Chapter 25
Disbelief churned within Varum as he stared at Tanira. Did she know about Kalyani? Had she turned in his report early to get the patrols in place so he couldn’t take the human home? Or was it merely a coincidence?
“I think it’s time for you to leave,” Nirav told Tanira as he opened the door.
She raised a brow before swinging her gaze to Varum. He knew by her look that she’d expected him to take her side. He didn’t know why he had for as long as he had, but he was done. With her, and whatever it was she wanted them to be.
“Please go,” he bade.
Tanira gaped at him. “Are you really telling me to leave?”
“I think it’s for the best, before I say something we’ll both regret.”
She slammed her hands down on the sofa before shooting to her feet. “I think it’s too late for that.”
Varum watched as she stormed out of his home.
Nirav softly closed the door behind her before turning to the bedroom.
Varum dropped his chin to his chest. He wasn’t looking forward to informing Kalyani that she wouldn’t be going home.
He didn’t want to see the disappointment in her eyes or the sadness that would etch itself into her face.
Nirav walked to him and said in a low voice, “I’ll tell her.”
“Nay,” Varum said, grabbing his friend before he could walk away. “I will. I’m responsible.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“Isn’t it? I’m the one who brought her here. I’m the one who didn’t hide the report well enough.”
Nirav shot him a stern look. “That isn’t on you. Tanira had no business being in your office.”
“What’s done is done.” Varum turned to the bedroom. He wished he didn’t have to be the one to crush Kalyani’s hope, but there was no getting around it. “I can’t change it. I can only try to make sure what happens next is to Kalyani’s benefit.”
“How are you going to do that?”
Varum shrugged. “I wish I knew.”
“Let me know what I can do.”
“You’ve done more than enough already,” Varum said as he looked at Nirav. “It’s best if you stay away from us from now on, in case something happens. I don’t want you linked to me.”
Nirav snorted as he grabbed the cylinder of maps and slung it over his shoulder. “Too damn bad. I’m linked, and I’m just fine with that. Do what you need to do here. I’m going to make sure Tanira doesn’t double back and return.” He paused and looked at the bedroom again. “Be gentle.”
Varum locked the front door once Nirav was gone and then made his way to the bedroom.
He lifted his hand but paused. They had been so close to getting Kalyani home.
He sighed before lightly rapping his knuckles against the wood.
The seconds stretched as he waited for a response.
Finally, he opened the door and peeked inside to find her standing in front of the window, giving him a view of her profile.
She stood stoically, her arms crossed. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and…and what, exactly? They weren’t friends. They were barely past enemies. He shook his head, unsure of what he was thinking. Ever since he’d met her, rational thought had deserted him.
“You don’t need to say anything,” she said. “I heard it all.”
He winced at the acceptance in her voice. It felt as if fate were conspiring against them, and while he hated to see her miserable, he was surprised to find that he was glad she was staying. Varum pushed the door wide and walked toward her.
He was two steps from her when he realized that he was actually thinking about comforting her and halted. “I’m sorry. I had no idea that Tanira would go through my desk.”
“She’s desperate for your attention. Of course, she’s going to do whatever it takes to help you.” Kalyani swiveled her head to him. “Surely, you know that.”
“We’re over. She should stop.”
Her gaze returned to the window. “As long as she has hope, she won’t stop. She loves you.”
“She loves what she can’t have. That’s all it is.”
“Maybe.”
He shifted his feet, growing more uncomfortable the longer the conversation continued. He’d thought he would find Kalyani in tears, begging him to take her home. He should’ve known better. She was unlike anyone he had ever met before. “Why are we talking about her?”
“Because there’s no reason to talk about leaving. We both know that isn’t happening.”
“Today. The patrols will eventually lighten.”
She dropped her arms and faced him. “You wanted the patrols to ensure the safety of your people. You must have done a good job of explaining the threat the Masters posed, and if it’s as good as I think it is, those patrols won’t stop until the Masters are defeated.”
He didn’t want to worry about someone finding Kalyani. He’d made a mistake, and he was trying to rectify it. If everyone would just get out of his way. “I’ll find a way to get you home. I gave you my word,” he said.
Her smile was fleeting. “Is there somewhere else I can hide until then? I’m sure you would like your home to yourself again.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Even he was surprised by the force of his words.
She briefly lowered her gaze to the floor. “Go back to work. If you keep leaving, you’ll draw suspicion. That won’t be good for either of us.”
“I’m not leaving you in this state.”
“What state? What can I possibly do?” she asked, her anger deepening with every word. “Stalk into the bathroom? Maybe stomp my feet as I go into the kitchen?”
Varum fisted his hands, so he didn’t reach for her. He was the last one she wanted touching her. “I’ll fix this.”
She started to walk past him when he suddenly clasped her arm to stop her. Their gazes met, and the sadness he had dreaded seeing was clear in her dark eyes. But it was the despair he glimpsed that was like a sucker punch to his gut.
“I gave you my word. I’ll keep it,” he promised.
“Why do you care what I think?”
He couldn’t tell her it was because he was overwhelmed by emotion, or that the sight of her in such torment was not only distressing, but also actually painful for him.
He couldn’t tell her that he had the urge to enfold her in his arms and keep the world at bay.
So, he gave her the only excuse he had, which was not only believable but true. “If they find you, we’ll both die.”
“Right.” She nodded and looked away. Then she pulled from his grasp and walked out.
He watched her leave, knowing that somehow, he had said the wrong thing, but not understanding how to fix it. Varum rubbed his forehead, trying to think of a solution to the problem. He needed to see the patrols for himself. There was always a way through any obstacle if one looked hard enough.
He should return to his office as Kalyani suggested and find out all he could.
Perhaps even schedule a meeting with the Tidewarden himself.
Arvind might see him. Varum looked out the door to see Kalyani sitting on the couch, staring at nothing.
All of that could wait until tomorrow. She had spent enough time alone.
Varum walked to stand beside her and waited for her to look at him. “I don’t spend a lot of time here, so there isn’t much to do, but if you’ll tell me what you like, I can get it.”
“You really don’t need to do that. I’m fine.”
“We both know that’s a lie.”
She slid to the side until she was lying down, one arm bent under her head. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve had my hopes up so high, only to get them yanked away. Let me sit in it for a bit. I’ll be fine after that.”
“One of my neighbors sings. I’m surprised you’ve not heard him already. He’s loud, but he’s also very good.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
Varum sat across from her on the other sofa. “Did you know that Sea Elves are masters of song and dance?”
She blinked before sitting up. “What?”
“It isn’t something we share with outsiders.”
“All Sea Elves?”
He knew what she was asking, even before she posed the question. It had been there in her brown eyes. He chuckled softly. “Aye.”
“Do you dance?”
“Once. Long ago.”
She braced a hand on the cushion and leaned on it. “Do you sing?”
“Once. Long ago.”
“You don’t now?”
He gave a slow shake of his head.
“That makes me sad,” she said.
Varum sat back, hiding his smile. He liked her interest in him. “Why?”
“Because it means that something happened to make you stop.”
It had, in fact. He was usually careful about what he divulged, so no one could make those connections. Why wasn’t he being that vigilant with her?
“I can see by your expression that I’m right,” she replied.
He looked away, wondering how she seemed to read him so easily. “I told you about my neighbor because it will be entertainment. I can’t take you out and show you the city, but you’ll be one of the few humans who will hear our song.”
“You don’t have to be so nice to me. I’m not going to crumble because of a little disappointment. I’m stronger than that.”
“I know. I noticed that the first time I saw you. What caused you to be so strong? Does Rohan not take care of you?”
She shifted around to get comfortable. “Rohan is brave, fearless, and formidable. He takes care of everyone. To the detriment of himself, actually.”
“I meant no disrespect,” Varum said as he held up his hands in surrender.
“Our father was the leader of the Siguks—my people. He was fair, just, and respected. When our mother died, it hit him hard, and he was never the same. Rohan picked up a lot of the slack, and I pitched in when needed. Then Dad became ill, and I took care of him while Rohan stepped into the leadership role. He never wanted that position, but he did what had to be done. With both of our attention focused elsewhere, our younger sister, Lata, started acting out. It got worse after Dad died. Rohan struggled to fill our father’s shoes as our leader, and I resented him. ”
Varum frowned. “Why?”
“For being the leader. For not seeing the ways I could help him. And for curbing my swimming.”
That caught Varum’s attention. He’d been waiting for her to talk about that. “What do you mean?”
“My love of the water always scared Dad. He tried to keep me out of it, and when that didn’t work, he limited my time in it. I thought Rohan would be better. And he was, to an extent. But I always saw that same fear in his eyes when we were in the water together.”
“What kind of fear?”
She shrugged. “The kind that said if I went out too far, I’d never return.”
He could imagine exactly what Rohan was going through now. Varum was part of the reason, too.
“And in all of that was Lata.” Kalyani twisted her lips.
“She’s much younger than Rohan and me, and she rebelled against everything and everyone after Dad died.
She lived with Rohan, but they fought constantly, so he asked me if she could live with me.
I believe he thought she might listen to me better.
That wasn’t the case at all. We actually fought more than she and Rohan did.
She bounced back and forth between us, pushing against every boundary Rohan set up. ”
“Then she was taken.”
Kalyani sighed. “Rohan became a man possessed. Over half of our village had been abducted, and he carried the burden of that responsibility on his own.”
“He found Lata, though.”
“He did.”
“Where is she now?”
“With the others in Siguk. She wasn’t happy about not joining us in Serenia—what we called our new hideaway home—but she understands the dangers more than most. She did a lot of growing up in the time she was gone, and she’s seen how evil the world can be.”
“Everything worked out for your family. That doesn’t always happen.”
Kalyani released a soft breath. “For a little while, we were happy. Until I could no longer ignore the waves and swam too far.”
It was the perfect time for him to ask about her gills, but Varum hesitated. She was talking about herself, and he was curious to hear more. Perhaps if he didn’t push, she might tell him on her own.
“The water is a lure,” she said. “Each wave is like a knock, and every time it rolls back, it’s like it’s calling me to it. And I can’t stay away, no matter how hard I try.”
“You were made for it.”
She hesitated before nodding. “So much so that it’s sometimes hard to leave it.”