Page 18 of Dark Elves of Ardani

The Goddess blessed those who were merciful.

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The moons werehigh in the sky that night when Zara disobeyed everyone’s advice to never go outside after dark, leaving her shed and creeping to the door of the inn. She did not have the unnaturally silent feet of a Varai, but she liked to think that she could be stealthy when she wished.

She didn’t even have to steal a key, because Basira had kindly given her a key to the inn “just in case,” and Zara felt a pang of guilt for betraying her trust as she unlocked the door and slipped inside.

As she’d expected, the common room was empty. Embers smoldered in the hearth, but no one was awake. She could faintly hear Tahir or Basira snoring as she passed the door to their room.

She slowed as she approached the room at the end of the hall. She carried no light, and the hall was dark except for the faint orange glow from the fire around the corner.

She put a hand to the dagger she’d stolen from the half-elf, which she’d kept in her belt. After a moment of consideration, she left it where it was. He had been threatened enough. Perhaps he didn’t need another person waving a weapon at him. It wouldn’t help convey her honest intentions.

And chances were good he wouldn’t be any danger to her in his current state, even after she untied him. He would be weakened from the days spent imprisoned in this room, and from Naika’s attacks. Zara would be thankful if he could even walk unaided.

She would open the door and let him out. He’d go on his way, and no one would be the wiser. Everyone would assume he’d escaped on his own. They all knew that Varai were clever and sneaky enough to manage something like that.

There was nothing to be nervous about.

She unlocked the door and pushed it open wide. Dim light from the hall illuminated the room just enough for Zara to see the lone chair inside. She stared at it in confusion. The room was empty.

A hand reached out of the darkness beside the door and yanked her into the room. Thrown off balance, she could do nothing as a strong arm swung her around and slammed her against the wall. A body pressed in behind her and a hand closed over her mouth. An arm closed around her waist, pinning one arm to her side.

She instinctively began to fight, bracing against the wall to push back against him, then stopped. The struggle would wake the others. If they came to investigate the sounds, they would know she’d come to free him.

The hand at her waist found her dagger—hisdagger. In a smooth motion, he drew it from the sheath and pressed the point of it beneath her ribs.“Quiet,”he whispered.

A chill went through her. She went very still. Something achy and panicked slithered through her.

“Are there guards?”he demanded, his voice low and urgent beside her ear.

Panting hard against his hand, she shook her head as much as his hold would allow.

“No one?”he confirmed.“Outside?”

She shook her head again.

He paused, as if considering his next move.

Zara felt claustrophobic. She didn’t like being held down. She didn’t like a body pressing on her against her will. Without her intention or permission, a small, frightened sound came from her throat.

The half-elf was still for a moment, and then his painful grip on her lessened a fraction. She realized he was shaking slightly. Perhaps Naika’s attacks had taken some of his strength after all. He shifted, unwrapping his arm from her waist, but the dagger remained pressed against her.

“Don’t speak,”he whispered. He waited for her to nod her agreement, and then his hand hesitantly pulled away from her mouth, moving to grasp the back of her shirt collar instead.

“Where is my sword?”

Zara nodded toward the hall. He guided her forward, still holding the point of the blade against her as he walked behind her. She glanced up at him sidelong as they moved into the light. Black marks were radiating across his face and neck, seemingly from the point on his shoulder where Naika had touched him. His eyes were flat and tired.

The snoring from Tahir and Basira’s room had stopped. Zara swallowed nervously as they passed their door.

As they entered the common room, Zara pointed toward the bar. Dragging her along with him, the half-elf found his sword tucked away on a shelf behind the bar, still in its sheath on its belt. He slung it over his shoulder before turning around and walking backward to the front door, as if expecting someone to come running down the stairs after him. He opened the door and leaned away from her to peer out into the night.

When he seemed certain it was safe, he let go of her collar and moved the dagger away from her. She remained motionless as he reached around her waist again to gently tug the dagger’s sheath from her belt. Behind her, she heard a rustle as he slid the blade back into the sheath.

He paused for long enough that she thought he was about to say something. But then she felt the heat at her back disappear, and she knew he was gone.

Chapter 7

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