Chapter 16
Manu had expected Inej’s shock, but her reaction went beyond that.
She hadn’t been able to hide the flash of fear in her eyes.
Her body had tensed in a visceral reaction that left him puzzled.
She enjoyed baking. She was also good at it.
He had never eaten anything so delicious, and he knew others would think the same.
Not to mention, she had asked about working. It was the perfect solution.
Or so he had thought.
“The choice is yours,” he told her. “If you’d rather have some other kind of work, then I’ll—”
“Nay,” she said hurriedly over him. “I want this.”
“Good.”
He glanced down and noticed her knuckles had turned white from holding the fork so tightly.
He didn’t know what her life had been like before she arrived in Navara, but he could guess.
Dain and Jalall would tell him to be cautious, that it could all be an act.
And some of it might be. But her reaction just now hadn’t been.
If Inej was working with the Masters, then he had granted her access to his city and his people.
He hoped she was all she said she was, but he wouldn’t be the leader he was supposed to be if he freely accepted everything she said.
It went beyond just the children he was in charge of.
It went beyond even his tribe. This was about everyone in the Peaks.
The abductions hadn’t reached the mountains yet, and he wouldn’t be the one to give the kidnappers entry.
He couldn’t watch Inej every hour of the day, and if she had come under false pretenses, the only way that would come out was if she thought herself accepted.
Hence why she would be working with Daas.
Not only had Daas been close to Manu’s father, but Manu trusted him to keep an eye on her.
Everyone was getting what they wanted. Inej would get to do what she enjoyed, the citizens would have access to delicious pastries, and he would have someone watching her during the day.
“Follow me, and I’ll introduce you,” Manu said as he pushed back his chair and stood.
Inej trailed him around the counter past Shruti, Daas’s wife, as she bagged candy for a customer, and through a curtain of hanging beads in a doorway to the kitchen, a place Manu hadn’t been in years.
He had spent countless hours there as a youngling, helping Daas as he and Manu’s father talked. It brought back many memories.
The older elf smiled as he set a bowl aside and wiped his hands on a towel.
His once midnight hair was now dusted with gray and kept short.
Lines fanned out from the corners of his black eyes, while deep grooves cut into the brackets around his mouth.
Daas had once seemed like a giant to Manu when he was a lad, but now, he only came to the top of Manu’s chin. Still, he was strong and fit.
“Hello,” Daas said with a warm look as he approached Inej. “I hear you’re a baker. Manu can’t stop talking about your pastry.”
Inej’s breathing was rapid, showing her nervousness as she issued a small smile. “I dabble.”
Daas cut his black eyes to Manu before returning his gaze to Inej. “I’m eager to try your tarts. There isn’t a lot of workspace here, but I believe we can share it.”
“It’s more than enough,” she replied.
“Good. Good.” Daas studied her for a moment.
“Here is what I propose. Bake your pastry. If it’s as good as Manu claims, then I will issue a two-week trial.
During that time, if you have more goods you would like to bake, bring the ideas to me so I can see if I have the ingredients or can get them.
As part of the deal, you would receive forty percent of the profits. ”
Her face went slack in surprise. “Forty?”
“Aye. Once the trial period is over, we will reevaluate to see if working together is favorable for both of us. Does that sound agreeable?”
Manu watched the disbelief, excitement, and caution play across Inej’s face. She was usually good at keeping her emotions in check, but he knew her guard had slipped enough for him to see her true feelings.
“It’s more than agreeable,” she replied.
Daas shot her a wide smile and motioned to a cleared section of the counter. “That area is yours. Let me know if there’s anything you need.”
Inej took two steps forward, then halted and looked back, her brown eyes locking on Manu. The joy shining through was so bright it knocked the breath from him.
“Thank you,” she said.
Manu dipped his chin, unable to speak. Once she walked to examine her workspace and the ingredients laid out for her, she forgot all about him and Daas. She pushed up her sleeves, wound her hair into a bun at the base of her neck, and reached for a bowl.
Manu walked to the front with Daas at his side. “Forty percent?”
Daas chuckled as they headed out of the store. “If she’s as good as you say, she deserves it.”
“You always had a gift for reading people. Better than most. What do you think of her?”
“I think she’s hiding something, but I don’t know what. She’s guarded. That’s expected, though. It could be because she’s the only human here, or it could be the very thing you fear.”
Manu looked out over the city. “We’ve been shielded from the chaos happening in the lowlands. The assassin coming on the heels of finding Inej is too coincidental.”
“Your father never believed anything was a coincidence either. You’ve not led us wrong before, Manu. You won’t now.”
But what if he had? What if Inej was that fatal mistake? That’s what he couldn’t shake. He swung his gaze back to Daas. “Thank you for doing this.”
“No thanks needed, lad. Now, go on. She’s on my watch now,” Daas said and jokingly shooed him away.
Manu chuckled as he walked out, but that died after a few steps when his thoughts turned to Jalall. It was only the second day, but he was already worried about his friend. Too much was happening for him not to look at everyone and everything as a potential enemy.