Chapter Twelve

Ravi held Yasmin’s gaze as he watched the flames reflected in her dark blue irises. She hadn’t hidden her fear about Shaldorn, but he was now beginning to understand the depth of it as well as who she was. “You’ll be with me, but they’ll never know it’s you.”

“You want me to wear a disguise?”

Her uncertainty was understandable, and Ravi didn’t take it personally. “I’m not talking about a change of clothes.”

“Good. Because that wouldn’t work.” She paused then as if just hearing his words. “Then what, exactly?”

He shrugged. “I’m an elf. What do you think?”

“Magic.”

“The DIA has perfected a dose. We use it all the time.”

“You saw how I reacted to the herbs.”

He’d been thinking the same thing. “Hopefully, you won’t have a reaction.”

“Magic is magic. It doesn’t matter how it’s used.”

“If it doesn’t work, then you stay behind.”

Her lips parted in shock, and her brow furrowed. “Truly?”

“I must stay unnoticed. I can’t have attention placed on me. If that means leaving you outside to wait, then I will.”

“Interesting. Especially after Durga’s warning to me.”

Ravi blew out a breath. “I’ve completed my previous missions because I learned to pivot when needed. This would be one of those times. Durga was right about one thing, though. We need to trust each other. Or this will be over before it begins.”

“Trust.”

“I’m not suggesting we be friends. Just…friendly.”

She lifted her eyes to the sky, as she had several times that evening, the brush in her lap.

The longer she went without speaking, the more Ravi realized he had made a mistake by letting the acrimony between them grow. Durga was more worried than he had ever seen her about a mission. That, coupled with what little Yasmin had shared about Shaldorn meant he couldn’t go into this assignment as he had others. He needed to put aside his personal issues and think about what was at stake.

“Shaldorn is the last place you want to be,” he said. “I assumed you’d be happy not to step within its walls again.”

She pulled her hair over one shoulder, her fingers raking through the waves. “I’m already too close to that place.” She blew out a breath as she lowered her gaze to him. “You know nothing about it. Or those who preside over it. They consider it their kingdom. It’s a maze of floors and stairways that took me months to learn. If you go alone, you’ll die.”

“Then prepare me for Shaldorn and everything and everyone connected to it. You and I are all that stand between those bent on conflict and those set on peace. There can only be one outcome.”

Yasmin gave a slight shake of her head. “If we’re caught, they’ll kill us. There won’t be time to ask questions or escape. No time to get word to the undercover agent to ask for help. It will be instant. Going to Shaldorn is suicide. It would be better to reach out to Kendrick and warn him about what is happening.”

“That is happening through Esha’s sister, Savita. She’s a Re—”

“A rune Reader,” Yasmin said over him. “I’ve heard of her.”

Ravi leaned back on one hand, unable to tear his gaze away from Yasmin as she braided her hair until it lay in one thick plait over her shoulder. “If the device is allowed to detonate, the dragons will have to respond. The best thing for everyone is to steal the explosive before that happens.”

“You’ve done something like this before?”

“Nothing this important. What about you? How good are you at stealing?”

Her lips quirked into a grin. “Better than most.”

“I imagine you are,” he replied, hiding his smile. He took the chickupine from the fire and pulled off another piece of meat for himself before handing her the rest. “Eat up. It might be a few days before we get fresh game again.”

“This will be the last meal like this until we return. Unless you can hunt in the snow.”

Ravi leaned back against a boulder as he ate. “I’ve never been past the foothills.”

“It won’t be easy getting to Shaldorn.”

“Nothing in my job ever is.”

She regarded him over the flames. “Why a spy?”

“I’ve a knack for it.”

“But is it what you want to do?”

He shrugged. “I’ve never stopped to think about whether I want to do it. It’s important work, and I’m good at it. What about you? What are you good at?”

“You mean besides stealing?” Yasmin shrugged and continued eating. “I don’t know.”

“How often do you nick things?”

“As often as needed. Believe it or not, I do try to earn coin. It isn’t easy to find work. The children need to eat. They need clothes, shoes, and medicine. I do what I have to. I’ve only ever been caught twice.”

He threw a bone into the fire and licked his fingers. “Durga was looking for you, so I wouldn’t consider this last capture as being caught.” Ravi wondered how Yasmin would fair joining the DIA. She had the qualifications. And Durga certainly seemed to like her. “What if you had a steady job?”

“You mean spying?” she asked, her brows raised. She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not? You don’t hesitate to do what’s needed. You know when to fight and when to stop. You have quick fingers. I suspect you’d be great undercover. And nothing seems to scare you.”

She finished the last bite and wiped her hands on her pants. “Everything terrifies me. The things I’ve done, that I did to survive. Fleeing Shaldorn, stealing food and clothes, and staying hidden from everyone was all done for freedom.”

“We need a human on the team. Think about it. It would give you steady pay where you could find a better home, which means more for the kids.”

“I plan to leave Shecrish, remember?”

He lifted one shoulder. “There’s an opportunity if you change your mind.”

She settled against the rock, and he realized it was curved, almost as if cradling her. He had to admit that she had chosen a nice area to camp for the night. Especially where they were sleeping. It was the smoothest out of all the places he had considered.

Ravi lay back to sleep. He closed his eyes, but they didn’t stay shut for long. He found himself staring at the mountains rising around him. Tomorrow would take them into the Dangerous Peaks. The chill already came down from the mountains to tease him with what was to come. Or maybe it was his imagination. What he did know was that it would be the most treacherous mission he’d ever been sent on. So many lives rested on his shoulders. He couldn’t fail.

He had told Yasmin that he was good at pivoting when needed. That was because no plan ever went exactly as it should. Things always happened, and an agent was only as good as their ability to get out of tricky situations. No one would be coming to their aid. Everything rested with him and Yasmin.

They were an unlikely pair, to be sure. It was anyone’s guess if she would get him to Shaldorn. He had a map, but it wasn’t detailed. Not to mention, he knew nothing about the mountains. Climbing the plateau’s sheer cliffs didn’t make him a mountain climber. Then there was the weather. He shivered thinking about it.

Many obstacles stood in his way. Some might even say Yasmin was one of them. He would continue to press her for information about Shaldorn. Even if only half of what she said about the fortress was true. He had to be prepared.

As much as he hated to admit it, he wished Dain were there to get them close to Shaldorn so he didn’t have to traipse across the unforgiving peaks. But the Dark wasn’t there. Ravi preferred to work alone. It was easier to only worry about himself. Yet a team came in handy at times—like now.

Even if Savita got a message to Esha, and she was able to convince Kendrick and the other dragons that it was a rogue group in Shecrish that wished them harm, it didn’t mean all the dragons would stand down. That was why Durga was sending him and Yasmin to Shaldorn.

Ravi rolled his head to the side and looked through the fire at his companion. There were layers to her he hadn’t anticipated. He wanted to ask her more about what she had seen at Shaldorn, but he wouldn’t. Not unless he had to. The truth of her past and what she had done was hers alone. Talking about Shaldorn clearly took her to a dark place. He suspected facing the stronghold would do a lot worse. He would need to remind her that she had escaped when so many others hadn’t.

They had a way out as a last resort. Ravi didn’t want to blow the Dark Elf’s cover, but he would if it meant getting the device safely away. That was the only reason. Nothing else mattered.

Not his life.

Not Yasmin’s.

~ ~ ~

When Ravi opened his eyes, Yasmin was awake. She stood next to a boulder with her hand on it as she stared up at the mountain. He yawned and stretched before getting to his feet.

“There’s a storm coming,” she said. “We need to reach the ridge before it does.”

Ravi looked to where she pointed. “Give me five minutes.”

He walked to the river and splashed his face with cold water to help wake him. He ran his fingers through his hair before pulling the strands together at the back of his head and fastening a strip of leather to secure it out of his face. Then he checked the area to make sure no one had followed them. He searched the trees for Wood Elves, to no avail. He hadn’t seen any, which meant they didn’t want to interact. But they would report back to Durga.

Ravi returned to camp. The fire had long since gone out. Yasmin now wore a black coat and a deep gray scarf. She had also tugged on a thick black cap to cover her head and ears. Ravi hadn’t thought they would need that gear until later, but he didn’t know the Dangerous Peaks like she did. He put on his coat, hat, and scarf with his gloves stuffed into his pockets. Then he rolled up his blanket and secured it in his pack.

He walked to Yasmin and tore his last piece of bread in half to share with her. She took it with a nod of thanks before returning her gaze to the mountain. “Something troubles you.”

“We’ll have to move fast. It’s been a warmer-than-usual summer that has pushed into autumn.”

“There’s still a lot of snow on the peaks.”

She cut him a look. “Melting snow.”

“We’ll make it.”

Yasmin adjusted her pack and finished the bread. “We don’t have a choice.”

She set out then, moving quickly between the boulders, jumping effortlessly. Ravi followed, placing his feet where hers had been. The way she moved over the rocks, it was as if she had been born to them. A hand on one, a foot on another. Not once did they hamper her movements. He almost fell twice but managed to catch himself and keep up with her.

“Keep up,” she said over her shoulder.

He shot her a glare, but she didn’t see it. She was too busy wending her way through an undulating field of boulders. Then they were ascending the mountain. The slope started easy but quickly grew more difficult. They moved in quick bursts of speed between the precipitous inclines. She kept to the wooded areas, but they wouldn’t always have that to shelter them. Her gaze constantly rose before scanning around her. Ravi followed her example, glancing behind him on occasion, too.

When Yasmin paused and squatted next to a tree take out her water for a drink, Ravi was grateful. Nothing could prepare anyone for the steep slopes if they hadn’t been on one before. He drank deeply and surveyed their next section while trying to ease his labored breathing.

“The next segment is easier, but we’ll be out in the open,” Yasmin said.

Ravi slowed his breathing. The cold had descended upon them sometime in the forest. He hadn’t been aware of it until now because he had been exerting himself. He fastened his coat. “You think someone is watching.”

“I always assume someone is watching.”

“Smart.”

She chuckled under her breath. “We’ll rest again when we reach the next ridge. We still have two more before we get to the top.”

“I take it the sections after that aren’t easy?”

She looked at him and shook her head. “I hope you can climb. We have a vertical bluff to scale.”

“I can handle it.” He hoped he could in the cold. He’d only ever done it in the heat and humidity.

She put her water flask back into her pack. “Ready?”

They set out after his nod. The gradient from the woods to the summit of the next ridgeline was gradual, though the rocks slid beneath his feet if he wasn’t careful. It didn’t take them long to get to the top. He paused there and took in the sight of the never-ending sea of peaks before him, varying in height and size, some with tips so pointed they looked like they could slice the sky. Others were more rounded. But snow enveloped them all. He could see the wind whipping around the summits, causing a dusting of snow to become airborne. The higher they went, the colder it would be. His lungs already ached from breathing in the icy air.

Ravi bent over, bracing his hands on his knees. His gaze was drawn to Yasmin as she studied their next section to climb. She was bent over, her hand on a rock before she finally stood.

“I have the way,” she informed him.

He straightened and walked to her as he pulled the water flask from his bag. Ravi was shocked to discover that he emptied it in two swallows.

“There’s water ahead where we can refill the flasks.”

He eyed their next climb to find some clumps of snow on the ground the sun had never reached. “Are you sure?”

“It’s the best route.”

A heartbeat later, he was trailing behind her again. They wound around the snow, never once touching it. Their feet landed on firm rock each time, almost as if steppingstones had been placed there for them.