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Lotus River Port

The scrutiny had been unbelievable, but Salil had been prepared for it. No one had questioned him. Not officially, at least. But he’d run into others at the port who got him talking to see if he was involved in the explosion without actually coming out and asking.

It was exhausting. He was used to watching what he said and who he spoke with, but this was a completely different level of surveillance. He would be putting something into motion even if he hadn’t already organized his exit.

He stood on the ship deck and looked out over his crew. Each of them served as a slave to the Masters . Some believed his crew and others like them had it easy. He disagreed. Having freedom within reach, tasting it day in and day out, was far from painless. He saw the yearning in his crew’s eyes as they moved about the port, remembering when their lives had been their own.

He had already lost two crewmembers. They’d bolted, and he didn’t stop them. He never would. Their freedom would be short-lived, but he would let them have whatever time they managed to carve out before he had to report them as missing. Once the report was made, the silver bracelets would be activated, and they would wind up at Mortham . Except they would be in a room instead of a ship.

If it were up to him, Salil would never report them. But some members of his crew willingly spied for the Masters to gain extra privileges. Others did it to find some comfort in a life they had no control over. A few did it purely out of spite.

“ Cap’n .”

He drew in a breath and turned to the Port Master . The stout Dark Elf wore a constant sneer. He hated everyone who wasn’t Dark and despised most of those, too. It seemed he had a particular loathing for Wood Elves because he took every opportunity to make Salil’s days miserable. If anyone at the port was actively looking for a way to bring him down, it was the Port Master .

Salil looked into the Dark’s gray eyes. He was a head shorter than Salil , which only enraged him more. “ Port Master .”

“ Your next cargo will begin loading within the hour.”

“ I’m ready.”

The Dark’s eyes narrowed. He smoothed a hand over his short, white hair. “ Lose any crew this time?”

“ Since you last inquired thirty minutes ago? Nay .”

The Port Master snorted and turned on his heel before exiting the ship via the gangplank. Three other vessels were moored at the port, all being loaded with the newly abducted. Each ship would receive a similar visit from the Port Master . The elf did so love lording his position over others.

Salil turned back to observe his crew as they readied for their upcoming voyage. He put his hands in his pockets and fingered the small vial there. Once he set his plan into motion, there was no turning back. Farah was out there somewhere. He needed to find her before the Masters did. Moreover , he couldn’t stomach transporting elves and humans to servitude any longer. Nothing he did took down the organization. It was time he found something that would.

The Port Master’s voice boomed over the water. Salil watched him stride onto the next vessel anchored in front of him. The timing had to be perfect. He turned on his heel and made his way down the steps to the cargo hold. He stopped beside one of the small barrels stacked atop some others.

It would be more convincing if he initiated his plan after the cargo had been brought on board, but he couldn’t take innocent lives. Even if he considered it a mercy compared to what awaited them at Mortham . As it was, some of his crew would die. A few might be happy for the release. They talked about it enough, but talking and actually dying were two different things. The will to live was strong. If given the choice, many would choose life, even if it meant being a prisoner.

He continued to turn the vial over in his pocket. The explosion at the compound had helped his plan. When his ship and the one behind him blew, it would cause a frenzy, thereby making it easier for him to escape.

Salil withdrew a hand and snapped his fingers. Copper magic jumped to the cask. It wrapped around the wooden slats before sinking into the grains and disappearing. The countdown had begun. He retraced his steps and returned to the deck. There , he walked along the railing. In all his years in the rainwood, he had believed the Below was dark and dreary, but he had been wrong. The Lotus River , while underground, had a special appeal. There were dangers, but the bioluminescent animals and vegetation beneath the surface lit up the riverbed to reveal astounding wonders.

And it didn’t stop there. The port also had a unique appeal, with the buildings carved out of the rock. The Dark Elves didn’t let living underground hinder their artistic flare. It was in everything from the decorative architecture of the buildings to streetlamps and even the docks themselves. Nothing was done simply. There were embellishments and ornamentation everywhere his eye touched.

The slave trade along the Lotus River generated tremendous revenue, particularly at the port. Which had caused the population to swell. Which meant more workers brought in to carve out more living quarters. No one seemed to think about what would happen to Shecrish in the long term. The decline in the population had been noticed, but the governing bodies had yet to do anything about it. The Masters weren’t worried about working in the shadows anymore.

As for everyone else, it wouldn’t matter if you willingly worked with the Masters or not. They would come for each and every individual, one way or another. It was only a matter of time.

Salil nodded to one of his crewmembers, who called out a greeting. How many of his sailors were innocent? Half ? Three -quarters? All ? What about the vessel behind him? He hadn’t wanted to take innocent lives, but he inevitably would. He tried to tell himself he was freeing them, but even he didn’t buy the lie.

Others would die so he could live.

Did that make him as bad as the Masters ? Maybe . He made his way back to the helm. The ship bobbed in the water, eager to be taken out. She’d had her last voyage, though. He wasn’t just releasing his crew. He was also releasing her. When it was all over, she would rest at the bottom of the river to form a new home for the fish.

He laid a hand on the balustrade and flipped the cap off the vial in his pocket with the other. Salil turned his back to the port and hurriedly emptied the contents into his mouth. The taste was sharp and bitter on his tongue, lingering long after he’d swallowed it. He tucked it back into his pocket.

The effects of the tonic begin working almost instantly. He worried he might have drunk it too soon when the back of the ship suddenly lurched out of the water with the force of a blast. It sent him careening toward the far side of the ship.

Shouts filled the air. The second explosion shot out toward the port. Someone hollered his name. He turned but couldn’t see anything through the smoke. The third blast rocked the boards beneath his feet. He slipped over the side and into the river before the fourth detonation happened. He saw it cripple his ship.

Almost immediately, a ripple of explosions took out the vessel moored behind him. Salil removed the fake slave bracelet and let it fall to the bottom of the river before swimming to the front of his ship as others hit the water. By the time he reached the ladder at the dock, his skin was the gray of a Dark Elf . No one noticed him as they rushed to put out the fires dotting the remaining two ships and the dock before they spread.

He even joined in for a time to make it appear as if he lived at the port. Then he slipped away without a backward look. He hid in a small alcove when he heard the sounds of others running toward him and remained long after they passed. Word was already spreading about the explosions.

Slowly , he made his way along the route. His Dark Elf cover would only last for a few hours. He had to reach his destination before then. No one would remark on a Dark walking in the Below . But they would definitely notice of a Wood Elf .

He had never traveled this path, but he memorized it before taking the captain’s position in case Farah or he needed an escape. He passed through long sections of nothing between different communities, each more elaborate and extensive than the last. On the surface, everyone wanted to be by the water. In the Below , they kept away from it.

Finally , he found the passageway to The Crossing . His steps quickened as he neared the tavern’s door. He made his way inside but didn’t go to a table. Instead , he found the stockroom and hid in the back behind some barrels of ale. There , he waited for the effects of the tonic to wear off.

Salil rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes, but he still heard his crewmembers’ screams, still smelled burning flesh. How many had died? He hoped none, but the likelihood of that was slim. He had been spared only because he knew where to stand.

He squeezed his eyes shut before opening them. The fires would keep everyone absorbed for a while. Then , they would begin pulling bodies from the water. If he was lucky, they would think he had been blown up. But he wasn’t taking any chances. The moment his true appearance returned, he’d make his way out of Rannora —after a quick stop at Durga’s —to begin his search for Farah .

An hour later, the gray cast to his skin had vanished. He rose and walked to the door, standing with his hand on the handle and listening for anyone nearby. When he deemed the coast clear, he exited the storeroom. His gaze darted around the inside of the tavern. It was busy, and the noise was loud. He pressed against a wall when he heard the doorway from Below open. Three Dark Elves entered, talking about the port explosion.

Salil fell into step behind the trio to make it look like he had come in with them. They walked to a table, and he headed toward the doorway and out into the city. He kept his head down and blended in with others as he walked the streets on his way to Twilight , trading one pub for another.

Once inside, Salil got the nod from the bartender and made his way to the back. He heard Durga’s voice before he saw her.

“ I need answers!” she shouted.

He turned the corner into the room and saw Durga with a Dark Elf dressed in a long, black leather coat. “ Perhaps I can help.”

She whirled around to him, and relief filled her face as she softly closed the door. “ What happened?”

“ What needed to happen,” he replied.

The Dark Elf crossed his arms over his chest, his golden yellow eyes still watching Salil . Small , silver metal bands held locks of his long, white hair back on either side of his face, but the scars caught Salil’s eye. One dissected the Dark’s mouth at an angle from right to left. Another ran from his left temple through his left brow and across his nose to his right cheek. But the deepest was the one running from the inside corner of his left eye diagonally down to his left cheek and jaw. A very distinctive face—and one he had seen on papers circulated by the Masters .

Dain was dressed in all black, the ends of his coat cut into six thick strips, the shoulders bearing armored plating. Salil spotted chest and abdomen armor beneath the jacket, as well. There was armor on the front of his black boots, too.

Durga released a loud sigh. “ Salil , this is Dain . He’s part of the Dark’s CCD . Dain , Salil .”

What was an operative from the Counter Corruption Division doing with Durga ? Salil nodded at the Dark , and Dain dipped his chin in return.

“ Now ,” Durga said, cocking her head to the side. “ I take it you recognize Dain ?”

“ I do,” Salil admitted.

Dain said nothing, merely looked at him.

“ He’s a friend,” Durga said. “ And since you’re intelligent and acquainted with Ravi , I’m sure you can put two and two together.”

“ You were with Ravi at Shaldorn ,” Salil said to Dain .

“ I brought Durga intel on Shaldorn .”

Durga nodded. “ He’s risked his life several times for our agents. Now , what happened at the port?”

Salil relaxed a fraction now that he understood who Dain was. “ I blew up my ship and the one docked with mine. That way, I wouldn’t be looked at.”

“ Smart . How did you get out of the Below ?” Dain asked.

Salil glanced at him. “ A tonic. I walked out as a Dark without anyone the wiser.”

“ You were lucky,” Durga bit out.

“ You were right that I needed to get out. They watched my every move. I wouldn’t get any more intel.”

Durga scratched her forehead. “ Let’s hope your plan worked.” She looked at Dain . “ Ravi and Yaz are still with Manu , right?”

“ Aye . Along with the children,” he answered. “ They’re safe.”

Durga blew out a breath. Finally , she pivoted to face Salil . “ When can you leave to search for Farah ?”

“ Right now.”