Chapter 22
Rannora
Rain pelted Dain, drenching the city and everyone in it. The droplets soaked his hair and ran down his face and neck, sliding beneath the collar of his leather coat. He didn’t bother with his shadows. There was no need. The night hid him well enough.
The rumble of the storm stifled the city’s usual sounds.
He blinked away droplets from his lashes and shifted to better see past the large, arched opening chiseled out of the dark rock and into the pub.
He had conducted business at The Crossing for years.
Sidiq, the owner, was a Dark Elf who had once been a CCD agent.
He’d built the bar so that it sat between the Below and the Above, which made it a beacon for the Dark as they ventured up from the depths of the world.
Since other elves frequented it, as well, The Crossing made for a seamless meeting point.
Dain spotted Sidiq as he poured alcohol into a glass. The Dark was big and broad, a warrior in his own right, who had survived years of spying. Dain didn’t know what the blue tattoos on the side of Sidiq’s head meant, and he wouldn’t ask. There were things others weren’t supposed to know.
Sidiq had offered the pub as a safe place for Dain in case he needed to hide from the Masters.
He wanted to trust Sidiq, but in his line of work, trusting could mean death.
Just as not trusting could. Dain had been lucky so far, but how much longer would that luck hold out?
He didn’t mind taking chances. He kept to himself—as any spy should.
That way, an enemy could never get to someone he cared about.
He wasn’t alone anymore, though. He had those he fought beside, those he would die for.
Friends. It was a different experience. He couldn’t let himself get used to it, though, not with the Masters looking for a way to strike.
So, Dain tried to keep a wall erected around him.
And yet, he kept returning to The Crossing.
His attention caught on the newest hire at the pub, a human male with blond hair and a too-easy smile.
He watched the man move about the tables, taking orders and making others laugh with his false charm.
There was something about the man that rubbed Dain the wrong way.
But the man wasn’t the reason Dain was here.
He searched the pub, hoping for just one glimpse of her. He stayed rooted to the spot until he finally spotted the familiar, braided brunette locks as Reva walked from the back storeroom. She rubbed the side of her face against her shoulder and reached for a tray laden with drinks.
Dain clenched his hands into fists as he watched her dodge roaming hands as she passed out orders.
Movement out of the corner of his eye drew his gaze, and he saw Sidiq heading toward the table.
He must have seen the men attempting to grope Reva.
Dain had only recently discovered that Sidiq was romantically interested in Reva.
If nothing else, he knew Sidiq would keep Reva safe.
But the human man beat Sidiq to the table, smoothly getting between Reva and the elves intent on groping her. The man didn’t raise his voice or threaten the patrons, just kept a smile on his face while shifting their attention. Dain hated him immediately.
Yet, he, too, seemed intent on keeping Reva safe.
Sidiq watched the man for a moment before the Dark slowly made his way back behind the bar, and Reva moved off to other tables, unaware of what had taken place.
It was a busy night in the pub. Every table and seat was taken.
Dain could slip in unnoticed. It would be good to catch up with Sidiq, and if Reva came into the storeroom, then he would have no choice but to speak with her.
Dain tensed when he felt someone moving up behind him. He whirled around, drawing out the blade he kept in his coat and pressing it against a throat in the next second.
“Is that any way to greet a friend?”
Dain bared his teeth when he recognized Salil. He spun the weapon in his hand and slipped it back into its scabbard as he glared at the DIA agent. “You should know better than to sneak up on someone, Wood Elf.”
“You were late to our meeting.” Salil’s hazel eyes bore into Dain’s before his gaze slid to the side to look toward The Crossing.
“I had other business,” Dain said.
The Wood Elf ran a hand through the wet strands of his short brown waves as he flattened his back against the building. “This day has been utter shite. Tell me you have news.”
“Nothing.” And that was the problem. Things were too quiet. They had been for days, and that could only mean trouble.
Salil shook his head, sending water flying. “Fuck. You, too? None of my contacts had anything useful. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
“Nor do I.” Dain glanced over his shoulder at the pub. He wasn’t ready to leave, but that was how it always was when he came.
“Durga wants to talk to you.”
Dain briefly closed his eyes. He should’ve visited Durga days ago, but too much had happened, and it had kept him from it.
She had climbed high in the DIA, and though it was rare for DIA and CCD agents to work together, they had found common ground after he’d brought her intel on Shaldorn.
She had then brought in Ravi and Yasmin.
There was no way Dain and Arya would’ve been able to bring down Gita and Shaldorn without Durga’s help.
“I suppose I’d better go now,” Dain said. “You tagging along?”
Salil shrugged. “I was headed there after our meeting anyway.”
“Let’s go, then.”
Dain waited until the Wood Elf moved closer before he gathered his shadows and traveled them across town to Durga’s home.
He had given her special wards that kept out most elves, even the Dark.
It was the same ones he had put around Reva’s place.
Unlike at Reva’s, though, Dain had left a narrow entrance for him to get into Durga’s office so others wouldn’t see him.
Once inside the room, he listened to make sure no one was around before dropping the shadows.
He spotted a half-empty glass of liquor and an open file on the desk.
Neither he nor Salil moved from their location.
Durga was Salil’s superior, and while Dain didn’t answer to her, she had earned his respect. They wouldn’t snoop.
It wasn’t long before he heard the click of her heels as she walked down the hall, moving from rug to plank floor and back to rug. She opened the door, only to come to a halt at the sight of them. Durga had the same coppery skin that Salil did, which proclaimed them as Wood Elves.
Durga kept her brown hair in a bun, no strand out of place. Her hazel eyes had more gold in them than Salil’s as she looked between the two of them. An olive green gown graced her tall, slender form, while gold earrings dangled to her shoulders, and gold tips adorned the top points of her ears.
She walked into the room and closed the door before making her way to the desk. She braced her fingertips on the surface. “I take it by your expressions that things didn’t go well?”
“There’s no news on my end,” Salil said. “I spent the entire day pushing my contacts, but they know nothing.”
Durga’s gaze slid to Dain. “You always manage to get some kernel of information.”
“Not this time. I didn’t visit all of my contacts, however.” Dain wouldn’t say more about the children and the Dragon Kings in front of Salil. The fewer people who knew about it, the less likely the information would be leaked. And if it did leak, Dain would know who betrayed him.
Durga blew out a breath as she looked down at her desk. “The Masters have been one step ahead of us this entire time. Why suddenly go quiet?”
“My guess is that something big is coming,” Salil said.
Dain nodded in agreement when Durga looked his way.
She straightened. “I, too, think that. Get some rest, Salil. You’ve been at it for days.”
He dipped his head to Durga before nodding at Dain. Dain returned the gesture and waited until the Wood Elf was gone before swinging his head to Durga.
“I hope you aren’t going to tell me I can’t trust him. He’s a damn fine agent,” she said.
Dain shook his head. “This has nothing to do with him.”
“Good,” she said as she sat. She motioned to one of the chairs across the desk. “The deeper into this we go, the less inclined I am to bring on anyone new. I know the Masters have infiltrated our ranks, just as we have theirs. But I’d rather not have anyone privy to all our secrets.”
Dain walked to the chair and lowered himself into it. “That is the way of war, no matter what side you’re on. There’s no getting away from it. One of us will eventually get caught. Arya already has.”
“She freed herself, and if any of you do get caught, you know we’ll come for you.”
“You can’t,” he warned. “And you know it.”
Durga rolled her eyes. “This isn’t some mission about uncovering fraud. This is our very way of life. I want those on my team to know I will do anything for them.”
“We know. But you can’t come for us. You’d be delivering several team members to them at once. Then what?”
Instead of answering, she looked away. He noted the dark circles under her eyes.
Some might think she had the easiest job since she wasn’t in the thick of it, but in fact, Durga’s was the hardest. She had to assemble the teams, sift through intelligence, and make decisions.
She sent teams out. Then she had to sit back and wait to hear what happened to her people.
It made for long, sleepless nights and more stress than one person should have to handle.
And there was no end in sight.
“When was the last time you slept?” he asked.
She laughed, the sound humorless as she met his gaze. “I could ask the same of you. We’ll sleep when this is over. What information did you not want to share in front of Salil?”
“An attempt was made on Manu’s life. The children had to be moved.”
Durga sat up, her face creasing with lines of worry. “How did the Masters learn about him?”
“I don’t know. Yet.” But Dain would find out.
“Were they after him or the kids?”
“He isn’t sure. And neither of us wanted to take any chances.”
“I know we set up the coastal place for the team—”
“They decided to name it Serenia,” he interjected.
“While it’s secluded and relatively safe, it isn’t a place for the kids, no matter how much Yasmin and Ravi want them there. There is no other place in Shecrish.”
Dain nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”
She stared at him for a long minute before she narrowed her gaze. “I see.”
He had known she would figure out what he was saying without him actually having to say the words. Because they couldn’t be too careful. Durga knew about his contact within the Dragon Kings. She would put two and two together.
“They’re safe?” she asked, her voice pitched just above a whisper.
“Aye.”
Her shoulders sagged as she released a breath. “I needed some good news. Thank you for that.”
Dain stayed for another thirty minutes, going over plans, before he left.
And found himself right back at The Crossing.
But he didn’t go in. Too many were looking for him.
If someone saw him and reported it to the Masters, they might turn their attention to Sidiq or Reva.
And Dain wouldn’t let that happen. He had kept Reva out of their hands twice now, and he would continue to do just that.
Because if they learned about her, and that magic didn’t work on her, she would be dead within moments.
He waited in the rain until closing. Reva was observant and capable, but he still intended to follow her home to ensure that she arrived without incident.
“Reva, wait up!” the blond man said as he jogged from the back of the pub.
Sidiq’s gaze was hard as he watched the human rush to Reva. Sidiq’s gaze then shifted to look out into the night. Dain could show himself, but he decided to trail the couple instead. He told himself it was just to make sure Reva was safe, but he knew that for the lie it was.
“Thanks for intervening with those handsy elves earlier,” Reva said.
The man shrugged. “Happy to do it. I was wondering if you’d like to get dinner sometime.”
Dain strained his ears to hear over the rain, but he couldn’t make out what she said.
“Perfect,” the man said. “How about tomorrow?”
Dain hid between two buildings as they stopped beneath an overhang and talked about times.
Reva waved and went to the right as the blond disappeared to the left.
Dain thought about following the man, but he stayed with Reva instead.
And just as he had done countless times before, he stood on the ground floor and watched her climb the stairs and go to the flat labeled 13.
He backed deeper into the shadows when she paused with the key in the lock and looked over her shoulder.
Her eyes moved over him without seeing him.
He still remembered the look of confusion and hurt the last time they’d spoken.
He had been a fool to allow her to become one of his contacts.
It had put her in jeopardy. Worse, he hated that Sidiq had been the one to point it out.
It wasn’t just that Reva was human, magic didn’t work on her.
If she got hurt, there was nothing he could do.
A Healer’s magic wouldn’t work on her, and neither would elvish herbs.
Now, he would never know the pain of watching her be injured and being unable to help her. And that was the best for everyone.
He waited until Reva was safely inside her home before he disappeared into the night.