Chapter 15
The house was quiet when Inej left her room. Not being able to see the sky out a window to know the time disoriented her. Her bare feet didn’t make a sound as she walked the house. The door to Jalall’s office was still closed, but so was the entrance to his room. Manu could be in either.
Or he could’ve left.
Inej rubbed her eyes and headed for the front windows.
She cracked the shutters and peered out into the city to see the first stirrings of light through the mirrors from the top of the mountain.
A few lights were on in windows, but most remained dark.
She suppressed a yawn and contemplated her current situation.
She hadn’t gotten a chance to use the poison the night before. She might have lost her opportunity, especially if Manu sent someone else to guard her. She needed to be ready to deliver it at any time. That meant she needed to keep it with her.
The hairs on the back of her neck suddenly prickled with awareness.
She looked behind her and found the object of her loathing sitting in a chair, his onyx eyes soft as if he had been sleeping.
His legs were stretched out before him and crossed at the ankles, while his hands were laced over his flat abdomen.
His jaw was clean-shaven, and he wore fresh clothes.
“Early riser, I see,” he said.
Her stomach quivered at the sound of his deep, sleep-roughened voice.
This would be a lot easier if she didn’t find him so damn alluring.
He was the epitome of evil and had no right to affect her in such a way.
Perhaps that was how he got close to those he kidnapped. They were compelled to go to him.
“I don’t know the time,” she admitted.
He used the arms of the chair to push to his feet. “We keep a clock similar to what they use in the Below.”
“You’ve been there?” She regretted the question immediately.
“I have not,” he said with a half-smile. “It’s a comparison a friend made to me once.”
Nice recovery, she thought.
He pointed to her right.
Inej looked over and, sitting on a shelf, was a device she hadn’t noticed before. She walked closer to take a look. “How does it work?”
“It uses water,” he explained as he moved to stand beside.
“The container you’re looking at is filled with water.
There’s a small hole that allows the water to drain at a constant rate.
The metal bowls below it will sink as the water drains, indicating the passage of time. It’s just past six in the morning.”
She spotted the lines that showed the time. Now that she knew where to look, it was easy. “Interesting.”
“There are smaller ones. I can have one brought to your room.”
Inej turned her head to him. Was he being nice to make her lower her guard? Well, too bad. That wouldn’t work on her. But she needed him to think it would. She curved her lips into a soft smile and hoped it reached her eyes. “I’d like that.”
“I’ll see it done then. I must go, but Chanda will be here shortly.” He gave her a nod and walked to the door.
She turned to follow his progression and watched him leave. She quite liked having the house to herself without anyone watching over her. Inej leaned to the side and peered down the hall to the kitchen. When no sounds came from that direction, she held out her arms and twirled around with a smile.
It was the only celebration she would allow herself until Manu was dealt with. By the time she was dressed and her hair braided, she found Chanda in the kitchen. She almost turned around and left, but Inej would have to face the elf eventually.
“Good morning,” Inej called out as she entered.
The elf shot her a look. “Maybe to you. I’m up an hour early to watch you so Manu can see to his duties.”
“No one needs to watch over me. I have no intention of stealing anything.”
“So you say,” Chanda replied tartly.
Inej moved to block her path. The elf had to tilt her head back to meet Inej’s gaze, and when anger blazed in Chanda’s dark eyes, Inej held up her hands to indicate she wasn’t a threat—though they both already knew that.
“I admire your protectiveness for the people you care about. I don’t wish to make any more work for you. ”
“Too late,” Chanda stated.
Inej saw the ingredients sitting on the counter. “I can cook for myself. You shouldn’t have to do that.”
Chanda walked around her and then out of the room as she said, “Perfect. Clean up after yourself, too.”
The sound of voices pulled Inej from the book she was reading.
She made out Chanda’s high-pitched vocals that went on for some time.
The answering voice was low and soothing.
Manu. Inej closed the cover and rose from the cushions.
She was in the middle of sliding the book onto the shelf when her neck prickled again.
She dropped her arm and turned around. Manu stood in the doorway once more, almost as if he didn’t want to enter the space.
Some might take it to mean he didn’t want to overcrowd her.
She knew it was just a tactic to get her to lower her guard.
The problem was that he moved too quietly.
She would have to be more careful around him.
It wouldn’t do to have him sneaking up on her when she was trying to poison him.
“Are you busy?” he asked.
Inej hesitated as she thought about her encounter with Chanda earlier. “Is this about something I did?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, his brow furrowing.
“I could hear Chanda.” And while Inej hadn’t been able to make out the words, it didn’t take much to guess the elf was venting about her.
“Ah. She’s never taken to change well.” He motioned with his head for her to follow.
Inej trailed him into the kitchen, and just when she expected there to be some kind of confrontation, he took her out the side door. Chanda didn’t even look up from her position at the counter.
They were twenty steps from the house when Manu said, “Chanda is kind and good-natured, but also caring.”
“I got that from her.”
“Her husband died a few years ago, and she hasn’t been the same since. Give her time. She’ll come around.”
Inej was doubtful of that. She certainly hadn’t, if her past with Krata was any indication.
Chanda wouldn’t come around. But that was fine.
Inej would just stay out of her way as much as possible for the short time she was here.
Hopefully, she would be able to live somewhere else, and then it wouldn’t be a problem.
Inej looked around at the Mountain Elves going about their days.
Everyone in Navara could be as guilty as Manu.
Or they could be completely innocent. She needed information, and if Chanda were any indication, it would be very hard to come by.
The only ones willing to talk were Jalall and Manu, and since Jalall was absent for the moment, that left Manu.
She didn’t think he would willingly divulge his sins to a human. But she had to start somewhere.
“You said you don’t get many visitors, so how do you know what’s going on outside of the Peaks?” she asked.
Manu nodded a greeting to someone as they walked. “My father and those before him made it a point to remain in the know. Being reclusive is one thing. Being ignorant is unacceptable.”
“Does that mean others from the rainwood visit?”
“We call it the lowlands. We have various ways of getting information. Sometimes, it’s from those we encounter in the mountains. Other times, neighboring tribes hear things and pass them on to us.”
Inej became aware of others stopping what they were doing to look at her curiously. She was uncomfortable with their blatant looks, and it was hard to keep her thoughts on track. He hadn’t given her much at all. And she couldn’t help but feel he was leaving something out.
Suddenly, Manu stopped and faced her. “I’ve allowed you to remain in Navara. That means you’re under my protection, just as anyone else who lives here is. Do you understand?”
She stared into his eyes, getting sucked into the dark depths. He seemed earnest, as if it were important that she believe him. He continued to stare until she nodded. Only then did he continue walking.
They crossed the nearest bridge, and she found herself on the opposite side of the river. She had wondered about it from their perch the night before but walking along the path gave the area a different look now that she was here.
Every couple of steps, someone either called out a hello to Manu or stopped him to talk.
He didn’t refuse a single one. It made her look deeper at the residents of Navara.
Was Manu that good of a deceiver that none of them knew who he actually was?
Or was it that they knew and didn’t care? The latter terrified her.
While everyone sought his attention, no one wanted hers.
They were curious, and they stared, but they disregarded every smile or wave she gave.
Manu had warned her. It was her nature to ignore everyone.
After all, that was how she lived in Belanore.
But she couldn’t be herself there. She didn’t just need to convince Manu that she was someone to trust who was escaping the horrors of the lowlands, she needed to convince everyone else, as well.
And to think she had thought this part would be the easiest. She was trying to be someone she didn’t know how to be. How did the DIA agents do it?
Inej tired of standing while Manu conversed with one elf after another.
Unfortunately, none of the conversations were worthwhile to listen to either.
She turned away and spent some time studying the city when a large hand touched her lower back.
She barely stopped herself from jerking away.
Her head swiveled to Manu as he gave her a slight nudge forward.
Seconds later, they were on their way again.
“Sorry about that,” he said.
She thought about their conversation the night before. “Your work never ends, does it?”
“Does anyone’s?” he asked with a chuckle, his dark orbs sliding to hers for a heartbeat.
“I suppose not.”
A short time later, he motioned to the side with his hand. “Here we are.”
Inej walked into the brilliantly lit shop, overwhelmed by a combination of floral, fruit, and sugar scents.
They instantly evoked a feeling of comfort and warmth.
She gazed at the bright colors of the various candies in the display case and moved closer to get a better look while Manu spoke to a male elf behind the counter.
She should’ve been paying attention to them, but she was busy picking out the different aromas.
Most everything was some form of sweet, and behind the array were a couple of pies. A lot of thought and care had been put into each candy. The pies, not so much.
“Let’s sit,” Manu said.
She followed him to one of the small tables and watched the steady flow of customers.
Each one left with some candy, but no one ordered pie.
Her view was suddenly blocked, and she looked up to see a middle-aged female beside their table.
The elf set down two slices of pie and smiled at Manu before walking off, a slight limp in her gait.
“Try it,” Manu urged her. “Tell me what you think.”
Inej looked at the deep purple fruit in the pie before cutting into the too-thick crust with her fork. She lifted the bite and sniffed, drawing in the smell of batter and berries, before tasting it. The fruit was sweet and juicy, but there was too much sugar, which overwhelmed the fruit itself.
“Well?” Manu asked around a mouthful of pie.
“It’s good.”
He shot her a flat look. “There’s no need to lie.”
“It’s not horrible. It just needs a few adjustments.”
“This is the closest we get to any form of pastry. Daas’s gift is the candy, though he tries with the pies. They’re good, but they don’t compare to what you created.”
She lowered her fork, afraid to hear what his next words might be. She had stumbled into baking by accident at a job. It soon became something she loved, but when the cook returned, she had been forced back into cleaning.
“He has agreed to bring you on for a trial period.”
Blood rushed in her ears. Inej stared at Manu.
He was handing her a dream she hadn’t dared allow herself to think about.
Did he know that it was something she wanted more than anything?
It all seemed too good to be true, and things like that simply didn’t happen to her. “You’ve only tasted one tart.”
“And it was very tasty. Even if that’s the only thing you know how to bake, it will sell and sell well.”
He stared at her as if waiting for her to say something. What did she say? He was dangling something she loved in front of her, and she couldn’t figure out if he was being generous or cruel.
“Inej?” he asked softly.
His brow was furrowed. She saw every groove in his forehead. It looked like he was concerned. He had called her name. That meant he wanted an answer. Inside, she was screaming “Aye!,” but she couldn’t let it out. She couldn’t let him know just how badly she wanted this.