Page 83 of Dark Elves of Ardani

Crow was watching her with quiet interest. “You look tense, Zara. Do you like wine?”

“Not really.”

She looked at Zara like she was from another plane, then shrugged. “How about tea?”

Zara looked like she was about to refuse, then appeared to change her mind. “Yes, please. Thank you.”

Crow nudged Devana. “TEA,” she repeated loudly, pointing to the kettle near the fire and then to the tent where supplies were kept. Devana sighed a little and reluctantly went to the tent to fetch tea. Crow turned to Zara, smiling. “I’m teaching him Ardanian. It’s going well.”

Zara attempted a smile, though she looked like she wasn’t sure what to think of Crow—which was probably wise. “That is kind of you.”

Nero sat down on the log they’d dragged beside the fire to serve as a bench. “Do all your lessons involve having him do chores for you?”

Her lips twitched like they were trying to curve into a smirk. “Taking care of a guest is hardly a chore, Nero. I can’t believe you’d say such a thing, honestly. Didn’t you run a bar? Aren’t people in your line of work supposed to be accommodating?”

“I’m not in that line of work anymore,” he muttered. “And taking care of customers was always a chore.”

Crow shot an amused glance in Zara’s direction. “He’s a downer, isn’t he? Is he like that with you, as well?”

Nero watched Zara. She appeared to be suppressing a smile as well. “Only sometimes.” She came to sit beside him. There was plenty of space available, but she chose to sit close enough that her side touched his.

The night grew dark. Vaara reappeared after a while, Inaya trailing behind him like a shadow. They were with each other more often than not. Nero hadn’t guessed Vaara would be the doting father type, but he’d been wrong. The man was enamored with his child. He gave Zara a curt nod as his only greeting.

Crow and Devana had many questions about Zara and her life before she’d made it to Ardani. Zara was stiff at first, but she relaxed more and more as the evening went on. Nero felt more relieved the more Zara loosened.

Ever since she’d cried into his shoulder, something had been different between them. That moment had triggered something in him.

He hadn’t stopped worrying for her since then. He’d spent every minute afterward arranging things so that she could recover here. He would not be satisfied until she was completely safe and happy again. She deserved that much.

At some point, the conversation turned to making jabs at Nero again.

“Are you going to be staying here a while?” Crow asked Zara.

Again, Zara hedged. “I am not sure…”

“Nero doesn’t spend much time here, you know,” Crow said, glancing over at him as she sipped her tea. “He’s always very busy finding Paladins to fight.”

Nero frowned. “Someone’s got to do it.”

“Even Vaara doesn’t spend that much time hunting Paladins.”

“Vaara has a family, and I don’t. He’s got other things to do.”

“Exactly. It’s called a fixation. It’s not healthy. You should take a break. Live your life.”

“Some things are more important than rest,” Zara said slowly. “If there is a great wrong in the world, do we not have a responsibility to right it?”

Crow’s expression softened, and when she spoke again, she finally sounded sincere. “I’m only joking, of course. Nero spends all his time scavenging for supplies for us and fighting the Paladins to try to keep us safe. We’re all very grateful for him.”

Nero might have been blushing. Perhaps he should have thanked her for the compliment, but he looked down and said nothing.

When he caught Zara yawning, he excused them and took her back into the caves.

“We’re on a nocturnal schedule here,” he said. “It may be difficult for you to adjust to.”

She looked amused. “I have been nocturnal my whole life until now, Nero.”

He’d forgotten that somehow. “Ah.”

---