Chapter 10
A strange disquiet settled over the house once Manu and Jalall left. Some relished the idea of being idle, but it had always grated on Inej. She preferred to have something to occupy herself. Otherwise, she would sink into her thoughts—and that was never a good place to be.
She packed away what little food was left and then wandered the house yet again.
The pounding on the door that morning had woken her from a deep sleep, no doubt thanks to the herbs.
By the time she dressed and walked out of her room, Jalall was gone.
She had caught a glimpse of him and Manu hurrying away from the window.
Others dashed about, their faces tight with apprehension.
Inej walked back to the front of the home, pressed her cheek to the glass, and looked up.
She couldn’t see the top of the mountain, but the fact that it had been hollowed didn’t sit well with her.
What kept it from caving in on itself? What if the wind from the storm blew hard enough that boulders fell and crashed into the city?
She eyed the rocky roof over her. How sturdy was it? The idea of being crushed caused her chest to seize with a newfound fear. She needed to see the sky, to have the sun on her face. She took a step back. She couldn’t stay here.
Inej whirled around, only to find her feet frozen in place. Where did she think she could go? She knew nothing of the city. She didn’t know the size of it or how to get out. Were there guards who might stop her? What about exits? Surely, they must have more than one.
What if she did get out? What then? She’d barely survived the first time she braved the mountains, and she’d had a map. She had nothing now. Not to mention, she hadn’t done what she came to do.
She dragged in a ragged breath and tried to think of anything other than an imaginary rock falling on her. But her mind wouldn’t let it go. If she didn’t find something to do, she would give in to her fear.
Inej raced through the house, glancing into rooms as she ran down the hall until she found herself in the kitchen. She was a decent cook, but she was a better baker. Turning in a slow circle, she looked over the spacious room and its many cupboards. Then she started opening them, one by one.
She found flour, sugar, and eggs and set them out on the table.
There was a basket of small red fruit. She sniffed, taking in the sweet, aromatic smell before popping one onto her tongue.
An explosion of flavor filled her mouth from the juicy berry.
Both sweet and tart, it left a distinct tang as she swallowed.
Immediately, she ate another as she searched for bowls and baking dishes. The kiln was different than those in Belanore, but she eventually figured it out. Then she wound her hair into a knot at the base of her neck and turned her focus to crafting the pastry.
Inej hummed as she got lost in the work.
She forgot about the storm, the tension building within the city, the threat of being crushed, and even her very reason for being there.
Her fingers kneaded the dough as she effortlessly worked it into shape, before allowing it to rise.
Then she turned her attention to the berries, eating more as she tested them with herbs until she found a combination she liked.
The first batch was soon baking, the smell filling the kitchen and making her smile.
She got the second batch ready and turned to set them aside when she found herself looking at Manu.
She startled at his presence and jumped, nearly spilling the tarts.
His hand darted out and caught the edge of the tray before it tipped.
“The storm has passed,” he said.
She searched his face, wondering why he had come. Or maybe he was just checking to make sure she hadn’t run off. “That’s good.”
“You have flour on your cheek.”
Inej reached up and rubbed first one cheek and then the other with the back of her hand.
Manu stepped back. “It smells good in here.”
“I don’t like sitting idle,” she said as she set the tray aside and checked on the baking tarts.
She pulled them out of the kiln to cool. When she turned around, Manu was gone. Inej shrugged and set aside the hot tray as she put in the second batch to bake. She had convinced herself she’d imagined Manu’s visit when Jalall walked in, brows raised.
“He wasn’t lying,” Jalall murmured.
Inej looked at the mess she had made. “I’ll clean everything up.”
“If those taste as good as they look, I don’t even care.” He flashed her a wide smile.
If she didn’t know Manu’s secret, she might think he and Jalall were friendly. But she did know the truth. Being on the receiving end of their deception left her cold. She wanted to shrink away and retreat, but she couldn’t. Not when so many lives depended on her.
Inej forced her facial muscles to relax and her lips to curve into a smile when Jalall’s hand hovered over the pastries. “Be careful. They’re still cooling.”
His face fell. “Save one for me and Manu. We’re headed out to look for our people who got stuck in the storm.”
He was gone before she could reply. She finished the baking and took her time cleaning. She was considering another soak in the tub when a loud commotion reached her. She ran to the front windows and looked out to see a crowd gathering.
Without thought, Inej reached for the door handle.
It turned easily beneath her hand. It wasn’t until the door swung open that she realized what she had done.
She debated whether to remain inside, but she was curious about what was going on.
She stepped out onto the stoop and watched as elves hurried to the left.
The tension she’d sensed earlier was gone.
The mountain itself even felt different.
She lifted her gaze and peered up. There were homes built halfway up the interior with roads crisscrossing from one side to the other.
Light filtered in from an opening near the top, to enormous mirrors that caught the beams and directed them to the next mirror and the next to light up the city almost as if they were outside.
She heard the trickle of water and spotted a river winding through the city. She followed it to the right, where water tumbled softly from stones up the mountain to spill into the stream. More plants, like those in Jalall’s bathroom, dotted the city and climbed the walls.
Inej’s lips parted in shock when she turned to get a look at Jalall’s house.
It was a stunning display of columns and arched windows that had been carved out of the rock.
She realized she was in some kind of residential area by the other houses sitting close by, and she wondered which one was Manu’s.
The noise of the growing crowd tugged her attention from the architecture.
She turned toward the rising voices and found herself pulled toward them.
When one of the elves shot her a dark look, Inej remembered that her hair was up.
She hastily released it to cover her rounded ears—not that it would do much good.
She looked far different from any Mountain Elf.
She stayed toward the back of the gathering crowd and stood on some steps to see over everybody’s heads. They were fixated on something far in the front. A shocked murmur rolled through the gathering. Inej rose up on her tiptoes and strained to see.
A woman’s voice broke as she yelled, “Milad?!”
The heartbreaking sound brought a frown to Inej.
She bit her lip as she leaned one way and then the other, hoping to see something, but she was too far in the back to make out anything.
She studied the expressions of those around her to get some idea of what was going on.
There were several tense moments of silence before someone released another mournful wail.
“Manu found them,” someone in front of Inej said.
Suddenly, the crowd’s anxious mood changed to one of relief. It was just as she had predicted. Manu had fooled his people into believing he was some kind of hero.
A sudden shout silenced the assembly. Even Inej stilled, hoping to hear something. She picked up voices toward the front, and she thought she heard Manu speaking. She tilted her ear toward the sound, but the voices were soon drowned out by a murmur growing louder through the crowd.
“What’s going on?” someone asked.
Another answered, “Jalall went back out after someone.”
“Who? All our people have been found,” a third asked.
No response came, leaving her to wait like everyone else.
Inej lowered her heels to the ground to give her feet a rest. She glanced over her shoulder toward Jalall’s house as the crowd began to disperse.
It was close enough that she could dart back inside without too many people noticing her.
With elves leaving, she was able to get a glimpse of the front, where she saw three elves being helped away.
They must have been the ones who had been caught outside.
She wasn’t ready to return to the house, so Inej remained on the steps, watching and taking in more of the city.
It wasn’t as big as Belanore, but it was impressive, nonetheless—if she could get past the worry of having the mountain cave in on her.
Would this place be her tomb? It was better than being eaten by wolvites or freezing to death, she supposed. Barely.
Her head swung back around when she heard Jalall shout. She jumped from the steps and slipped between others to get closer so she could see. Inej climbed onto an ornate rock and saw a Mountain Elf stumbling inside with Manu following a couple of steps behind.
Elves rushed to the newcomer. Manu issued orders to some of the guards before he walked to Jalall, where they spoke quietly. Then, the two males headed her way. She stayed on her perch but squatted so she wasn’t so noticeable. Manu and Jalall never saw her as they passed.
Inej wondered about her decision to linger outside. What would they do to her when they found her gone? It wasn’t as if she could get far. She sighed and jumped to the ground, intending to follow them as everyone returned to their lives. The threat was over. At least, for now.
She didn’t get two steps before a deep, gravelly voice behind her said, “Step aside, human. You did your part. It’s time for mine.”
A male elf shouldered past her. The cold look in his eyes when he looked back at her sent warning bells ringing in her head. She glanced down and saw the tip of a blade peeking from his hand as he strode forward.
Inej looked ahead to see where the elf was headed and spotted Manu and Jalall.
They had their heads bent close as they spoke.
She looked back at the elf with the weapon to see him adjust his course, headed directly for them.
Anger churned in her gut as his words echoed in her head.
It hit her then that Gita must have sent the elf because she didn’t believe Inej could pull it off.
If anyone was going to take Manu’s life, it was going to be her.
Without another thought, Inej shouldered her way through the crowd after the Mountain Elf. He still wore his coat, covered in ice crystals, making him easy to pick out.
“Manu!” she shouted, but her voice was drowned out by the noise around her.
The Mountain Elf turned his head slightly, having heard her. She wove through others and lengthened her strides into a run, but the elf managed to put considerable distance between them.
She pumped her arms, sprinting when she saw him nearing Manu. The male pulled back his arm, ready to thrust it forward and up, when she burst through a group and launched herself between the two. The Mountain Elf’s eyes narrowed dangerously when she bumped into Manu, sending him stumbling forward.
“What the fuck?” Manu mumbled.
The Mountain Elf peeled back his lips in a snarl and whispered low enough that only she could hear, “Fool.”
One moment, he stood in front of her. The next, he was wrestled to the ground by both Jalall and Manu in a blur of motion and force.
Shouts erupted as onlookers recoiled, fear rippling outward as they backed away.
Inej was breathing heavily from her mad dash to stop the elf.
She couldn’t believe she had done it. She glanced around for the weapon, only to find it embedded in her chest.
She stared down at it in confusion. Shouldn’t she feel pain? Why wasn’t there more blood? Her gaze lifted to Manu, but the world began to spin. She took a hesitant step just as her legs gave out.