Chapter 9
Manu’s mood was grim as he dusted snow from his body and entered the mountain.
It was an hour until dawn, but he had no intention of returning to his bed.
He might have satiated his body, but he couldn’t relax in his room once Tahmine fell asleep.
He probably should have woken her so she could return to her own bed, but he hadn’t.
Instead, he had gone for a walk outside, and it was a good thing he had.
His strides were long as he hurried to the guard center. Manu opened the door to find the next elves readying themselves to relieve their counterparts. “A whiteout is coming,” he warned.
The atmosphere quickly shifted to one of concern as word spread. The weather was always volatile in the Peaks, but the whiteouts were particularly hazardous. It didn’t matter how well someone thought they knew the mountains. They were no match for the vicious storms.
Everyone knew what to do when a whiteout was barreling down on them. Soldiers were already making their way through the city, so everyone could prepare. As long as they stayed inside, they would be fine. He jogged to Jalall’s and banged on the door.
His friend answered quickly, blinking away his sleep as he buckled his pants. “What happened?”
“Whiteout,” Manu said and turned to head back out.
Jalall caught up with him in moments, his coat already in place. “How many are outside?”
“I don’t know.”
“How long until the storm hits?”
Manu quickened his steps. “I give it twenty minutes, if we’re lucky.”
“Fuck,” Jalall murmured. Then he began barking orders to the soldiers.
They endured whiteouts far too frequently not to be prepared. If anyone got stuck outside, the rule was to take cover and wait for the storm to pass. Everyone knew it, yet every so often, someone thought they could get back before it hit.
By the time he and Jalall made it back outside, the guards who had been on duty were rushing toward them.
“Have you seen anyone?” Manu asked.
Three of the four shook their heads and headed inside. The fourth lingered, her breath billowing past her lips from her run through the snow. “I saw a figure headed our way. They looked to be coming from Sachin’s territory.”
“They’re too far away. They’ll never make it,” Jalall said.
Manu looked up at the mountain before him.
“They’ll know what to do,” Jalall added.
Manu checked the sky.
Jalall grabbed his arm. “Don’t do it.”
“I’ll be back,” Manu said as he pulled out of his friend’s grip and ran toward the slope.
In three leaps, he was at the top. He turned in the direction of the tribe nearest them and scanned the mountains looking for movement. The animals had already taken shelter. If there was any kind of activity, it would be an individual.
Manu heard Jalall shout his name. He glanced over his shoulder to see his friend scrambling up the side of the mountain. Manu looked west, where the storm was barreling toward them. It was moving quicker than he had initially believed. He wished anyone still out here luck. They would need it.
He jumped down the slope, sliding on his side along the snow about thirty feet before jumping again. He landed beside Jalall.
“I thought for sure you were going,” his friend said.
Manu turned his head away from the biting wind. “I didn’t see anyone.”
They jogged back to the city’s entrance. Manu lingered, unable to shake the feeling that someone was still out there.
“They know what to do,” Jalall shouted over the rising wind.
Manu nodded and followed Jalall into the mountain. The door slid closed behind him, sounding loud as it cut off the howling of the wind. He pulled off his gloves and removed his hat, stuffing both into the pockets of his coat.
There was nothing left to do now but wait it out. Manu wouldn’t be able to rest until he knew that every member of his tribe was accounted for. Jalall had already dispatched soldiers to begin going door to door to see if anyone was missing.
“I thought I sent you home last night,” Jalall said as he walked up. “What were you doing out?”
Manu walked to the bridge that overlooked the city. Lights were flickering on in windows as citizens were roused from their beds. “I did go home.” He paused before he said, “With Tahmine.”
“Ah. Now, I understand why you were outside. It is perfectly acceptable to ask someone to return home.”
“Maybe for you.”
Jalall sighed loudly. “Shall I wake her?”
“I don’t wish to embarrass her. Besides, she’ll hear the commotion soon enough.” At least Manu hoped she would. The kids. Fuck. “I need to check on the children.”
“Go. I have this covered.”
Manu sprinted home and entered to find servants already moving about.
He tossed his coat onto a table at the entrance to his house and took the stairs three at a time to the next level.
He paused beside the boys’ room first. They each had their own room, but they always ended up sleeping together.
Same with the girls. He silently opened the boys’ door and peered inside.
Sameer’s head lifted from the pillow. A moment later, he slipped from under the covers and came over.
“I’m just checking to make sure everyone is here. A whiteout is moving in,” Manu whispered.
Sameer rubbed his eyes and frowned. “What’s that?”
“Conditions that make it impossible to tell the difference between the snow-covered ground and the sky, as they both look the same.”
“What do we need to do?”
Manu smiled to ease the boy’s sudden distress. “Nothing other than stay put. Are Din and Hadi with you?”
“Of course.”
“Good. Go back to bed.”
He closed the door and moved across the hall to the girls’ room. He counted all three of them sleeping soundly. Manu quietly shut the door so as not to disturb them, then looked down the long hall. With a sigh, he walked to his chambers.
When he stepped inside, Tahmine was already up and dressed. She glanced his way as she braided her hair. “I woke to find you gone. Again.”
He tried not to get angry at her irritated tone. Maybe Jalall was right, and it would be better if he cut things off. But he didn’t have the time or the inclination for an argument at the moment. “A whiteout is coming.”
Her anger dissipated instantly as she finished tying off the ends of her hair and faced him. “Who’s missing?”
“No one yet.”
“Good.” She walked past him and out of the room.
While there was nothing to do but wait out the storm, measures were taken for those who discovered that one of their loved ones was outside.
Tahmine was headed to the group of women who saw to that.
He looked at the bed. He had been happy to bring her to his room.
Sex had always been satisfying between them, but he was doing her a disservice by continuing to string her along.
It didn’t matter how many times he told her that nothing could come of them as a couple.
He saw the same disappointment on her face every morning after.
Whatever contentment their time together brought got wiped away.
Manu left his home and walked the streets. Most went about their business as usual. He glanced toward Jalall’s place and saw a figure in the window. His steps slowed to a halt as he met Inej’s gaze. The moment he headed in her direction, she backed away from the pane.
He walked inside, his head swiveling to the left where she stood. For a moment, they simply stared at each other. She stood serenely, a question in her eyes. And he braced himself, wondering what her reaction would be.
“It appears you’ll be staying with us for a while longer. A whiteout will be here shortly,” he said.
She arched a brow. “A whiteout?”
“A type of storm that no one goes out in.”
Her gaze darted out the window. “I see.”
“You’re safe inside.”
“I gathered as much.” Her brown gaze returned to him.
He wasn’t sure why he remained, or even why he had spoken to her at all.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Manu was surprised by her offer. “There’s nothing anyone can do now, other than wait it out.”
“Of course.”
Still, he didn’t move. What was it about the human that made him keep returning to her?
She was guarded, cagey, even. But then again, she was a human in a city of elves.
And as far as she knew, the only human in Navara.
He was beginning to wonder if she was afraid of anything.
Because what kind of woman walked into the Dangerous Peaks without proper clothing or even a direction?
“How long do these whiteouts last?” she asked, interrupting the awkward silence.
He shrugged. “Depends. Some are gone within an hour, others last much, much longer.”
Their conversation ended when Jalall ran up. He looked between them before telling Manu, “We have one missing.”
Dread curled icy fingers around his spine. “Who?”
“Milad.”
Manu clenched his jaw. Milad had spent his life in the army, only retiring a few months ago. “That’s not great news, but he knows what to do.”
“Is everything okay here?” Jalall asked.
“I was merely informing Inej of what was happening.”
Jalall slid his gaze to her. After a long moment, he turned to Manu. “I know you haven’t eaten. Come, let’s get you some food.”
“I can get some at home.”
“Come on,” Jalall called over his shoulder as he walked away.
Manu closed the door and motioned for Inej to walk ahead of him. “You must eat, as well.”
She hesitated for a fraction of a moment. She hadn’t been comfortable the night before. Was it him? Jalall? Or the combination of them both? Surely, she knew she was safe. If they had meant her harm, they wouldn’t have saved her from the wolvites or brought her to Navara.
His gaze lowered to the sway of her hips as she walked. She exuded seduction as if she had been born to it. It was subtle, refined. Her allure was tantalizing in ways that deeply affected him. And his body reacted just as it had the night before.
He jerked his gaze away from her. What was wrong with him? More importantly, what was it about this human that inflamed his blood so?
Jalall moved about the kitchen, pulling food out of the cold box for them to eat, but the only thing Manu wanted was Inej.
He moved to the opposite side of the room to put some distance between them.
But it wasn’t far enough. His gaze moved to her again and again.
Thankfully, she didn’t appear to notice.
But Jalall did. His friend’s frown said everything.
Manu wasn’t hungry, but he ate to keep up his strength.
Jalall filled the silence, talking about inane things that would entertain Inej but give little away about their tribe.
It was a gift Manu didn’t have, so he didn’t interrupt.
For her part, Inej seemed interested. She was hard to read—harder than most. It made him wonder about her arrival, even as he fantasized about stripping her out of her clothes.
He was in a bad situation. The sooner Inej went on her way, the better.
Her gaze suddenly lifted to his, and he found himself drowning in the dark pools of her eyes once more. He didn’t want to look away. Ever.
“Manu, come on.”
Jalall’s voice broke into his thoughts, yanking him into the present. He looked at his friend to find him at the door of the kitchen, frowning. Manu didn’t know what he had missed, but he glanced at Inej one last time and followed Jalall out.