Page 52 of Dark Elves of Ardani

Naika was pacing when they returned. She’d built a fire in the pit in the center of the cave and had apparently run out of things to do after that. She continued to be visibly impatient as Zara gathered supplies for making her antidote solution. Nero had not moved an inch, which was worrying.

Zara took the finished solution to Nero. She put a hand on his shoulder and shook him. It took several tries, but finally he roused a little, opening his bright eyes to slits. He looked up at her dazedly. A wave of relief went through her. She’d thought he might not wake up.

“Drink this,” she said without explanation. He did so without question. Then he lay back on the blanket she’d folded beneath his head, looking at her with a frown. Zara realized she’d been smiling, and quickly stopped. She’d just been so glad he was all right.

She felt something touch her. She looked down, and his hand was lightly grasping hers. She squeezed it, and his eyes closed again.

When she looked up again, Naika crossed her arms, glaring.

Zara pulled off her cloak, jacket, and boots, and placed them around the fire to dry. “I know what you are thinking,” she said. “He is the one who brought us here in the first place. So we should not thank him for helping us escape.”

Naika raised an eyebrow pointedly.

“That may be true, but he still got us out. He did not have to do that. I am not just going to let him die.”

Naika looked unconvinced. She tapped the left side of her chest. Zara didn’t understand what she was trying to say until she started drawing a shape with her finger. It was where the symbol of Paladius would have been on her armor.

“You want to go back to the Paladins?” Zara asked.

Naika nodded. She pointed to Zara, then to herself, then toward the mouth of the cave.

“You want me to go with you?”

Naika made a confused sort of motion around the cave and shrugged as if to ask,What else would you do? Stay here?

“Why run around in the dark when there are still Varai out there? We may as well rest here until sunrise.” And she needed to stay and make sure Nero recovered, but she didn’t say that.

Zara doubted she was fooling anyone. Naika shook her head and motioned outside more aggressively.

Zara sat back, settling in. “You can go, if you want.”

The Paladin looked displeased. After a few seconds, she turned and left.

Zara was surprised to find that she was a little sad she hadn’t chosen to stay. Naika’s mage light disappeared as she turned around a corner.

Zara looked up when she heard Devana moving. He was putting his cloak back on and pulling his hood up. His dark face nearly disappeared beneath it, even without magic.

“You too?”she asked.

“Yes.”

“Where are you going to go?”

“I’m not sure yet. I suppose I should try to get home.”

“It will be dangerous, trying to get there on your own.”

He gave her a bitter smile.“I know. But what other choice do I have? I can’t stay here.”

That was the trouble, wasn’t it? No Varai, or half-Varai, could stay in Ardani. For them, this land held death at every turn.

“Be careful,”Zara said.“Thank you for your help.”

He waved as he exited the cave.“You, as well.”

And then Zara was alone. Except for Nero.

He continued to sleep through the sound of the rain and the crackling of the fire. Zara shivered as she crouched beside him to check on him again. She studied his face and made sure that he was still breathing. She kept thinking he was going to wake up and catch her staring, but he never did.

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