Page 13

13

Rannora

The shadows didn’t just hide him. They were part of him. There was comfort within the darkness that Dain couldn’t find anywhere else. He stood wrapped in the shadows, manipulating them as few of his kind could while watching the comings and goings within the city, particularly around The Crossing .

The pub was a favorite of the Dark Elves who ventured from underground to mingle with the other elven races. Probably because it sat half in the Above and half in the Below . A Dark named Sidiq owned the tavern. Dain wouldn’t exactly call him a friend—he didn’t call many friends—but Sidiq was…an acquaintance.

That wasn’t why he was here, though. Dain’s gaze moved to the pub’s wide, arched entrance, framed by smooth, dark stone. To the right, in plain view of anyone entering from the city or ascending the narrow doorway from below, stood a wall adorned with a colossal painted mandala. Half the geometric symbol representing the elves’ universe sat in the sunshine, displaying its vibrant colors. The other half, with its white lines, was bathed in shadow.

Above and Below .

The Crossing was Dain’s favorite place for many reasons. He liked that Sidiq had dared to thumb his nose at the unspoken rules by opening a business half in the Above . And there was no better place than the pub for Dain to observe others, especially the elves who dirtied themselves by associating with the Dark , all while never actually venturing belowground.

A different kind of crowd from the city frequented The Crossing . Which made it a good location for meetings when he didn’t want to be seen. He was here for such a meeting today, but not with others from the intelligence community. Nay , he was here for someone else.

Reva walked into his line of sight. Her long, brunette locks were gathered behind her head so the length fell down the middle of her back. The petite human wore a smile as she carried drinks to a table. Her beige, short-sleeve shirt skimmed her full breasts and showed off an inch of her stomach. She wore sienna-colored pants with wide legs that gathered at her ankles, and simple black sandals.

He stared at the shoes. They were new. She rarely bought anything that wasn’t food. It looked like his money was going to good use.

She turned toward him. Dain found himself staring at her oval face, her pouty lips, and her dainty nose. He had noticed her the moment she began working at the pub. It was his job to discern everything—especially a human within such a place. But it hadn’t been until he rescued her from spidorbs in the Below that he’d really paid attention.

Her long ponytail swung out behind her as she whipped her head to the side. She wore a smile, but it was forced, fake. It would drop as soon as she turned away from the customer. Dain had only gleaned a little of her story from his colleague, Arya , when she and Reva had been held as prisoners.

In a world filled with magic, Reva had the biggest secret of all. Magic didn’t work on her. That wasn’t what had caught his attention, though. She was a fighter, a survivor. She knew how to get herself out of impossible situations. And that’s exactly the kind of person he needed. They had come to an agreement: She would listen to conversations while she worked and pass things on to him in exchange for coin.

Elves stupidly ignored humans when they were around. It paid off for Dain since he had human informants all over Shecrish . Dain kept much of what he learned to himself in case he needed to use it in the future.

But things were changing. He didn’t show his face as he used to. His scars were too distinctive. With the Masters hunting him and his friends— Ravi , Yasmin , Arya , and Jai —for delivering some massive setbacks, Dain had to be extra careful. His shadows proved useful. He gathered them closer, pushing himself into the corner and away from the sunlight that stretched to reach him.

He would have to move soon. The rising sun would be upon him shortly. Dain glanced inside the tavern again. Reva was headed toward the stock room. He used the shadows to take him there, and when the door closed behind Reva , he dropped them.

She jumped at the sight of him, her brown eyes flashing dangerously. “ You have to stop scaring me,” she told him and glanced over her shoulder at the door.

“ Things are difficult now.”

Her expression softened. “ I just don’t like being startled.”

“ That wasn’t my intent.”

“ I know.” She crossed her arms over her waist and stepped closer, her voice lowering. “ All anyone can talk about is the explosion that happened Below .”

He twisted his lips. “ Has anyone mentioned a location?”

“ I heard someone mention Mortham . Do you know what that is?”

“ Unfortunately , I do. What is the talk?”

She shrugged a slim shoulder. “ Besides the unease about those who escaped? It’s been about the Wood Elf who caused it.”

“ Did you get a name?”

“ Not yet. They’ve been talking about what will happen to her when she’s caught.”

That caught his attention. “ Her ?”

“ That’s what they’re saying.”

“ I need a name.”

She grabbed two bottles of alcohol from the shelf near her. “ I’ll do what I can. I’m working two shifts.”

It was the third time this week. He should caution her about throwing aside her downtime, but he needed the intel. Dain examined her face for signs of exhaustion. He relaxed when he didn’t see any. “ Are you closing?”

“ Aye . Meet me at my flat.”

He held out his hand, ready to pay her.

Reva shook her head. “ I’ve not earned it yet.”

“ You gave me information.”

“ Nothing relevant.” She nodded to his hand with the coins. “ Keep those at the ready. I’ll have something.”

He watched her walk out of the storage room. She always had intel. He tossed the coins into the air and caught them before tucking them into his pocket. Then he considered what to do. He had hours before she got off work. He could visit his other moles, but he didn’t want to leave.

The door opened before he could gather his shadows, and he came face-to-face with Sidiq . The tall Dark held Dain’s gaze as he softly shut the door behind him. Sidiq crossed his arms over his chest. He’d left his long, white hair down, highlighting the shaved left side and the blue tattoos on his gray skin. Gray eyes looked Dain up and down.

“ I have two doors you can use,” Sidiq said.

Dain liked Sidiq . Always had. He didn’t want to have to fight him. “ I know.”

“ You think I would tell someone you were here?”

“ I think everyone has a price. And the Masters have a long reach.”

Sidiq nodded thoughtfully. “ Maybe so, but you saved Reva . Not many would’ve done that.”

“ She’s an innocent in all of this.”

“ She’s working for you, isn’t she?”

Dain said nothing.

Sidiq blew out a breath and dropped his arms to his sides. “ I thought I had gotten away from all of this.”

“ You’re never really out.”

“ So I’m learning.”

They stared at each other for a long moment before Dain said, “ All she’s doing is gathering information. Nothing more.”

“ She’s a good person. She’ll get hurt. We both know it.”

“ I won’t let that happen.”

“ If she does, I’m coming for you.”

Dain hadn’t considered that Sidiq might have feelings for Reva . He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “ Understood .”

Sidiq shook his head and turned toward the door. He put his hand on the knob but hesitated. “ If you needed information, you could’ve come to me.”

“ As you said, you got out.”

Sidiq turned his head and looked at Dain . “ Do you know her history?”

“ I know she’s a fighter.”

“ Maybe because she’s had to be.”

Dain shifted on his feet. “ Life isn’t easy for any of us. I’m trying to help her.”

“ By putting her in danger?”

“ By supplementing her income so she can buy new things like sandals.”

Sidiq blew out a breath. “ The pub is a safe place for you. I owe you that for what you did for Reva .”

The door closed behind Sidiq , yet their conversation hung in the air long after he was gone. Dain had only seen the opportunities in using Reva at first. Maybe he had been living in the shadows for too long. The intelligence community had a way of eating someone up and spitting them out. Too few got to walk away unscathed.

Reva was a survivor. Perhaps he should’ve seen that as a sign to give her a wide berth and not pull her into his orbit. Sidiq obviously knew more about her past than Dain did, and whatever it was caused Sidiq to question his motives.

Maybe he should question his intentions. It wasn’t just listening and passing on information. Those who really had secrets were aware of anyone and everyone. If Reva got too close to something, there wasn’t just a chance she would get hurt. It was nearly certain. Just because someone survived one thing didn’t mean they wanted to continue doing that every day.

Dain gathered his shadows and went to visit another of his spies. He kept himself busy gathering intel and filing it away, moving from informant to informant. Anything to keep busy. He found himself about to return to The Crossing several times but just stayed out of sight, watching the world pass him by. That was the way it was, the way it had always been. The way it would remain.

It was well past midnight when he finally allowed himself to go to Reva’s . Apartment 13 looked the same as it had the few other times he had been inside. It was only one room with a cot along a wall. The kitchen area had a wobbly table. The stool with bricks beneath one of the broken legs to stabilize it had been replaced. A second plant had joined the first next to the window. His gaze moved to the table beside the bed and the book there with the smooth, worn leather cover. It was no bigger than his palm. He wanted to see if the bright pink flower still rested between two of the pages, but he didn’t.

He heard the key turning in the lock—something he had gotten for her. Dain turned to face the door as Reva opened it. She smiled in greeting. She should be angry that he’d entered her space uninvited, but she had never said as much. Was it because she was afraid? Or because she really didn’t mind?

“ I should’ve waited outside,” he told her.

She released the strip holding her hair and shook out the length, massaging her scalp. “ I was expecting you.”

“ I still should’ve waited outside. And you should demand that of me.”

Reva dropped her arms as she eyed him. “ What’s going on?”

“ Nothing .”

“ Well , I have something that will cheer you up. A name. Farah .” When he didn’t reply, she licked her lips. “ I tried to hear a surname, but that’s all I got.”

Dain dug the coins out of his coat and put them on the rickety table. “ That’s more than enough.”

“ What’s going on? Did I make a mistake?”

“ Actually , you’ve been great. I appreciate everything you’ve done, but I’ll no longer be coming to you for information.”

Her face fell. “ I did do something wrong. Tell me what it was and I’ll make sure not to do it again.”

“ This isn’t about you.”

“ Dain , I want to do this.”

He tipped his head to her. “ If you need anything, Sidiq is a good man. He’ll look out for you. Farewell , Reva .”

Dain gathered his shadows but didn’t get out quickly enough. He heard her shout his name, and the sound of it echoed in his head.