Page 9 of Sun Elves of Ardani

Kadaki’s tongue had a bad habit of moving faster than her brain when she was angry. She spoke before she could think better of it. “Did you tell your commander how we met, Sair Neiryn?”

“I—”

“You may remember that I’ve seen you collared, naked, delirious with fever, sobbing incoherently. I have a difficult time feeling intimidated by someone who only sits before me today because of my intervention.”

Neiryn’s gaze was steady. “Yes, I recall,” he said.

Rhian folded her hands on the table. “Then perhaps I will speak for Sair Neiryn. We do not mean to intimidate. We do not need to. We’re simply explaining what is going to happen, whether you agree with it or not. You have no place arguing with our demands.” She paused, searching their faces, then added for good measure, “I am not a patient woman. There will be harsh consequences for resistance.”

Kadaki glanced at Neiryn again, and his face was eerily like stone. They all knew Rhian was right. They could do whatever they liked. They could burn the entire town to the ground if they wished.

Kadaki shot a glance at Roshan. His expression was guarded, but she could tell he felt as ill as she did. “We are not resisting,” she said quietly.

“I’m pleased to hear it,” Rhian replied. “With all that being said, I see no need to remove you from the premises while we do our work, as long as you don’t get in the way. Additionally, Lord Roshan, I have a proposal for you. If our information is correct, your mining company has had a difficult year. We know your iron mine is running dry, and soon you’ll have workers with no work to do.”

“That is correct,” Roshan said reluctantly.

“We suspect that the center of the axis is deep underground,” Neiryn said. “That’s why we’re unable to detect it without the help of a seeker.”

Rhian nodded. “We would like to hire your company to dig for us.”

Roshan’s eyebrows went up. He didn’t look displeased with the suggestion. “Well, that would be—”

“I’ll send someone to work out the details with you,” she said, waving a hand. “Also, we will be needing the use of the house to quarter some of our people—likely just the three of us, to keep watch on the dig site.”

There was a little gasp from the hallway. Kadaki looked up in time to see an affronted-looking Safana quickly duck behind the door frame. Kadaki sympathized. No doubt she was dreading having to take care of three guests with no notice. Kadaki was already imagining the elves taking over her room, eating off her plates, and sleeping in her bed, and she had to suppress a grimace.

“Then where will Kadaki and I stay?” Roshan asked, much more calmly than Kadaki would have.

“It’s a big house. I’m sure there is room for all of us. You will remain here with us.”

Will, notmay. Commander Rhian spoke only in commands, not requests.

She turned to Kadaki. “My second has spoken highly of your skills, Lady Kadaki.”

“Has he?” Kadaki asked flatly.

“Indeed. You met in Kuda Varai, I believe?”

Kadaki could only imagine how he’d embellished the story of what happened in Kuda Varai. He’d probably told them that he’d been the mastermind of the entire situation, and that he’d cleverly tricked a stupid human girl into serving him.

But then, maybe that was the truth after all.

“You must have many extraordinary tales to tell,” Rhian went on. “He said that the two of you called a truce in order to escape the night elves’ forest together.”

It was the simplest version of the truth. Kadaki guessed Neiryn had left some things out of his story. In fact, she could think of more than a few things Neiryn had said and done in Kuda Varai that could easily be considered treason against Ysura.

Kadaki slanted a glance at Neiryn. His hands were clasped tightly atop the table in front of him. He tilted his head infinitesimally, a tiny shake. For a moment, there was something imploring in his eyes.

Kadaki bit the inside of her cheek. At length, she returned her gaze to Rhian. “Yes,” was all she said. Neiryn didn’t move a muscle, so she must have only imagined that she sensed his relief.

“He tells me that you turned against your superiors and single-handedly saved the Kuda Varai axis when your people foolishly tried to destroy it. You did the right thing. The consequences would have been catastrophic had they succeeded. Ecosystems across Heilune would have been ruined.”

Kadaki shrugged.

“What you did must have taken an extraordinary amount of power. You are a skilled mage for your age. You were quite young at the time, weren’t you?”

She frowned a little, sensing condescension again. “I’m twenty-four.”

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