Chapter 12
Hours. That’s how long Kalyani had repeated the stories.
Varum asked her the same thing twenty different ways to see if he could trip her up—and she’d nearly stumbled a few times.
But he hadn’t relented. Not even when they shared another meal.
She could hardly keep her eyes open. She had no concept of time since she couldn’t see the sky, but it was getting harder to ensure that she didn’t accidentally say more than she already had.
Since she had kept the stories to the basics, it made it easier.
Kalyani didn’t care if she’d forgotten to mention something she might have said in the numerous times she had repeated them to the tyrant across from her.
Nay, her worry was letting something slip.
Because if she did, Varum would become even more relentless in his interrogation. If only she could close her eyes….
She heard him demand that she repeat Yaz and Ravi’s story, but it sounded as if the words were coming down a long tunnel.
Kalyani tried to shake herself awake. She propped her elbow on the arm of the sofa and rested her head in her hand as she relayed it once more.
Her eyelids grew heavier. She let them close for just a heartbeat.
That was all she needed. Just a little rest.
“Jai and Arya’s now, please.”
It was too bad that he wasn’t rude about it.
If he were, she’d be tempted to tell him to shove it.
Instead, his voice was gentle, almost compassionate.
It was a ruse, of course. All she needed to do to dispel that image was open her eyes and find his iridescent blue orbs narrowed on her as he listened.
It was one of the reasons she refused to look at him anymore.
Her mind started to wander as she repeated yet another story.
Kalyani caught herself just before she mentioned Reva.
She hadn’t revealed her for many reasons, but the most important was how magic didn’t work on her.
Kalyani wasn’t even supposed to know that.
She had overheard it one night when Dain was talking with Arya and Jai.
Kalyani had vowed to all three that she would never repeat what she had heard, and she intended to keep that promise.
Reva’s abduction when Arya was taken had been a mistake. Dain had righted it, though. And that’s where Reva’s story was supposed to end. There was no need to drag her into the thick of things now that she was safe.
“And no one has seen the Masters?”
Kalyani chuckled at the question. “Of course not.” She’d feel a lot better if she could just lie down. “Arya talked to them.”
The minute the words were out, Kalyani jerked upright with a start, now completely awake. She swung her head to Varum to find a knowing grin curving his lips.
“I knew you’d eventually let something slip,” he said.
“That was rather devious.”
He slowly sat forward, his gaze locked on her. “I warned you that I would do whatever it took to get the information. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“I guess it slipped my mind.”
A grunt followed her words as he reclined once more. “Tell me about the interaction.”
“There isn’t much to tell.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
Kalyani wanted to kick herself for letting her attention slip, her words following soon after.
It was a good thing she hadn’t said more.
In all honesty, she had forgotten about Arya and the Masters.
“Arya was caught while in Mortham. They hung her in a dark room with her ankles and wrists bound. The Masters interrogated her there. She never saw their faces. She only heard their voices. They were going to cast her in with the others who had been kidnapped, but she offered to sway her parents into joining the Masters.”
“The only reason for her to do that was if her family has influence.”
“Oh, they did,” Kalyani said with a nod. “Her family was very well respected, before they were killed.”
Varum nodded for her to continue.
“Just as Arya had hoped, the Masters fell for her lie. They released her, but she was injured in the interrogation. As she walked the halls trying to find Jai and Dain—”
“You said nothing about Dain being with them before.”
Kalyani forced a smile, barely holding back the tirade she wanted to deliver. But she managed to hold it in. Varum was her way home. She had to play by his rules if she wanted to see her family and friends again. “I told you he was in Mortham twice.”
“You’re making me wonder how many other things you left out.”
“Do you want the rest of this story or not?” she bit out.
He motioned for her to proceed.
“It was during her wandering that Arya ran into One. She didn’t know who he was, and she was so weak that she had no way of refusing his help to heal her.”
“What did he ask for in return?”
Kalyani shook her head. “Nothing.”
“I find that odd.”
“We all did. I think he’ll want some kind of repayment in the future.”
Varum grunted again. “Without a doubt.”
“That was it. One healed her and left.”
“How does Arya know it was him?”
Kalyani shifted on the sofa, trying to get comfortable as she smothered a yawn. “She described him. Both Yasmin and Ravi said it sounded like One.”
“Interesting. Both Yasmin and Arya had an encounter with One.”
“Inej did, too.”
Varum’s laugh was cold, cutting. “You don’t say.”
Kalyani got to her feet in one motion. “You have what you need. I want to return home now.”
“You keep leaving out things. I’m going to need you to stay longer so I can make sure I have it all.”
Fury ripped through her, making her see red. “You have no right to keep me here against my will.”
“I’m trying to save my people.”
“I don’t think they want to be saved if they’re so keen on joining the Masters.”
He calmly rose to his feet, unaware or unconcerned that she was incensed. “What was the exchange between Inej and One?”
“She thinks it was him, and based on the description she gave Arya, it was.”
“You still haven’t told me what he said to her.”
Kalyani threw up her hands and growled. “It didn’t make any sense. He was in an alley she was walking down, and he commented on her going on a long journey and the fact that she packed light. Then he told her he wasn’t a threat to her. He made that distinction.”
“How, exactly?” Varum questioned.
Kalyani closed her eyes and thought back to the conversation Arya had relayed. “His exact words, if I’m remembering right, were, ‘I’m no threat.’ He then added ‘to you,’ almost like an afterthought.”
Her eyes opened to find Varum’s brow wrinkled in a deep frown. “Was that all between them?”
“Nay,” Kalyani said. “She asked for a name, and he said he had many. She said, ‘Give me one.’ That’s when he laughed and said something along the lines of names not being as important as we think. He then wished her luck.”
“Your friends are sure that was One?”
She shrugged. “As sure as they can be.”
“Anything else you left out?”
“Probably. These stories were relayed to me. I wasn’t there for any of them, and I doubt I heard everything. You can grill me some more, but I’m going to sleep now.”
Amusement lit his face as he watched her fluff a pillow. “Do you even know what time it is?”
“Nay!” she bellowed and swung around to him. “I can’t see the sky. Do you know how confounding that is?”
“I do not.”
She rolled her eyes as she sank onto the cushion. “Of course not.”
“You plan to sleep out here?”
“I do unless there’s another bed, but since you put me in yours, I’m guessing there isn’t.” There was a long stretch of silence as she lay down and turned her back to him.
She jerked when something suddenly touched her and lifted her head to find a soft, silver and navy blanket covering her. Her gaze lifted to find Varum standing over her, his expression unreadable.
“Don’t bother trying to get out through the door. It’s locked with magic,” he warned.
She adjusted her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. “As if I’d run around for other Sea Elves to find me.”
“The lattice is also shut over the nehras again.”
“I get it,” she snapped. “I’m a prisoner. You made that abundantly clear earlier.”
Just when she thought he had walked away and she could sleep, his deep voice said, “I’ll have to go out tomorrow.”
“Fine.” Why couldn’t he leave her be? Then it struck her that it would mean more hours of being kept in the city while Rohan searched for her. Kalyani opened her eyes and rolled her head to look at Varum.
She thought about pushing him again to release her, but he was a stubborn bastard.
There was no way he would relent until he thought he had all he needed.
The fact that she had spilled a couple of extra things meant that they would be back at it again tomorrow.
Why had she told him about Inej and One?
“Does your family know?” Varum asked.
She frowned at him and flopped onto her back. “Do they know what?”
“What you can do.”
Kalyani stared up at him, a fissure of dread swirling in her gut. “As I’ve stated, they’re aware of my love for swimming.”
“They don’t know the rest, though, do they?”
“The rest of what?” she asked evasively.
Varum lowered his gaze to the floor for a heartbeat. “I’m beginning to wonder if even you know.”
“It might be helpful if I knew what you were talking about.”
“Get some rest,” he replied as he turned on his heel and strode to his room.
She rose up on her elbows to watch the door to his room shut behind him.
She glared at it for a long time while trying to ascertain what he had been trying to say.
Riddles exasperated her. The wordplay and hidden meanings made her want to pull her hair out.
Varum hadn’t actually delivered her a riddle, but his vague questions might as well have been one.
Kalyani dropped onto her back and glared at the ceiling. The lights had dimmed, going almost completely dark, and she hadn’t even noticed. She was surrounded by magic, deep in the heart of the ocean, and yet it was the infuriating, tenacious Sea Elf who dominated most of her attention.
Despite spending hours with him, she still wasn’t certain if he was friend or foe. If she did anything to harm his people or his city, he would likely cut her down without hesitation. And she would do the same to him if their roles were reversed.
But who was he? She had a few more facts about the city and its workings, but not enough to know where he fit in. It had to be a position of note, or the female wouldn’t have paid him a visit.
Her gaze returned to his door. As captors went, he had been kind. Not only had he seen to her injuries, but he’d also fed her and given her clothes. She wasn’t in some tiny room being starved. But she was still prevented from leaving. A prison was a prison, no matter how pretty it was.
“I’m sorry, Rohan,” she whispered into the night. “I should’ve told you I was going out. I never should’ve gone after the ship by myself.”
She moved an arm beneath her head and sent up a prayer to the gods that Rohan wouldn’t do anything rash.