Chapter 14
Serenia
Chaos reigned behind Dain as he stood at the edge of the water, staring out at the expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see. Just as he had expected, Rohan was a wreck. Dain couldn’t imagine what the human was going through with the disappearance of yet another sister.
“We have to get to Kalyani,” Rohan stated for the third time.
And for the third time, Farah answered calmly, “We’re trying to find a way.”
“We know Kalyani was taken by the Sea Elves,” Dain said as he turned to face the small group. He looked at each of their faces. “Do we know where?”
Yasmin shook her head. “All the stones would say is that it was deep.”
“Meaning we can’t reach it,” Jai said.
Dain eyed Rohan. Exhaustion pulled at the human from lack of sleep and food.
His light green eyes were filled with the kind of pain that burrowed into the soul.
His cheeks were sunken, and his shoulder-length, dark brown hair was disheveled.
He was a man who had barely come back from the brink before and had been shoved there a second time.
“I can’t just do nothing,” Rohan said, his voice soft, as if it had taken every bit of energy he had just to get the words out.
Dain glanced at the water. “We require a Sea Elf to get us where we need to go. Without one of them, we’ll die.”
“Why didn’t the elf bring Kalyani to shore?” Farah asked.
Ravi rocked back on his heels, his arms crossed over his chest. “That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out.”
“The Sea Elves aren’t exactly welcoming to other races,” Arya said.
Dain snorted as he looked between Arya and Jai. “And the Dark are?”
“Is there no way to contact the female Sea Elf you rescued?” Yasmin asked.
Jai turned his head to Dain. “There might be. The ship we stole from the Masters is hidden.”
“That would get us on the water, and with Yasmin’s help, we could pinpoint where Kalyani tried to rescue the others,” Ravi said.
Rohan anxiously looked around at the group. “How do we find the city she was taken to?”
“We won’t be able to,” Dain said.
Arya nodded. “He’s right. The Dark keep most of the entrances to the underworld hidden, but the Sea Elves take things to another level. We could swim the depths of the ocean for eternity and never locate a single city if they don’t want us to.”
“They can’t keep Kalyani. She’s human,” Farah stated.
Dain yanked a strand of hair from his face, tired of the wind teasing him. “I understand she’s a good swimmer, but if what Yaz heard from the stones is correct, Kalyani was taken to depths that shouldn’t be possible for a human.”
“Or anyone but a Sea Elf,” Ravi added.
Rohan hung his head, clearly not wanting to share anything. It was Farah who spoke while holding on to one of his hands with both of hers. “Kalyani loves the water the way I do the trees. But her ability goes further than just being able to navigate the currents easily.”
“How so?” Dain pressed.
Rohan shook his head as he lifted it. “I’m not sure.
She won’t tell me much, but I saw her tame a kythi near a cave which held plants I needed for Farah’s wound.
I’ve witnessed Kalyani cutting through currents that would’ve torn another person in two.
And…” He trailed off, the silence broken only by the crash of the waves onto the shore.
“She can hold her breath for an unfathomable length of time.”
“Could that be why the Sea Elf took her?” Yasmin asked.
Farah nodded. “Maybe.”
“We won’t know until we find her,” Jai added.
Rohan asked, “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get to the ship.”
Dain faced the water as the three couples ironed out specifics.
Jai was the only one who knew how to sail the vessel, but he, Arya, and Dain would be all but useless in the water since they couldn’t call their shadows there.
None of their group would be able to dive deep enough to make a difference, either.
These were facts that everyone but Rohan was aware of, but no one wished to state. Because, if their positions were reversed, each of them knew they would want the others’ support. Rohan would comprehend things eventually, but all that mattered now was taking some kind of action.
Arya moved to Dain’s side. “I keep wondering if this is somehow tied to the Masters.”
“You mean to get us out in the open since they’ve not been able to find any of us?” Dain stated.
“Exactly that.”
“It has crossed my mind.”
She glanced at him. “It would make sense. We would all be out on a ship and easy to pick off.”
“Only if the Sea Elves are working with them.”
“The other races are. Why wouldn’t they?”
Dain blew out a breath and shook his head. “Shaldorn was hidden for years without anyone knowing. We recently learned they were building another stronghold. You know where a good place to hide it would be?”
“Of course,” Arya murmured. “The ocean. And if only Sea Elves can transport visitors, it would ensure that only those they want in would get to visit the new Shaldorn.”
Dain hoped he was wrong, but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. “The bounties on us have continued to rise, too.”
“You think this is a trap?” Jai asked loudly from behind them.
Dain turned to face the group. “We should also expect that.”
“I agree,” Ravi said.
Rohan’s brow furrowed deeply. “Do you think they’re torturing Kalyani to get our location?”
Dain waited for one of the others to answer, but no one did, leaving it to him. “It’s something we should keep in mind.”
“I knew I never should’ve let her stay in Serenia,” Rohan mumbled.
Farah gripped his hand tighter. “She’s not a child. She makes her own decisions.”
“If this is a trap, it’s a good one,” Jai said. “They had to know we’d go looking for her.”
Yasmin asked, “But what if it isn’t? What if she was taken for another reason?”
“Did the rocks tell you more?” Farah questioned.
Yaz shook her head, tossing her black hair. “I just think we need to consider everything.”
“That’s a good point,” Ravi added.
Jai threw up his hands. “What’s the decision? Are we going out to sea?”
“Let’s split up,” Dain suggested. “If it’s a trap, we don’t want to make it easy for them. Arya, you stay with Jai, Rohan, and Farah. I’ll remain here with Ravi and Yasmin.”
“What if Yasmin learns something new?” Rohan asked.
Dain softened his lips into what he hoped was a smile. “I’ll relay that to you immediately, should that happen.”
“And either Arya or I can make it back here if something comes up while we’re on the ship,” Jai added.
Dain watched Rohan, Farah, Jai, and Arya hurry away to gather supplies as Ravi and Yasmin stayed with him.
“What are the chances that we’ll find Kalyani?” Yaz asked.
Ravi shook his head. “Slim.”
“It depends on why she was taken,” Dain said. “She’s a fighter. She’ll stay alive for as long as she can.”
Yasmin glanced toward the newly built huts. “I know it’s better for us to split up, but I hate that I won’t be on the ship if something happens. Not that I’d be much help. I’m a decent swimmer, but I can’t hold my breath for very long.”
“Not many can,” Dain pointed out.
Ravi caught his gaze. “You think there’s more to it?”
“I think if the Sea Elf isn’t working for the Masters, something caught his attention.”
Yaz shrugged. “Maybe he thought Kalyani was pretty.”
“Even if he did, he wouldn’t do anything about it,” Ravi said. “There’s a reason you don’t see many Sea Elves in Shecrish. And it isn’t just about preferring the water.”
“It’s about keeping separate from everyone else,” Dain said.
Yasmin frowned. “And by separate, you mean they don’t like other races.”
“All the infants found in Shecrish are supposed to be brought to the Domestic Ministry. Any Dark Elf babies are handed to the Dark, same with the Mountain and Sea Elves, while the rest of us intermingle,” Ravi said.
Dain nodded when Yaz looked his way. “It’s how it’s always been.”
“What about us humans?”
“You saw for yourself with Manu. The Mountain Elves don’t take in humans,” Ravi said. “The climate in the peaks is too harsh.”
Dain grunted. “Underground would be a death sentence to a human since you’re unable to see in the dark and can’t survive well without sunlight. Same with breathing underwater.”
“All that makes sense, I suppose.” She sat there for a moment. “Dain, how do the Dark feel about one of their own marrying outside of your race?”
He shrugged as he shifted his feet, moving once again from the wind. “It isn’t well received, but those Dark aren’t ostracized. Inej seems to be doing all right with Manu. However, I know that the Sea Elves refuse such unions.”
“How sad to be so close-minded,” Yasmin murmured.
Ravi took her hand in his. “Think of it as being because only one of their own can exist in their cities.”
“Then I’m even more worried about Kalyani.” Yasmin shifted closer to Ravi, the two exchanging a look.
Dain had to admit that he was concerned, as well. Kalyani might be able to hold her breath for a long time, but she wouldn’t be able to descend to the places the Sea Elves lived. Not even another elf could do that. So, where had they taken her? And for what purpose?
It wasn’t long before Rohan and Farah returned to the beach. The moment Jai and Arya joined them, Rohan was impatient to leave. Jai, with the help of Yasmin and the stones, drew a rough map of the direction he needed to sail.
Jai’s excitement to be back at the helm of a ship was tempered by the reason for sailing. Arya looked ill at ease at being back on a boat after her bout with motion sickness the last time.
“Be safe,” Dain told the two couples as they huddled together.
Rohan dipped his chin. “You, too.”
The four clustered together as Arya and Jai gathered their shadows around them before vanishing. Dain let out a sigh, ill at ease with what was happening. The Masters had been too quiet, and that made him wonder what they were hiding.
“I need to report in to Durga,” Dain said.
Ravi nodded. “I have some reports for her. Would you hand them off?”
“Of course.”
“Let me get them,” Ravi said and hurried off.
Yasmin remained behind, her gaze on the horizon. “I can tell you’re as uneasy about how quiet things have been as I am.”
“Is it that obvious?” Dain asked.
“Nay,” she said with a grin. “We’re all feeling it, but no one wants to talk about it.”
Dain nodded slowly in agreement. “Shall I return to the Dragon Kings and check on the children for you?”
“You were just there,” she said as she turned to him. “I miss them so much. But knowing the six of them are out of harm’s way is a relief. What you and Manu have done for us is—”
“What friends do for others,” Dain said, interrupting her.
She rested a hand on his arm. “Thank you, just the same.”
“I’m glad the Kings were able to take them in. The children miss being with you and Ravi.”
“They have other kids to play with, and there, they can be children. They aren’t going hungry anymore.”
Dain chuckled as he patted her hand. “Nay, they are not.”
“Have you seen Reva?”
The quick change in subject startled him for a second. Dain was searching for a reply when Ravi returned with the reports. Dain grabbed them, thankful that he wouldn’t have to answer. “I’ll return soon,” he said as his shadows enveloped him.