t you? You people are even stupider than I thought.” Gregoris paled. Safana just glared at Neiryn.

“So what are we going to do about it?” Kadaki said. She looked up at him. “What areyougoing to do about it?”

He sighed. “I suppose I’ll try to fix this before it can go any more wrong than it already has.”

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