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Farah woke as the first rays of the morning sun streaked through her window. She rolled onto her back and looked at the other side of the mattress, but it was empty, the covers unmoved. Rohan hadn’t returned to the room. She sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, a mix of irritation and unease rolling through her.

So what if he slept elsewhere? She hadn’t wanted to share a bed with him anyway. Why , then, was she annoyed that he hadn’t returned? Had he gone back to Kalyani and his people? Nay . He’d had plenty of chances to leave. He hadn’t gone anywhere—not when he wanted to get into Mortham so badly. Yet it was obvious he didn’t want to be near her.

Farah released a long breath and rose to her feet. She walked to the window and looked outside to see Rashmi and Halima doing stretching poses together. They moved slowly and in harmony as if they shared one body, one mind. Farah felt that pang in her chest again. She turned away and dressed. She hadn’t gotten the restful sleep she had hoped for, but the reprieve at Amberstar had been interesting. It was time to leave, however.

After she washed her face, she loosened her braid and combed her hair. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she took in her red hair, pointed ears, hazel eyes, and freckles. When she was younger, she was a dreamer, always imagining the future and its many possibilities. Every scenario had been safe and happy. There hadn’t been heartache or danger. There certainly hadn’t been any thoughts of running for her life or becoming a spy.

But children knew little of the real world. It had been so long since she had tried to imagine a future of any kind that she could no longer conjure dreams or plans other than finding Nitya . And look where that had gotten her. She wondered what her parents would say if they could see her now. They probably wouldn’t recognize her. She certainly didn’t.

She parted her hair to one side and gathered the thickest section into a braid. Once that was completed, she gathered some of the other side behind her head and fastened the sections together. It had been Nitya’s favorite hairstyle. With one final look in the mirror, Farah walked out of the room.

Amberstar was hushed, the residence just coming awake as others began moving about. She walked silently past on her way to the stairs and descended to the ground floor. Her gaze scanned for Rohan . All the rooms were supposedly taken, so where had he slept?

She headed toward the kitchen and glanced out one of the back windows. That’s when she saw him speaking to one of the other human men. They shared a smile and a laugh. She halted to watch him. He was relaxed. Comfortable . Looking almost as if he belonged.

Rohan suddenly looked up. Their eyes met, but he quickly looked away. Farah lowered her gaze to the floor for a heartbeat before continuing on to the kitchen, where she heard voices. She walked in and found several members already there.

“ Good morning,” Rashmi called in greeting.

Farah smiled. “ Morning .”

“ Did you sleep well?” one of the human females asked.

Farah tried to remember her name but was coming up blank. “ I did,” she lied. She made her way to Rashmi . “ Why didn’t you tell me you knew who I was?”

“ I already explained to Rohan . If I had, you wouldn’t have come inside.”

“ Thank you for your silence.”

Rashmi tilted her head forward.

“ And I need to apologize for stealing the clothes.”

The Sun Elf grinned and waved away Farah’s words. “ Think nothing of it. You had a need. We’ve all been in such situations before.”

Farah glanced away. “ Thank you.” She looked around the kitchen to the others trying not to eavesdrop and raised her voice. “ All of you. Your generosity and kindness mean more than you could know. But it’s time we left.”

“ I expected that.” Rashmi handed Farah a bag filled with food. “ Return anytime. Both of you,” she said, looking over Farah’s shoulder.

Farah turned and saw Rohan standing at the kitchen’s entrance. She faced Rashmi and took the bag, wondering how much Rohan had overheard.

Rashmi turned to her, guiding Farah out a back door. “ You’re both welcome to stay longer. And I mean it about returning.”

“ The charity we found here has been incredible. I wish nothing but good things for all of you.”

Rashmi stopped and faced Farah , taking one of her hands into hers. “ And us, you. Be careful out there. It’s a dangerous world we live in.”

“ Sadly , I’m all too aware.”

Rashmi bowed her head, released Farah’s hand, and walked away. Farah looked for Rohan but didn’t see him. She shifted her feet restlessly. Her attention diverted when she felt a presence above her. She looked up and found one of the Wood Elves descending the tree. She couldn’t recall his name either. She should’ve paid better attention.

He landed silently beside her and shoved long strands of red hair from his face as he straightened. “ Things look clear so far.”

“ I take it you were one of the ones following us yesterday?”

He grinned. “ I also distracted the elf warriors.”

“ Thank you. I thought for sure they were going to find us.”

“ They keep me on my toes, but I enjoy it. Which direction are you headed?”

A small group of coorodas howled as they swung from tree to tree, using their long arms and tails. She briefly watched them. “ Rannora .”

“ The city is the last place you should be. There’ll be many spies there.”

“ I don’t have a choice. I must deliver something.”

He quirked a brow. “ Will you give Durga a message for me?”

Farah stilled when he mentioned her supervisor.

“ She’s my cousin,” he explained. “ We trained together for many years, and you have the look of one of her agents.”

Revealing her status within the DIA to anyone went against everything Farah had learned.

“ No need to say anything,” he told her. “ When you see Durga , tell her Jothi is well. She was instrumental in helping us put this place together.”

Farah shouldn’t have been surprised to hear that.

Jothi handed Farah a small vial. “ This is from a stash Durga gave me the last time we saw each other. It will transform you into a human for a time. That should make it easier for you to move about the city.”

“ Thank you,” she said, closing her hand around the pale yellow liquid.

Jothi put his hand on her back and guided her down a narrow path. His voice dipped low, and he grew serious. “ Keep close to the mountains and move quickly. When you reach the river, don’t cross at the rope bridge.”

“ It’s the safest place to cross. The rapids elsewhere are too strong.”

“ True , but there’s another section that few know about. Head east but keep to the thickest trees. Bands of hunters watch the river. After the second bend, look for the flat boulder. When you get there, it’s a tight squeeze through two rocks. Then , you’ll see a rope stretched across a narrow channel. I strung it and have traversed it several times. Bear in mind that you’ll get wet, but no one watches that area. Keep a hold of the rope because if the water sweeps you away, you’ll be in the rapids. I’ll track you as far as I can in case you run into trouble.”

She nodded and filed his words away. “ And after the river?”

“ You’ll be in Bapun territory. There are rumors they’re working with the Masters .”

“ In other words, we need to get through that area quickly.”

Jothi dropped his hand from her back and halted. “ You made it here. You can get to the city.”

Before she could respond, Rohan walked up. He and Jothi nodded at each other in greeting.

“ Good luck,” the elf said before climbing the nearest tree.

Farah watched him for a moment, then looped the bag strap over her head and across her chest, tucking the tonic safely inside amid the clothes and food. She settled the sack against her hip so she could adjust it to her front or back as needed. Finally , she looked at Rohan . He had also been given a bag of supplies, and he now had a dagger strapped to his leg.

“ Ready ?” she asked.

He dipped his chin in reply.

She pressed her lips together. “ We’re going to move fast and quietly.”

“ I’ll keep up.”

He wasn’t exactly curt, but he wasn’t friendly either. Rohan was his usual self. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but it somehow did. All because of that damn kiss. That had altered everything, and she didn’t like it.

“ Whenever you’re ready,” he said.

Farah looked toward the building and saw the rest of the group gathered there. She lifted a hand in farewell, then found the nearest tree Rohan could scale. He managed well in the trees but couldn’t climb like a Wood Elf .

She found one of the thream trees with its big, thick, low-hanging limbs. She got a running start and put her foot on the lowest branch before launching herself to the next. Then she jumped onto the subsequent limb and looked back in time to see Rohan perfectly mimicking her movements.

Farah climbed higher. Some of the branches were close enough that she could step, but she had to jump and grab a few with her arms before pulling herself up. Eventually , they reached the height she wanted. She headed toward the edge of the rainwood to heed Jothi’s advice.

She didn’t look for him. He would keep hidden unless he had to show himself. She thought of the vial he had given her. It just might be what got her to Durga . Farah halted all thought and looked ahead at the trees. She took a deep breath and set out.