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Rohan tuned out the others, letting his mind drift to the kiss. He still wasn’t sure why he had done it. He could’ve gotten out of it if he wanted. Instead , he had leaned into the kiss. And stopping had taken every ounce of willpower he could muster.

He wanted to forget Farah’s hands on his chest. He was desperate to wipe the memory of her taste from his mind. More than anything, he wished to erase the desire that had scorched his blood—and lingered.

The men and elves around him laughed, wrenching him from his musings. He lifted his gaze from the floor and smiled, but he wasn’t listening. Soon , he made his excuses and walked away. Though to where, he didn’t know. Did he search out Farah and discuss the kiss? Was it better to never speak of it? Maybe he should pretend it had never happened.

He entered the building through the back door and softly closed it behind him. Halima was coming from the kitchen with a cup of tea.

“ If you’re looking for Farah , she’s in the bathhouse,” she said.

He hadn’t been looking for her. What he should do is get some sleep before Farah returned. Yet even as his mind devised a plan, his mouth chose another. “ Where is that?”

“ Go around the corner to the hallway. It’ll take you outside to a covered path. Follow it to the bathhouse.”

Rohan tipped his head. “ Thank you.”

“ You two look good together.”

Halima’s words drew him up short. He looked at her, unsure of what to say.

She grinned. “ Sleep well.”

Rohan watched her walk toward the sound of women’s voices. He debated seeking Farah out, but in the end, he followed Halima’s directions and made his way to the bathhouse. He wasn’t sure if it was to talk about the kiss or what, but he had to see her.

His steps slowed as he approached the beautiful structure, listening. No sounds came from within. Maybe she had already left. He walked under one of the giant arches and swept his gaze to the pool. Then he scanned the interior and spotted the second reservoir—and Farah . She sat facing him, her head back and lids closed. His gaze dipped lower and took in the sight of her full breasts through the water.

Rohan turned his head to the side. He shouldn’t be here. She likely wanted time alone. His appearance would only disturb whatever peace she had been able to find. Besides , what would he say? They were no longer enemies, but they weren’t friends. He wasn’t sure what they were. Enemies with a mutual goal? Allies , maybe—though that might be a stretch.

He silently retreated but didn’t return to the main building. Instead , he walked off the covered path and along the edge of the glade. Fat drops of water landed on him before the skies opened. Within moments, he was soaked. He didn’t withdraw indoors, preferring to remain outside alone with his thoughts and the rainwood.

He examined the various trees around him. How did Wood Elves live? Where , exactly? He wanted to see one of their settlements. It might give him some insight into Farah . Particularly why she was so willing to return to Mortham . She made it seem like she had no other options, but there were. Amberstar , for one. And the mountains. Neither might be what she wanted, but it was better than Mortham .

Yet if he talked her out of going back, he might never find Lata or his people. And if he believed Farah , he wouldn’t want to locate them. People could overcome such trauma with gentle care, love, and understanding. Having them returned was better than losing them. But he had to admit that not everyone would be willing to go through the necessary—and difficult—steps to heal. He couldn’t just let them go, though. He had a duty. One he took seriously.

Could he sacrifice Farah’s life for those of his people and sister? A few days ago, the answer had come quickly and easily. Now , there was hesitation. He turned his head toward the mountains. He could no longer see the peaks through the trees. He should bring his people there. It would be a challenging and demanding life, but it had been difficult when the Siguks had first chosen the coast as their home, too. It would be a completely different life in the frigid mountains, and they would have to learn everything anew, but they would be free of the elves. Well , most of them. But he’d heard the Mountain Elves kept to themselves.

It was a better solution than sailing off to find new land. He knew nothing about building a ship or how long it would take to reach a new shore. He hadn’t considered the mountains before, but the more he thought about it, the better it sounded.

There was also the option of going over the mountains and finding a new home outside Shecrish .

Rohan shook his head, mentally chiding himself. He would likely never convince his people to leave, no matter what destination he chose. But neither could they stay. Some hard choices would have to be made—particularly by him.

He ran a hand down his face and realized it had stopped raining. Water dripped from the leaves, plopping onto the ground. Animal calls he had never heard before filled the air. He had lumped all elves into the unpleasant category but learned that was shortsighted and small-minded. Time with Farah , as well as seeing humans living with—and loving—elves, had given him a new perspective.

“ We were wondering where you went.”

He turned and found Rashmi walking toward him. “ Just admiring the view.”

“ It’s a good thinking spot. I’ve used it myself a time or two.” She came to stand beside him and admired the towering trees, her hands clasped before her.

He waited for her to say more. When she didn’t, he turned his gaze to the rainwood. “ You’ve created a beautiful place.”

“ I think so. For however long we have it.”

“ You think you’ll have to leave?”

She lifted a shoulder. “ I hope not, but we’ll do whatever we must.”

“ Where would you go?”

“ I don’t know.” Rashmi looked at him, her gaze direct and probing. “ Where will you go?”

Rohan hesitated, shocked by her question.

She smiled softly. “ You’ve posed two questions, asking what I would do. Not what we would do.”

“ I meant nothing by that.”

Rashmi faced him and released a breath. “ Do not worry yourself about us. We have things well in hand. However , there is another matter we need to discuss.”

“ What’s that?”

“ Farah .”

Rohan stiffened. He was immediately wary. Maybe she had been right, and they should’ve stayed away. “ What about her?”

“ There’s no need to get defensive. If I wanted to harm her, I would’ve turned her over to the elves hunting her.”

“ You know who she is?” he asked, doing his best to keep his voice calm while attempting to discern what she wanted.

Rashmi nodded. “ I do, indeed.”

“ There’s a large reward. I don’t know many who would let that go.”

“ Then you might need to reevaluate who your friends are.” Rashmi shook her head. “ I’m not in the habit of helping the Masters or anyone affiliated with them.”

He looked into her amber eyes and frowned. “ Even if it brings them down on you?”

“ We might live away from others, but don’t let that fool you into thinking we can’t—or won’t—defend ourselves. We saw you coming our way hours before you reached us.”

“ Ah ,” he said as it dawned on him. “ Your Wood Elves .”

She nodded, grinning. “ They are good at what they do.”

“ Does everyone know who Farah is?”

“ We do. It was a mutual decision to allow both of you within our walls.”

Rohan briefly looked away. They knew Farah’s identity, but that didn’t mean they knew their involvement—or lack thereof. “ Why ? You’d be better off never showing yourselves. Farah didn’t want to come inside.”

“ There comes a time when individuals must take a stand. This was our time. Now , it’s your turn. Why did you wish to be at Amberstar ?”

“ We were chased and had a rough night. I had a bad hit to the head that prevented me from traveling. Farah left me to find some herbs. I wanted to give us time to form a plan and get a decent night’s sleep.”

“ Do you have a plan?”

A brightly colored bird flew overhead. “ Sort of.”

“ Have you considered that perhaps this is where you’re supposed to be? You and Farah fit in well.”

“ I appreciate the invitation, but it isn’t possible. I have duties I need to return to.”

She quirked a brow. “ Is that where you two were headed? Never mind. Don’t answer that. I’d rather not be lied to. Do you know why Farah is being hunted?”

“ I do.”

“ And you remain with her instead of leaving her?”

Rohan stared at the Sun Elf , trying to figure out where she was going with these questions. “ We have a mutual destination.”

“ I see.”

“ I’ll leave you to your spot.”

He only got a few steps before she said, “ Trousers to match your tunic are in your room.”

Rohan paused and looked back at her, but there was no censure in her words or expression. He nodded and continued walking. Of course, they had seen Farah steal the clothes. The Wood Elves at Amberstar must be very skilled indeed if Farah hadn’t spotted them. He entered the building and headed up the stairs to the room he shared with Farah .

He knocked once before entering. She sat on the bed, braiding her wet hair. Her gaze briefly met his before sliding away. He found the trousers, just as Rashmi had said. Rohan gathered them in his hands, thinking about his conversation with the Sun Elf .

“ They know who you are,” he said.

Farah’s fingers stilled, but she still didn’t look at him. “ What do you mean?”

“ The other Wood Elves tracked us to Amberstar . They agreed to allow us entry.”

“ Okay .”

He cleared his throat and looked at the pants again, then his gaze lifted to her. “ Rashmi saw your picture. They know you have a price on your head.”

“ Then we should leave.” Farah tied off the end of the plait with a strip of material before she turned to him. “ Immediately . This could be a trap.”

“ I don’t think it is.”

She got to her feet. “ You said they know the Masters want me. I’m not going to wait around to be taken.”

“ If it was a trap, why would Rashmi divulge what she knew? From what I gathered while talking to her, they’ve taken a stand against the Masters . They’ve offered us refuge.”

“ They’ve known all along?” Farah asked softly, her forehead puckered in a frown.

Rohan swallowed and nodded. She was putting things together as he had. He waited for her to bring up the kiss. To his surprise, she didn’t.

“ We’ve rested and eaten. We should leave. Now . Before anyone returns.”

“ You still want to head to the fort?”

Her shoulders dropped as she sighed. “ We’ve been over this.”

“ I can’t figure out why you want to go back. You have a chance to stay hidden here. You could even go into the mountains.”

“ As I’ve said, it’s the?—”

“ One place they won’t look for you,” he said over her. “ I know. Now , tell me the real reason. Because I’m having a hard time believing you wouldn’t find an alternative to being in Mortham for the rest of your days.”

Farah turned to face the window and wrapped her arms around her middle. “ I don’t like the cold, and that’s all there is in the mountains. And this place won’t be safe for long. They’ll raid it and likely take everyone here.”

He nodded. He should’ve known she wouldn’t open up. It still upset him.

“ Why do you care?” she retorted. “ It’s almost as if you’re trying to talk me out of going. And that doesn’t make sense considering everything you’ve done to force me to return.”

She was right about all of it. He had kidnapped her for the purpose of using her to find Lata . Farah was freely giving him precisely what he had threatened her with and blackmailed her to do. That should be enough.

If only it was.

He turned on his heel and left the room. Being near her was too disruptive. He walked to the bathhouse and, to his delight, found it empty. He stripped and laid his clothes across a bench to dry, then entered the small pool and glided across from one side to the other before ducking under the water. He surfaced and shook the hair from his face before situating himself in the corner.