Page 43 of Dark Elves of Ardani

An arrow landed in a nearby tree trunk with a thud, making both women flinch. A small group of Varai were moving through the trees toward them. The mage waved a hand, summoning a crackling bolt of energy which she flung toward the elves. There was a shout, though Nero couldn’t tell for certain whether someone had been hit.

While their attention was on the others, he darted to grab his sword, then grabbed Zara by her collar, pulling her back against him and resting his sword against her throat. Remembering the archers, he turned so that his body was between them and her. Zara struggled for a second, startled by the choking pressure of her own collar against her neck.

The mage looked over, surprised by his sudden appearance. She raised her hand for another spell, gathering a glowing ball of energy, then hesitated, her narrowed eyes moving between Zara and Nero. Nero’s blade hovered an inch from Zara’s throat and he was mostly hidden behind her.

“Surrender,” he said, though he almost wished she wouldn’t. He wouldn’t have minded much at all if they killed the mage.

The archers slowed to a stop around them, bows still drawn. One of them shouted commands toward the mage.

“They’re telling you to drop the spell and lie down flat on the ground,” Nero said. “I would do it, if I were you.”

The mage glared at him, fury radiating from her. She looked at Zara again, and her expression grew even more hate-filled.

Slowly, she lowered her hand, letting the spell fizzle. As the archers continued shouting at her, she dropped to her knees, then lowered herself to the ground, glaring at them all the while. The other Varai rushed in to restrain her.

Nero turned his attention to the woman in his arms. She was very stiff, not moving. He eased the blade a little farther away from her neck.

He still remembered the way she’d panicked during his escape from the inn. He didn’t like the idea of someone being distressed because of him. There was little that disturbed him more than being the cause of someone’s terror.

He tilted his head to look down at her face, and was grateful not to see panic. Indeed, she looked almost calm. He could feel her hand lingering at her side, near her dagger.

“Don’t,” he warned her quietly.

He sensed her arm relax, her hand moving away from the weapon to rest very lightly on his thigh. If he hadn’t known better, he might have said she was seeking reassurance by touching him.

Chapter 15

The rain continued to fall as Zara and Naika were marched through the woods. The light of day was fading as evening came, and in the trees the dark quickly pressed in on them. The half-elf kept a hand on Zara’s arm as they walked, and she was almost relieved to have him guiding her when her vision became less reliable.

They were brought to a small camp in the woods. Nero motioned for her to sit down on the wet ground near a fire pit.

The Varai had no magic inhibitors, so they blindfolded Naika and tied her to a tree, her arms stretched above her. They’d pulled her heavy cuirass off of her, leaving her in a dark shirt that quickly grew sodden in the rain. Zara saw goosebumps rising on her skin.

One of the Varai stood by Naika with his blade drawn, ready to run her through if she moved wrong. If she were a sufficiently skilled mage, she could have escaped, but the Varai seemed to have correctly assumed that her abilities were only average. To do anything about her situation while blind, with her movement restricted, before the guard could kill her, would be difficult.

Zara was not particularly surprised to see Devana among the Varai. The other elves had taken him in when he’d escaped, even though he wasn’t a member of their group. He frowned when he spotted her. Zara felt a flare of annoyance—but of course, it would have been foolish to hope that he might return any of the kindness she’d shown him.

“You,”he said, approaching her suspiciously.“Why did you cut me loose?”

“I told you I would try to keep you alive,”she said.“I’m not a liar.”

He looked at her like she was crazy, which she probably was.

She stiffened when another Varai approached her with rope in his hands. The half-elf quickly held out a hand to stop him.“Don’t bother. She’s just their translator. Not a fighter.”

Zara glanced up at him curiously. The other man gave him a disapproving look, but after looking at Zara, he shrugged.“She’s your responsibility, then, half-blood.”

“Fine.”

“Which one do you think is prettier?”Naika’s guard asked no one in particular, looking from Naika to Zara.

“The pale one,”another said, his eyes on Zara.“She looks obedient.”

Zara’s hatred must have not been completely concealed, because everyone except the half-elf laughed as they watched her.

“The mage has a sweet face, once she’s stopped scowling,”said Naika’s guard. He reached up to hold her face, forcing her to turn her head slightly. Her lips twitched with annoyance.“She has a sweet body, too.”His hand wandered lower, skimming down her throat and over her breast. Zara saw her twitch. For a moment, she thought the woman would summon a spell and kill him. But after the initial flinch, she didn’t react whatsoever, even as the man fondled her.

Glancing furtively around the camp, Zara realized the group was all men. If there had been even one Varai woman in the group, the dynamic would have changed, but here, she and Naika were on their own. Devana was the only one who looked uncomfortable with the situation, and he certainly wasn’t saying anything about it. As the newcomer and the youngest, there was little he could have done, anyway.

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