Chapter Ten

Ravi stared at the human’s profile as she watched the cooroda. “There have been those who sought the answers you want. They never found anything.”

“Maybe they weren’t looking in the right places. For all anyone knows, we could have people on another part of the realm where they take children away to bring here because we can’t bear them ourselves.”

It was a good theory, and one he had heard before. But also something that had never been looked into or investigated. At least, as far as he knew.

“I’m going to leave Shecrish,” the female stated. “I’m going to travel and see if I can find those answers.”

“You might find more questions.”

“Maybe. But anywhere is better than here.”

His brows snapped together. “Has life been so bad? You were found in Shecrish and given to a family. You weren’t allowed to starve, nor were you forgotten.”

“It might have been better if I had been.”

That brought him up short. “Were your parents so bad?”

She slowly turned her head to him. “They weren’t my parents.”

“They were the ones who raised you. They might not have birthed you, but they were still your parents.”

“They weren’t my parents,” she stated again, her voice dropping an octave as her blue eyes turned icy.

Ravi shrugged. “Suit yourself.” But his curiosity had been stirred. Had she been given to a human or elven family? All elven children were placed with elves. But human babies could be given to either.

She looked away, her shoulders tense. “You fit in Shecrish. I don’t. No human does. There are others like me out there somewhere. I’m sure of it. I’m going to find them.”

“Do you plan on taking the children with you?”

Her head snapped back to him as her gaze searched his face. “Did you hurt them?”

“I would never harm a child. Though the oldest one is a bit rough around the edges.”

Her nostrils flared as anger tightened her face. “You know nothing about them or the hardships they have endured.”

“You should’ve allowed Rannora’s council to deal with that.”

“Right,” she said with a bark of laughter. “Because that always works out so well.”

Ravi ran a hand over his jaw, feeling the whiskers scraping against his palm. She hated elves, and he didn’t exactly care for her. The only thing that softened his opinion was her obvious concern and affection for the children in her care. “It wasn’t medicine you purchased.”

“It was. She promised. I gave her every last coin I had.” The human looked at him again, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Is Jaya…? Durga said she was better.”

“Dain knew it wasn’t medicine. He didn’t bother telling me until after he brought a healer in. Jaya was in bad shape, but the Star Elf healed her.”

The female squeezed her eyes closed before turning her head away. She sat in silence for a long moment. Finally, she cleared her throat and asked, “And the other children? Did Durga take them away?”

“As far as I know, they were left where we found them. You can thank Dain for that.”

“If I ever see him again, I will. And, nay. I won’t abandon them. Ever.”

Ravi stared at the back of her head. He saw her reach up to her face and wondered if she brushed away a tear. He couldn’t imagine much could make the female cry. She was too thorny and hostile for such an emotion.

“We made good time today,” she said into the silence.

“Things would’ve been a lot easier had Dain been able to bring us as planned.”

She ducked her head and picked at a broken nail. “Why don’t you two like each other?”

“He’s a Dark Elf.”

Finally, her deep blue gaze slid to him. “Maybe, but he was willing to help you. Would you do the same for him?”

“Doubtful,” Ravi answered honestly.

She gave a light snort. “That’s what I thought.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” he demanded.

“That he’s willing, but you wouldn’t return the favor. He put aside personal preference to do something he thought was important.”

“You don’t know either of us.”

She shrugged. “I saw enough of your exchange to come to the right conclusion. You just don’t want to admit it because it makes you look bad.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to argue the point, but he decided against it. She wanted to rile him as he had done with her earlier. “Apparently, your contempt doesn’t include all elves.”

“I have met a few who were kind.”

“A few,” he repeated with a snort.

She shifted to look at him. “Let’s get something straight. You don’t like me any more than I like you. We’re stuck together. You need me, even if it galls you to admit it. Trust me, I’d rather be ~anywhere~ but here with you.”

“I don’t have a problem with humans as you seem to have with elves. My issue is that you harbor children that should be with their families. And you’re a dissident.”

One slim, arched brow lifted. “You take a look at a person or scene and think there is only one story. I live with those children. Therefore, I must have taken them.”

“Taken them or pressured them into leaving their families.”

She laughed, but there was no mirth in the sound. “And this is my problem with your kind. Elves think they know better than humans. That there is only one way, and it must be the elven way.”

“I’m not naïve enough to think there aren’t elves out there who harm others. The eldest lad told me about his eye.”

If it was possible, the female’s gaze hardened even more. “That didn’t sway you, did it?”

“If there’s an issue, he should’ve gone to the city council.”

“A human child’s word against two elves? Aye, that always works out so well.”

Ravi shifted to face her. “Why didn’t you do something, then?”

“Me?” she asked with a blink. “You’re right. They would absolutely listen to me.”

“They might.” But even as he said the words, he knew they were a lie.

She rolled her eyes. “No one bothers anymore because nothing gets done. Sameer would’ve been returned to the ~parents~ who hurt him and would likely have died within months. They hated him because they weren’t given an elven baby. It wasn’t his fault the Domestic Ministry chose them as his parents, but they took it out on him. When we return, maybe I’ll show you the scars they left on his body throughout the years. He crawled out of the house the night they took his eye. He was bleeding and dying when I found him lying in the street as elves walked over him as if he were garbage. Literally walked over him. He had been starved until he was nothing but skin and bones. I should’ve had trouble picking up a boy of thirteen summers.”

Ravi inwardly cringed at the picture she painted. He couldn’t imagine anyone walking over someone injured, be they elf or human. He certainly wouldn’t have.

“Shall I tell you about the other five? Shall I go into their stories of horror and abuse, detailing each until you can’t decide whether to be disgusted or irate? Each of those children came from an elven home. And their ~parents~ never bothered to search for them or even tell the authorities they were missing. I know because I checked every week. Those children are alive because I was there when no one else was.” She glared at him as if the very sight of him sickened her. “Elven kind hides behind magic and sanctimonious arrogance, but they aren’t any better than humans. You just want to make us think you are.”

Before Ravi could reply, she rose and walked away. He watched as she skillfully climbed over the rocks. She was right. He had taken one look at her and passed judgment. His aversion had deepened when he learned about the children. His job was to look past what a person showed the world to who they really were. His life depended on it. Yet he’d let his contempt color his views of the human.

He inwardly winced. He hadn’t even bothered to call her by her name. Not aloud and not in his thoughts. Maybe she hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t as if she had called him by ~his~ name. He couldn’t say if she would be as petty as he had been by calling her ~the human~ or ~the female~.

Dain had realized what had happened to the children. A Dark Elf had seen what Ravi hadn’t because he’d been angry that Dain was there. He shook his head. He was glad Dain had made him leave the children as they were. Though Ravi wished he would’ve sent them food and clothing. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

The fem—Yasmin had put herself at risk in taking care of the kids. She had certainly cut him down to size with her words. Her rage had been palpable, and she had every right to it. It sickened him that anyone out there would take their anger or resentment out on an innocent child. When he returned to Rannora, he would find the parents of each of those children and report them to the Rannoran Council as well as the Shecrish Conclave.

How many more children were out there suffering? It was probably more than he wanted to think about. Not just in Rannora but also in Belanore and all the small villages across the plateau. Someone needed to stand up for them. He couldn’t bring attention to himself with the work he did, but he would find someone who could.

Ravi’s gaze swung to Yasmin. Her back was to him as she settled on the flattest ground she could find between two boulders. She dug into her pack, carefully pulling out some food. He stood and walked in her direction, jumping to the ground behind her. She turned her head slightly.

“Save that. I’m going to get us some fresh meat,” he said before walking away.