Chapter Eleven

The stones had warned Yasmin that Ravi was approaching. She had expected him to reprimand her for the way she had spoken to him. She hadn’t guessed he would go hunting. Her shoulders dropped, and she let out a sigh. When it came to the children, she couldn’t control her temper or her words. They were all alone in a world that was all too ready to beat them down. They needed someone to show them compassion and love, which is why she had taken them in.

Leaving Shecrish was the answer. There would be hardships aplenty, but they would have each other. All she had to do was make it back from Shaldorn. She had done it once. She would do it again.

For them.

They were her family.

By the time Ravi returned, the last bit of pale blue clung to the sky as the sun set to a magnificent yellow and orange. He had a chickupine in hand. She took it from him and began plucking the feathers as he built a fire. Before long, the bird was roasting, and her mouth watered at the delicious smell.

Ravi stared at the flames, seemingly lost in thought. Yasmin raised her gaze as the woonsada, with their leathery wings, large ears, and fur-covered torsos, flew erratically around them, catching insects drawn to the fire. Her stomach growled, and she hoped Ravi couldn’t hear it from his position across the blaze.

Ravi drew in a breath and then slowly released it. “You know the legend of the dragons, aye?”

“I do. Their land borders ours. No one is allowed to cross into Idrias for fear of what the dragons will do.”

“That’s right, but no one has seen a dragon for hundreds of years. There were rumors they were gone, that they’d left Zora. Some elves wanted to enter Idrias and find out if the dragons were still there.”

“That is unwise.”

A ghost of a smile played on his lips. “In that, we agree. Just because you don’t see a dragon doesn’t mean they aren’t there. That became true when one visited us recently.”

“A dragon crossed into Shecrish?” she asked in disbelief. “I didn’t think they were supposed to.”

“They aren’t. But it wasn’t just any dragon, it was a Dragon King. Apparently, some can shift from their true form to that of a human.”

Yasmin sat up straighter, suddenly impatient to hear more. If dragons could look human, then that confirmed there were others like her on Zora.

“Kendrick, the King, crossed the border when he was battling a foe we share. It’s invisible and strikes when we least expect it. He teamed up with the Asavori Rangers to hunt it.”

“Wow,” she murmured. How she would’ve loved to meet Kendrick. If anyone would know if there were other humans like her, it would be a Dragon King. He might even be able to take her to them. The stones sang louder when she thought about the King.

Ravi turned the chickupine over. “Dain worked with them, as well. During all of this, Kendrick and Esha, a Ranger, fell in love.”

An elf and a dragon? Now that surprised her.

“Then someone sent a nightwraith after them.”

Yasmin shuddered at the thought. She had never seen one of the giant predators firsthand, and she hoped she never did. “Did it kill the dragon?”

“Kendrick killed it.” Ravi scratched at his neck. “There is speculation that someone from the Conclave sent it.”

“But why? Kendrick came to help.”

Ravi nodded and blew out a breath. “Exactly. I was to be assigned to that before I was told to go to Shaldorn to stop the sale of the explosive. The Dark Elves have an undercover operative in Shaldorn. They’re the ones who got word to Dain about the device.”

“I don’t understand the reasoning for angering the dragons. They’ve left us alone all this time.”

“Aye. We don’t know which group crafted the bomb or who plans to use it. My objective is to steal the device before they hand it over in three days’ time.”

Yasmin licked her lips. “How can you be sure you’ll get to it?”

“Because that’s my job. But first, I have to get into the stronghold.”

Which fell on her. “I can’t understand why anyone would want to bring down the wrath of the dragons.”

“For change.”

Her eyes widened as understanding dawned. “You think it’s humans.”

“A dissenter group has been very vocal about bringing about change. They’ve used explosives before.”

She bit her lip and shook her head. “Select humans are invited to Shaldorn, but most are elves. Those of my kind who walk around freely are few. They’re also extremely rich and powerful, even among the elves.”

“That can’t be very many.”

“It isn’t.” She eyed him. He was being particularly agreeable that evening. Was it because of her words earlier? No doubt he’d return to his grumpy self in the morning.

“You said freely,” he said, his gaze locked on her. “What do you mean?”

Yasmin tried to look away from his copper eyes but was unsuccessful. “The workers at Shaldorn are all human.”

“What do they do?”

She pulled her gaze away as a woonsada flew near her, gobbling up a morsel. “Cook, clean, entertain. Everything.”

“And which were you?”

Yasmin picked at her fingers. “It’s been some years since I was there. Things rarely change, but we need to expect that some have. Before, we were marked.”

“Your tattoo,” he interjected as he glanced at her neck.

She fought not to reach up and touch the spot. “Aye.”

“That could be easily hidden.”

“Guests couldn’t see them, but it wasn’t for them. It was for us. To remind us who we belonged to.”

“~Belonged~ to?” Ravi spoke the words in a tone that suggested he might not have heard right.

Yasmin shrugged. “Did you think we could come and go as we pleased?”

“Are you telling me you were prisoners?”

“That’s one word for it.”

His nostrils flared. “If you escaped, then there’s a way out for us.”

She glanced toward the mountain, apprehension growing the closer she got to the stronghold. Ravi cut meat from the bird and handed it to her. She took it, her fingers burning. Yasmin moved the meat from one hand to the other until she could hold it without scalding her skin. Then she took a bite and closed her eyes at that taste of fresh meat. It felt wrong to enjoy such a meal when the children were merely scraping by. But they were strong. They would hold out until she returned.

Yasmin swallowed and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. “Getting into Shaldorn is hard. Getting out is impossible.”

“You did it.”

“With help.”

He shrugged as if that didn’t matter. “There’s always a way out.”

Would she be able to speak to the stones without Ravi discovering her secret? If they were to get out alive, she would have to. “You need to understand something about Shaldorn. They’re meticulous about who they allow inside. Everyone there has something they want kept secret. Whatever their peculiarities. You’re going to see all kinds.”

“I’ve seen everything. Nothing will shock me.”

She snorted. “Something will. Though it might not be those in attendance. It could be the things they have for sale.” She took a small bite and chewed while studying the contours of his face in the firelight. Once she swallowed, she said, “Weapons and magic will be front and center. It’s what everyone assumes goes on there.”

A golden brow rose on his forehead. “I assume there’s gambling and rooms where discussions take place in secret.”

“Most of Shaldorn is private rooms. The exchange you want to stop will happen in one of them.”

His lips flattened for a moment. “Locating those involved could be a problem since we won’t know which room they choose.”

Yasmin had an idea, but she kept it to herself for the moment. A lot could have changed in the time since she had been at Shaldorn. She needed to be prepared for that. The stones might be able to help her sort it out.

“What else happens there? What are you afraid of telling me?”

Her attention returned to Ravi. “For all intents and purposes, it is a market. You say you’ve been around all kinds. I doubt you’ve been around these types of people. They’re the worst sort. The kind who wears a pretty mask to show one side of themselves, but in Shaldorn, that mask is removed to show their true selves. Nothing they ask for is too heinous or revolting. If they want to hunt a human child and have enough coin, it’ll happen.”

“When you say hunt…”

“Aye,” Yasmin nodded. “I mean hunt. Like you did our meal.”

A muscle in his jaw tensed. “Shite.”

“Weapons and magic are bartered and sold. So are animals, humans, and even some elves. There are five groups within Shaldorn. Those on the very top run things. They’re called the Trinity. One, Two, and Three are who everyone answers to. They’re always around. Then you have the elite. Those are the guests who come to enjoy the predilections offered at the fortress. Mostly elves, but you will see some humans. The guards are next. Huge brutes who seem to enjoy the violence. They watch everyone. Lastly, there are the marked. There were many names for us. Recruits, workers, staff. There were more of us than any other. They are the ones who keep Shaldorn running behind the scenes and walk among the elite.”

“You interacted with these people?”

She looked away as she thought of her last evening at Shaldorn when she knew she had to leave or die there. Freezing to death was a better alternative to what had awaited her that night. “I did. Not all the staff do. Only certain ones.”

“Pretty ones, you mean,” he guessed in a soft voice.

Yasmin lifted her gaze to him. “Those of us the Trinity believed would get the elite’s attention.”

“What did you have to do?”

“Then you have the last group,” she said without answering him. “Those are the ones the elite bring to trade or sell. There are those the owners have decided won’t do as staff. They’re of all ages and social standings. I know one of the elite had a feud with someone and had their daughter kidnapped.”

Ravi poked the fire before adding another piece of wood. “What happened to her?”

“They stripped and tied her to one of the columns in the main area. The elite were told to have fun. They beat her with whips, chains, and even their hands. She never begged for mercy, never cried out. Not even when they took her into one of the rooms where they had their way with her. The men rotated in and out of that room for days.” Yasmin squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to block out the memory. “There wasn’t much left of her by the time they finished. I think she died without them knowing.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone when you escaped?”

Yasmin stared into the fire and unbound her hair. She dug into the pack to find the brush and slowly began pulling it through the length as a way to soothe herself. “Staff members try to run away nightly. Sometimes, groups of them go in hopes that at least one of them will get free. No one does. Those who make the attempt are brutally killed and displayed as a warning to others.”

“Yet they keep trying.”

“Freedom is worth the risk of death,” she murmured. “I looked for a way out from nearly the moment I arrived. Years passed before I got up the nerve to try. I was almost caught once. It scared me so bad that I didn’t try again for months. After that, I was more determined than ever. But I wanted to do it right. Yet I still didn’t manage it on my own.”

“Did the one who helped you get away, too?”

Yasmin’s throat tightened as she shook her head. “Neela covered for me and gave me a head start. The guards came after me. That night, I chose death over being brought back. I had nothing but the clothes I wore. My shoes weren’t made for the snow, but I didn’t care. I ran headlong toward death with open arms.”

“Yet here you are.”

She shifted to brush another section of hair. “Here I am. And all the while, they’ve continued to look for me. I see guards walking the streets of Rannora. I’ve seen them stop any human who looks even vaguely like me.”

“What would they do if they caught you?”

Yasmin met his gaze. “Kill me.”

“I won’t let that happen.”

“You won’t be able to stop it.”

“I just might surprise you.”

She sighed and dropped her hands to her lap. “You may be all you say you are, but you are just one elf. There will be dozens of guards. The instant they think anything is off, they’ll surround us.”

“Then you’d better be a great performer, because it’s going to take both of us to pull this off and get out alive.”

“They’ll take one look at me and know who I am. It’ll be over before it begins. You’ll have to go in alone.”