Epilogue
Three days later…
Inej was kneading dough when large hands came around her. A moment later, a hard body molded to her back. Manu’s lips found the sensitive spot on her neck, and he moaned into her skin.
“Come back to bed,” he urged between hot kisses along the edge of her ear.
“I’m making your favorite tarts.”
“I’d rather taste you.”
His husky voice sent chills racing across her skin.
They had returned to his home after the first night at Jalall’s.
Their time had been interrupted by Arya and Jai’s departure.
Neither of them had discovered anything that would lead them to more spies.
Inej took that as good news. But Manu and Jalall assumed the spies were good enough not to be detected.
She turned in Manu’s arms, careful not to touch him with her hands that were covered in flour.
A few of the servants were moving about the kitchen, casting glances their way and smiling.
Inej knew it was more about Manu’s happiness than her arrival.
And that was fine with her. It would take time for her to gain everyone’s trust, and that was how it should be.
“I thought you were going out with Jalall this morning,” she said.
Manu shrugged and gave her a soft kiss. “I am. I just don’t like waking without you beside me.”
“If you had slept a little longer, you would’ve woken to pastries.”
He grinned. “I’ll stay in bed next time. But you don’t need to get up early to bake me anything.”
“I wanted to.”
“I need to make sure I wear you out more at night to keep you beside me,” he murmured before kissing her again.
They broke apart at the sound of giggles nearby. Inej grinned at the trio of younger females as they walked out, casting glances their way.
“I can stay behind. Jalall can handle things.”
Inej found a towel and wiped her hands before winding her arms around Manu’s neck. “You can’t stay beside me all the time. I have the daggers you gave me on my body. They’ll always be there now. But you have a city to lead.”
“If anything happened to you…” he began.
“I know. I feel the same about you. But we can’t live our lives like that. We’re standing against a powerful organization. You’re the face of that for your people. Go be that for them. I’ll be here when you return.”
He skimmed his fingers along her braid that fell down her back. “I know it’s too soon to ask, but I want things to be official between us. I want you as my wife. When you’re ready, let me know.”
“I’m ready.”
Manu blinked and pulled his head back. “Are you serious?”
“I am,” she replied. “I almost lost you the other day. I don’t want to waste any more time without you.”
“I’ll start the preparations, then.” He beamed down at her before sweeping her up in his arms and twirling her around the kitchen.
Reva nervously looked around the dark alley.
She had been waiting for days for Sidiq to give her the date and time to meet Arya.
She’d held out hope that he would go to Dain, but he had set up the meeting with Arya just as he had promised.
That should be enough for Reva. Yet it wasn’t. She wanted to see Dain.
She didn’t know why Sidiq was so against Dain now, nor would she ask. The look on her boss’s face made it clear not to push the subject.
Reva tapped her foot on the ground, trying to rid her body of its anxious energy.
It had been easy giving Dain the information since he had come to the pub to retrieve it.
She didn’t know if Sidiq had nixed that option or if it had been Arya who changed the location.
Whatever the reason, Reva now stood in a narrow alley four blocks east of The Crossing.
It was her night off, and she normally spent it in her flat.
There were deep shadows everywhere she looked.
Humans had poor eyesight at night. For all she knew, each of the shadows was a Dark Elf.
Danger existed everywhere, but at least it was easier to see during the day.
The darkness hid all sorts of unpleasantness.
A figure approached from the opposite end of the alleyway.
A streetlight caught on long, white hair.
The Dark’s face was hidden, but Reva could tell by the walk that it was a female.
She didn’t call out Arya’s name. Reva had gotten to know the elf when Jai kidnapped them and held them prisoner aboard his ship for a time.
As the elf moved closer, another light overhead revealed Arya’s face. Reva sighed as she flashed a smile at her friend.
“It’s good to see you,” Arya said, stopping before her.
They shared a quick embrace. “You, too.”
Arya looked one way and then the other. “Is everything all right?”
“I have information you need to know.”
The Dark Elf’s brow furrowed as she studied Reva. “You got free of the Masters. You shouldn’t be involved anymore. It’s way too dangerous.”
“I hear things at the pub. I passed information on to Dain for a little while before he abruptly ended that.”
“He did what?” Arya asked in a too-soft voice.
Reva waved away her words. “No one pays attention to me at the pub. I’m merely a server. I pick up on things.”
“You need to stop,” Arya told her. “I’m serious, Reva. If they learn what you’re doing, they’ll come for you. And we both know what will happen to you if they do.”
Reva held back a shiver of unease. “I know the risks. I also know that what I have for you is too important not to pass on. Dain isn’t coming to the pub anymore. I had no way of getting in touch with you. Sidiq was against this, an—”
“Because he knows it puts you in danger. None of us wants to see you hurt.”
“Others are getting hurt. And more will if we don’t do something.” Reva shook her head as she glanced at the sky.
“That’s easy for you to say. You aren’t in t—”
“They’re building another Shaldorn,” Reva said over her.
Arya froze, her eyes widening. “Are you sure?”
“I heard those very words at the same time two elves spoke about a human being sent to the Mountain Elves.”
“We knew about the human.” Arya looked away, obviously troubled. Then, to herself, she said, “Bloody hell. Another Shaldorn. We thought they might.”
Reva watched Arya processing everything. “I can find out more.”
Arya turned gray eyes to her. “I’m not going to be able to stop you, am I?”
“Nay, you aren’t.”
Arya released a long sigh. “I won’t be able to get into the city every night, and it isn’t safe for you to be out like this. Let me sort out a way for us to communicate. I’ll be in touch.”
Dain followed Reva as she made her way back home.
He almost hadn’t come when Arya told him that Sidiq had reached out to her because he’d known it had to do with Reva.
He had almost called out to her twice. Once, he’d even gotten close enough to touch her but had jerked back just in time.
She never knew he was there, and that was how it had to remain. It was how it had to be.
He didn’t leave her until she was safely inside her flat.
He knew what awaited him. Dain could leave, but he was only putting off the inevitable.
He moved unseen through the streets until he reached the rainwood.
Once there, he dropped the shadows and leaned against one of the colossal trees. He didn’t have to wait long.
Arya emerged from the shadows, indignant, her icy fury something she rarely released. But it was directed at him this time. She stalked to him until they were toe-to-toe. It was Jai who put a hand between them and sought to hold her back.
“How dare you bring her into this?” Arya snapped.
Dain looked at her clenched fists where black magic sparked, waiting to be unleashed. He met her gray eyes. “I didn’t bring her into it. Jai did when he kidnapped her.”
“You know what I mean,” Arya argued, her voice growing louder.
“All right, all right,” Jai said, holding his lover back. “Dain’s right. I did this.”
Arya rolled her eyes. “You didn’t ask her to spy for us.”
Jai glanced over his shoulder at Dain. Calmly, he said, “I would’ve done the same in his place.”
“Unbelievable,” Arya grumbled as she spun away from them and walked a few steps. She halted, her hands on her hips, breathing heavily. Then, she whirled back around. “She has no business being a part of this.”
“None of us does, but here we are. Everyone will have to take a stand eventually,” Jai said.
Dain watched the couple’s exchange. Arya was right. Reva should be as far from them as possible. He wondered if the Dragon Kings would take her in.
“Reva’s information was important,” Jai argued.
Arya dropped her head back to look up at the night sky through the canopy of trees. “Another Shaldorn.” She sighed, calmer now as she looked at Dain. “Why did Sidiq seek me out instead of you? How did he even know?”
Dain had kept so many secrets for so long that it wasn’t always easy to release them. “He found out that I asked Reva to work for me. He…took exception to it.”
“Why would he care?” Jai asked.
Arya dropped her arms to her sides. “He seems to have taken an interest in her. Maybe he’s worried about her. She was taken from his place.”
Jai’s pale gray eyes locked on Dain. “Are Sidiq and Reva romantically involved?”
Arya chuckled but sobered when Dain didn’t immediately answer.
“Dain?” she urged.
He dipped his chin. “Sidiq has feelings for her. I don’t think anything has developed between them.”
“He’s the reason you quit working with Reva,” Jai guessed.
Dain pushed away from the tree trunk. “Partly. Reva doesn’t need to bring any attention to herself, and any connection to us will do just that.”
Jai wrinkled his nose. “Her intel is important.”
“So is her staying out of the Masters’ hands,” Arya argued. She shot Dain an apologetic look. “Now, I understand why you stopped working with her.”
Jai threw up his hands. “What now? Arya said she’d be in touch.”
“We tell Sidiq we’re cutting off all communication with her. He’ll understand that means not to contact us,” Dain said.
Arya shifted her weight to one side. “Are you sure that’s wise? We need allies.”
“I spent too much time at The Crossing in prior years. They will go there looking for us. We can’t go back,” Dain said.
Belanore
He stood inside the empty tower apartment and seethed.
Gita was gone. She thought she could fool him, but she was wrong.
He would find her. Though he wasn’t sure if he would haul her to the Masters or kill her himself.
He would hold off on notifying the Masters until he found her, but she had played right into his hands earlier than expected. All without even knowing it.
Gita was nothing if not predictable. He knew what she wanted—a return to power. But someone had helped her leave the tower. The fact that she had done it against the Masters’ wishes told him plenty.
“Run while you can,” he said as he turned on his heel and stalked out. “Because I’m coming for you.”
Thank you for reading MOUNTAIN FIRE. I hope you enjoyed Inej and Manu’s story, because I fell hard for them.