Everyone was scattered around the clearing in various stages of terror. Tiny icicles clung to hair and frost coated grass and leaves.
“Night elf!” Theros was stalking toward Aruna, red-faced. “What was that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where have our people been taken?”
Novikke looked around again, counting. It was only then that she noticed four of their number had disappeared. There was no sign that they had ever been there. They’d vanished into the darkness.
“I don’t know,” Aruna said again.
“Are they dead?”
“I don’t know.”
Theros’s hand shot out to grasp Aruna around the throat. Aruna’s arms came up defensively, and he struggled for a moment before Theros pinned him against the tree. Novikke tensed. Before she could move, Thala was beside her, putting a hand on her arm.
“What do you know?”
“I warned you!” Aruna said, his voice strained. “What more do you expect me to do for you? I told you this would happen!”
“Your people brought this!”
Aruna scoffed. “We don’t have that kind of power.”
“Then what was it?”
Aruna tried to shake his head. “Ravi.”
Theros grunted in annoyance. He released Aruna with a shove.
Aruna leaned heavily against the tree, touching his bruised throat. “Did that look like superstition to you?” he snapped. “You saw it.”
Theros went to Kadaki next, who stiffened when she saw him coming. Novikke wondered if she realized how much her frown deepened as he approached. Her dislike for him was obvious.
Theros launched into a barrage of questions about magical explanations for what had happened. Kadaki had no clearer answers than Aruna.
Novikke wiped melting ice from her hair. That thing that had touched her—it had been thinking of taking her, instead of those other poor souls.
What she had felt was certainly more than superstition.
She peered over at Aruna. He hadn’t moved. He was watching Theros, his hand still at his collar. He didn’t look up at her. It was probably for the best. She thought of Thala’s advice and resisted the urge to go to him.
Chapter 6
They didn’t search for the people who had disappeared. They couldn’t risk splitting up and losing more people in the forest. So the lost were left behind, along with their last horse, which had run off in the darkness with half their supplies still on its back.
They were low on food now, having only what was on their backs. Kadaki could purify water with magic, but she couldn’t create food for them.
It rained the next day. The clouds were low and thick, and fog—normal, gray fog—blanketed the forest. Even their waterproofed cloaks did little to keep out the wet and cold. They couldn’t stop to take shelter in their tents. With their supplies so limited, they couldn’t afford to lose more time.
The damp got everywhere, in boots and under clothes. The tree canopy let through just enough rain to keep them soaked all day. Novikke’s nose ran, and her fingers were pink with cold. There was something maddening about inescapable wetness. She’d have given anything for a dry bed or a roof or even a cave to crouch inside of.
They would have to build a massive fire in the evening to chase away the cold and dry themselves out. Aruna would be annoyed about that.
It was difficult to tell whether they were getting anywhere. Most parts of the forest were identical. There would be a hillside here or a clearing there, but trees were trees and dirt was dirt.
No one talked. There was a haunted look about them all that hadn’t been there even the day before.
They were all beginning to wonder if they would ever make it out of the forest, let alone to wherever Theros was taking them. Novikke guessed that the only reason half the group hadn’t abandoned Theros after what had happened the previous day was that they had nowhere to go without Aruna to guide them.
That afternoon, Thala sidled up to Novikke. Rain pattered against her hood and cloaked shoulders.
“Is it me, or have we taken a lot of left turns today and yesterday?” Thala murmured.
Kadaki, on Novikke’s other side, looked up. The five of them had been walking near each other in a pod—Novikke, Kadaki, Thala, Neiryn, and Aleka.
Novikke looked toward Aruna at the front of the line. She could only see the back of his cloak. She frowned, nervous. “I didn’t notice any turns,” she said.
“Not turns,” Aleka whispered anxiously beside Thala. “We’ve been veering left constantly. I noticed it yesterday morning.”
“You think he’s taking us in circles?” Kadaki said, aghast.
Thala shushed her. A few of the soldiers nearby glanced over at them, then looked away again. There was a pause as the five of them considered this information.
Aleka licked his lips. “You know him, don’t you?” he said to Novikke. “Ask him to take us out of the forest. That’s what he wanted anyway, wasn’t it?”
“What about the captain?” Kadaki said.
“To the hells with the captain,” Aleka hissed. “We’re all going to die in here because he refuses to cut our losses. We should have retreated after what happened yesterday. This forest is evil.”
“It’s not evil,” Kadaki said. “It’s like the night elf told us. It’s protecting itself.”
“I don’t care what it’s doing. I just want to leave.”
Thala kept her mouth shut, but Novikke could tell she agreed. Kadaki scowled at the ground.
Neiryn, as usual, loomed silently behind them, listening but saying nothing. He gave a furtive smile when Novikke met his eye. Novikke didn’t smile back.
It was odd how quiet he’d been since they arrived at the Ardanian camp, considering that he hadn’t been able to last more than a few minutes without opening his mouth when they were traveling with Aruna. He was obviously avoiding attention while he waited for an opportunity to escape.
He had spent an awful lot of time with Kadaki. Novikke had seen them talking. Maybe too much. Kadaki smiled a lot when she was talking to him.
Neiryn struck Novikke as the type of person who could probably be charming when he wasn’t compulsively arguing or throwing insults. Maybe even charming enough to get Kadaki to free him—right before he set her on fire, most likely.
Novikke was sure he wouldn’t mind if the rest of them got lost in the forest or killed each other or starved, but he’d be in as much trouble as the rest of them if Aruna didn’t help them get back out.
There was a commotion at the front of the line, which had stopped moving. Theros was shouting at Aruna.
“That’s the same hill we passed yesterday!” He jabbed a finger toward said hill. Everyone looked up at the sharp, tooth-shaped peak on their left. Now that he mentioned it, Novikke recognized the distinct shape, though they were on the opposite side of it now.
Everyone looked at Aruna. Theros glared at him expectantly, wanting there to be an explanation other than sabotage but knowing there wasn’t.
Aruna said nothing for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether it was time to give in and admit fault. Then the corner of his mouth tilted up in silent amusement. The facade was over.
Theros’s fist met Aruna’s jaw. Aruna’s cuffed hands came up in front of his face to block the attacks, but after the third punch, he stumbled and went sprawling to the muddy ground.
“You will take us to the ruins,” Theros said. “Or you will die.”
“Kill me if you want,” Aruna said, and when he smiled, there was blood on his teeth. “You’re going to die here either way.”
Theros kicked him in the stomach. Aruna crumpled. Theros kicked again. The sound of his boot against soft flesh was awful. Aruna curled up to protect his ribs, and hugged his arms over his head. Theros kept kicking.
Novikke looked around. No one did anything. No one was stopping it. They didn’t even look concerned. Of course they didn’t.
“Stop!
” she said. She took a step toward them, and then another.
“Novikke, don’t—” Thala tried to reach for her, and Novikke jerked away from her. She strode toward the front of the line, toward Aruna.
“Theros!” Novikke shouted. “That’s enough!”
He ignored her. He was on the ground now, holding Aruna’s hands away from his face while he hit him. There was blood on his fist.
Hot rage swelled in Novikke’s gut. She wanted to scream. So she did.
“Stop!”
There was a sudden stillness around her. Finally, Theros stopped. He slowly turned to her. His lips curled. Aruna stared at her with open bafflement.
Somehow, Novikke’s sword had appeared in her hand and was being brandished at Theros. She stared at it.
What in all the hells was she doing?
“Novikke,” Theros said quietly. “Lower your weapon.”
Several others had surrounded her, their own swords drawn. Novikke glanced back at Thala and Kadaki, as if they could offer some aid. Thala just gaped. Kadaki frowned at her, shaking her head.
Novikke lowered the sword. Then she carefully bent and placed it on the ground. She waited for Theros to formally order her arrest.
Theros stood up, watching her in an overly thoughtful way that put her on edge. He came toward her. Each step made Novikke’s heart thump louder.
He grabbed the back of her collar and dragged her in front of him to face Aruna. She choked and pulled half-heartedly at his hands, stumbling to keep her feet under her. Then a knife pressed under her chin.
At this, finally, there were scattered gasps and protests from behind her.
“Quiet!” Theros roared, and there was quiet. He turned to Aruna. “You’re going to take us to the ruins.”
Aruna looked from Novikke to Theros, taking in the threat. There was a sheen of blood on his face, running in the rain. He was leaning on one arm, breathing shallowly. He probably had broken ribs.
He sneered at Theros. “You would murder one of your own?” he said, disbelieving. “And you expect a Varai to protect her from you?”
“Yes.”
Aruna did nothing. He was calling his bluff. He didn’t believe Theros would do it. But Novikke knew he would.
The knife suddenly dug in point-first under her jaw, breaking skin. Novikke gasped, wincing. Aruna stared at them, his eyes wide. When he still didn’t capitulate, the knife pushed in. Novikke cried out and tried to twist away from him, which only pressed the knife in farther. Hot blood dripped down her throat.
“Stop!” Aruna shouted. “Don’t.”
The knife moved away again. Theros held it in front of Novikke’s face, waiting.
“Fine. I’ll…” Aruna slumped, disgusted. “I’ll take you there. Leave her alone.”
Theros let go of Novikke and shoved her away. She clasped a hand to her throat. “Make camp,” he said. “We’ll start again in the morning.”
Novikke watched Aruna as the other soldiers took her pack and her sword and put shackles on her wrists. He’d watched her back for a while, dumbfounded, but then closed his eyes and laid his head on the ground, ignoring the rain pouring down on him.
None of them seemed to know what to do with her after that, so they left her to set up camp, eager to get out of the rain.
The cuffs on her wrists were ugly, heavy, noisy things that were already digging into her skin. She gingerly touched the skin under her chin, which continued to bleed.
This was why she’d been told to come. Theros had planned this from the beginning. He’d brought her along with the intention of using her this way.
She knelt in the mud in front of Aruna. He flinched when he heard her approach and warily squinted his eyes open. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth and from a cut along his hairline. He wheezed when he breathed.
How had she failed so miserably? At least when she had been doing nothing, there had still been the potential of escape. Now, there was no potential for anything.
She didn’t have the nerve to say how sorry she was. Asking for forgiveness seemed presumptuous. She’d ruined everything, maybe doomed them to death. Maybe doomed Kuda Varai.
Aruna’s hood had fallen back, and his hair was plastered to his face with rain. Novikke pulled the hood up to shelter his face. He looked up at her, tired. She fought the urge to avert her gaze.
He swallowed. “Help me up?” he said quietly.
Novikke quickly took his arm and pulled him into a sitting position. His face screwed up in pain.
A shadow fell over them as Kadaki appeared beside them. The mage wordlessly held out a hand and healed Novikke’s cut, managing not to meet her eyes despite standing a few inches from her face. Then she turned to Aruna.
“Where does it hurt?” she asked, clinical and straightforward.
Aruna paused, looked down at himself, taking stock of his injuries, then looked blankly at her, as if he didn’t know where to begin. Kadaki sighed, resting hands on her hips.
“Damned fool just beats people half to death and expects me to clean up after him…” she said under her breath.
Aruna gave a small huff that was either a laugh or a cough.
“You know the drill,” Kadaki said. “It may hurt a little. Just be calm and hold still.” She bent and waved a hand near his body. A soft glow radiated from her palm.
Novikke leaned in. “Kadaki, he’s gone mad,” she whispered. “This isn’t right. You all know it. You can’t let him do this to us.”
Kadaki’s hand slowed. “We’ve been instructed not to speak to you anymore,” she said stiffly. She glanced sideways at Novikke, her lips slanted downward, and Novikke thought she was about to express regret about the situation. But then she turned back to Aruna, saying nothing more.
Kadaki finished with Aruna a while later and left to rejoin the group. He looked much improved, though he still moved slowly, as if he ached. There was only so much you heal someone at once without inflicting spell fever on them.
Tents went up. A fire was built. As darkness fell, the campfire grew to a bonfire, illuminating everything in vibrant orange light and casting away the chill in the air.
As the group prepared to sleep, Vissarion came over and unlocked one of Novikke’s cuffs, only to loop the chain through Aruna’s and put it back on her. The same method of restraint that they’d used with Aruna, when they’d shackled his arms and legs together. It occurred to her that the ones they’d put on her were probably the ones they’d been using on his ankles.
He directed them to Novikke’s tent. She was a little surprised they were allowing them to be alone together unsupervised. The alternative, she supposed, was letting them sleep outside and freeze.
But then, why should Theros care if they were able to talk? It wasn’t as if there was any hope of them hatching an escape plan. He didn’t care enough to punish them by keeping them apart. This wasn’t about cruelty. It was about getting what he wanted, and he’d just gotten it.
They’d left their cloaks and boots outside by the fire. Inside the tent, they took turns stripping off damp socks and burrowing under blankets. Moving was difficult when your wrists were tied to someone else’s.
Their hair and clothes had mostly dried, after sitting by the fire a while. Mostly. But with only a few thin layers of fabric and tarpaulin between them and the dirt, it felt like the cold of the ground was sucking the heat from her as she touched it.
Their hands rested between them in a jumble, his wrist under hers and the back of his hand pressing awkwardly against hers.
She thought she could see the outline of his lips, the point of his nose, the shadows of his eyes under his brow. Was he looking back at her? She thought she saw a familiar shimmer of reflected light from his eyes, but then it was gone.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He didn’t answer.
“Things weren’t supposed to happen this way. I wanted to get you out of here. You and Neiryn. I was trying to wait for the right moment. I…lost
patience, I guess.”
She heard a soft exhale.
“You must think Ardanians are barbarians,” she said.
“Yes,” he said simply, without emotion, as if it were such a foregone conclusion that there was no point in being upset about it. “I already thought so before all this. And now I still do.”
She glanced up, trying to make out his face. “Are we the first humans you’ve met?”
Night Elves of Ardani: Book Two: Sacrifice Page 8