Chapter Four

The hours stretched endlessly. Yasmin waited for what was to come next. She didn’t want to remain in the room but also didn’t want to return to Shaldorn. A look around the space had shown her there was no getting out except through the door guarded by the three goons who had taken her in the market.

Food was brought, but there were no more interrogations or additional threats. Perhaps the elves thought they had done all they needed. Sadly, they had.

She ate because she needed her strength for the trip and because it had been a day since she had last eaten. While alone, she used the time to think about what she was being coerced into doing. The female Wood Elf had been careful about how much she gave away, but Yasmin wasn’t stupid. These people weren’t just elves on some adventure. They were the real thing. Defense Intelligence agents.

Who was the elf she would take into the mountains? Was it the Dark? At least he had been willing to help her. Not that she believed he had. But she couldn’t think about Jaya and the medicine, or she would lose it. Nay. Yasmin had to stay focused on what she ~could~ do something about at the moment.

She shook her head slightly to clear it. Somewhere out there, the elf she would take to Shaldorn would attempt to double-cross her somehow. She had to be mentally and physically ready when it happened. They would likely wait until she got them inside the stronghold. It might have been four years since she had last been inside those icy walls, but a person never forgot certain things. She remembered every corridor, every nook and cranny. She knew which of the maze of stairways led to which parts of the fortress, which led to nowhere…

And which led to the dungeons.

Life had dealt her a difficult hand, but Yasmin had managed to stay alive. It wasn’t always pretty or even just, but she was still walking around. That had to mean something. And the kids needed her. She would return for them. Somehow, someway.

She had dreamed of leaving Shecrish. Of finding another life somewhere without the elves. If she didn’t play this treacherous game accurately, she would never get the chance. But that was something to think about later once she’d held up her end of the bargain. After—because there ~would be~ an after—she would return to Rannora, grab the kids, and they would leave. It would be incredibly risky to take all of them, but she couldn’t—and wouldn’t—leave a single one behind. They deserved a better life. Everyone had let them down. She wouldn’t be one of those people.

Yasmin felt eyes on her. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but she knew she was being watched. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Let them think she slept. She dozed, snatching rest while she could. She had always been a light sleeper, but now she had to be on guard more than usual.

She wondered if the elves had taken her bag to the shop. The Dark had made it seem as if she could trust him, like he would get the medicine to Jaya. Her eyes burned at the thought of sweet, tiny Jaya. The child was timid and shy but had the sweetest disposition despite the physical abuse she had endured.

Her illness had begun with nausea and vomiting and escalated at an alarming rate. Yasmin had tried all the herbs she knew about and then sought others’ advice. Nothing seemed to work. She had gone to one of the Star Elves for healing, but he had taken one look at her and shooed her out of the store before she could talk. Jaya became sicker with every hour. Yasmin only had one other choice. She managed to convince a human physician to take a look at the child. Thankfully, she had agreed to help.

The door opened. Yasmin lifted her lids and turned her head to see the trio of guards. They motioned for her to stand. The one she had kicked in the nuts looked as if he hoped she would refuse. She didn’t know why they hadn’t used magic on her, though she was thankful.

Yasmin climbed to her feet and made her way to the door. One of them turned and began walking. She fell into step behind him while the other two took up positions at her back. They led her down various hallways before going up a short flight of stairs, and then through another door to the outside. The sky was dark, the stars glittering like jewels above her. She didn’t spot the Wood Elf or the Dark.

Nor the Sun Elf.

They led her to a carriage and ushered her inside. One of the guards sat inside with her while the other two rode outside. The moment the door closed, the horses were in motion. They drove through alleys behind the building to the fringes of Geggin Square and then continued through Rannora until they reached the city border. To her surprise, they approached a quaint house, and the carriage came to a halt. A moment later, the door opened. Yasmin disembarked and looked around to find a guard motioning for her to go inside.

She walked up the curving path with its overflowing beds of bright flowers and stopped at the stoop, staring at the orange door. Yasmin hesitated for only a moment before rapping her knuckles twice on the wood. The door opened to reveal the Wood Elf from earlier. Yasmin nodded to her.

“Come in, please,” the elf said.

Yasmin stepped inside. Her gaze moved past the entrance to land on the Sun Elf, who stood in the main area with a surly expression. He took one look at her before turning on his heel and leaving.

The Wood Elf motioned for her to follow. Yasmin realized that she had changed from her navy gown into one that made her coppery skin glow even more. Another set of elaborate gold tips decorated her ears. Yasmin’s gaze swept the areas of the house she could see, but there was no sign of anyone else.

“No one is hiding to jump out at you,” the woman stated. She smiled and beckoned Yasmin inside. “Come.”

Yasmin softly shut the door and walked to her. “What is this place?”

“A safe haven.”

“And you? Who are you?”

The elf smiled and sank onto a chair before indicating that Yasmin should take the one across from her. “I wondered when you would get around to asking.”

“Does that mean you won’t tell me?”

She laughed, the sound soft and melodic. “You may call me Durga.”

Yasmin watched as Durga poured them some tea from a setting Yasmin hadn’t noticed until then. She loved tea, but it was a luxury she hadn’t been able to afford in years. “Thank you,” Yasmin said after Durga handed her a cup.

Durga sat back with her own cup and regarded her. “I’m able to find out things about people, but it has been difficult to learn anything about you before Shaldorn.”

“Good.”

“Do you have something to hide?”

Yasmin lifted one shoulder. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“That they do.”

“I’d like to know how you discovered my time at Shaldorn.” Because if the DIA could find her, then so could the Trinity. Which put everyone around her in incredible danger.

“That is information I’m unable to provide you. Suffice it to say I deal in the dark places.”

“You are DIA.”

Durga grinned behind her cup. It didn’t last long, however. “There has been a slight change in plans.”

“Meaning?”

“Our timetable has been moved up.”

Yasmin drank her tea, letting it fill her mouth before savoring the sweet, floral flavor. “To when?”

“If I had my way, you would leave now.” Durga glanced to the side, her lips compressing slightly. “A complication prevents it. It’s being worked out. Regardless, you depart at dawn. You’ll spend the next few hours here.”

Yasmin wondered what could be holding up the mission and then wondered why it had been brought about so rapidly. She had a small reprieve, but it would be over soon. Then, she would be heading back to the nightmare.

“Do you have questions?” Durga asked.

Yasmin cradled her cup in both hands on her lap. “You put a lot of confidence in me to get your agent to Shaldorn and back.”

“He has a map. I wouldn’t suggest attempting to divert him. That wasn’t a question.”

“Wasn’t it?” Yasmin sipped her tea. “How much do you know about Shaldorn?”

Durga released a long breath. “I know what it is.”

“I’m not sure you do. Otherwise, you wouldn’t force me to return.”

“If I had another choice, I would take it.”

“Everyone has a choice.”

Durga’s lips curved slightly. “I like your spirit, Yasmin. The fact is, all of Shecrish is in danger. If it means saving everyone, I’m willing to send my agent, as well as coerce, force, or bribe you to take him, knowing that both of you may die.”

“At least you’re honest about that. Why tell me?”

“You should know. It isn’t something I can tell the public, but they aren’t the ones risking their lives.” Durga leaned forward and set her empty cup on the tray. “I know about the children you’re looking after. They’ll be watched.”

“In case I return sooner than expected.”

Durga folded her hands in her lap. “You don’t trust me, and you have every right to feel that way. Trust is earned, and it goes both ways.”

“Aye. It does.” Yasmin held Durga’s gaze, not backing down.

The Wood Elf smiled. “Few things in this world are truly ours. Things can be taken away. Food, clothes. A home. But we have our word. A promise given, a vow made and kept, can mean more than riches. And if broken, it can mean that no one believes us after. Would you not agree?”

“I would.”

“Then let me begin. I give you my word that no charges will be brought against you if you take Ravi to Shaldorn, get him inside, and then return him to Rannora.”

Yasmin considered that. “He could find his way home.”

“This is about completing a mission.”

“I’m not one of your agents.”

“You are for this.”

So much for Yasmin running back without this Ravi, whoever he was. She couldn’t ignore those charges. Yasmin couldn’t talk to the children and get them prepared to meet her somewhere either.

“Do you accept?” Durga pressed.

What choice did she have? Spending forever in a cell if Durga informed the Conclave about the children would break her mentally and emotionally. Or she could face her past and certain death. At least there was a chance at freedom by taking Ravi to Shaldorn. “I accept.”

“I want your word, Yasmin.”

She drew in a deep breath and then slowly released it. Yasmin never gave her word without meaning it. As Durga had said, it was the only thing no one could take away from her but herself. The only thing she truly had. “And if your agent leaves me behind?”

“He won’t.”

“Neither of you understand Shaldorn and its dangers.”

“It doesn’t matter. You know why I’m sending you. There is always a chance of things going awry during a mission. You two will need to learn to rely on each other. I fully expect both of you to watch each other’s backs and help each other out. He won’t leave you, and you won’t leave him. Do I have your word?”

Yasmin nodded. “You have my word.”

“Good. Now that that’s settled, is there anything else?”

“My bag…was it delivered?”

The woman’s hazel eyes were direct as she nodded. “It was.”

Yasmin held her breath as she waited to hear news about the children, but the woman said nothing. Still, she had to know. “Was the medicine administered?”

“The child is on the mend.”

Tears burned Yasmin’s eyes. She wished she was there to hold Jaya, but she would when she returned. The children were what she had to keep thinking about. They were the ones who would get her home.

“There is food in the kitchen, a bath ready for you in the chamber down the hall, and some new clothes for the mountains. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“You should send more than one agent.”

The Wood Elf’s gaze slid past her toward the hallway. “Get some rest while you can.”

Yasmin watched her rise and walk to the hall. A moment later, she heard the sound of a door closing. Then, she was alone. Well, as alone as someone with two other people in the house could be. She went to the kitchen and found so much food she could only stare in wonder. It would feed her and the kids for a week. If only she could get some to them. She loaded her plate and then headed to the hallway. There were three doors. Two were shut. She went to the open middle door and looked in.

A tub filled with water still hot enough that ribbons of steam rose from it was inside. There was a braided oval rug in bright colors between it and the large bed. An actual bed. It had been some time since she had slept on anything but a blanket.

She walked over, shutting the door softly and setting the plate of food on a table. Then she fingered the clothes on the bed. They were similar in color and style to what she already had, but without the holes and mended areas. There were even boots and thick socks to keep her feet warm.

Yasmin stripped and sank into the water. She sighed, enjoying it more than she should. She stayed until the water began to cool. The soap was unused, and beneath it was a drying cloth. She brought the bar to her nose and inhaled the warm, earthy, woodsy scent of sandalwood. She lathered it over her body twice and her hair three times.

She stood and began to dry with a cloth softer than anything she had felt in a long time. Yasmin wrapped it around herself and expected to finger-comb her hair as usual, but she saw a brush on the bedside table. She grabbed it and sat on the rug to detangle her locks as she nibbled on the food.

There were more items to be found. A new bag sat on a chair. Beneath it were new underthings and strips of leather to tie back her hair. Inside the bag was a coat, gloves, a scarf, a cap, a rolled blanket, food, and a water flask—everything she would need for a trip to the mountains.

Yasmin packed it all back into the bag and crawled into the bed. She lay within its plush covers and attempted to sleep.

~ ~ ~

Durga found Ravi standing outside. It was still several hours before dawn, but she never slept before a mission. She might not be going on this one, but that didn’t matter when so much rested on its success. “Spit it out,” she said.

He stood with his arms crossed over his chest as he stared in the direction of the mountains. At just the right angle, the very tips of the peaks could be seen through the tops of the trees. “What?”

“You know what.”

“She’s a fucking civilian, Durga. And a dissenter. And is being forced. It won’t end well.”

“You’ll make it work.”

He blew out a breath and turned his head to her. “I can’t trust her.”

“We have one chance to get the explosive, Ravi. One. It’s being sold at Shaldorn during its once-a-month gathering next week. Would you rather try to track it through the mountains or the jungles of Shecrish before it reaches the border?”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Nay.”

“Then what’s your real problem? Is it Yasmin? Or is it the fact that Dain brought this information to me?”

“It’s both,” he muttered.

“Get over it.”

Ravi glanced at her. “The human isn’t an agent.”

“You’ve worked with other humans.”

“They were trained. A few of them actually do well in our line of work. She isn’t one of them.”

Durga had mentored Ravi for years, but there were times she could cheerfully knock his head off. “~She~ has a name. Use it.” Durga sighed loudly. “Dain risked his life bringing this intel to me. His superiors have no idea what he did or that he’s been working with us. Our two agencies have never gotten along, and you know it. Dain is walking a tightrope. I don’t blame him for getting called back before he could take you and Yasmin to the mountains.”

“Now, we get to trek through the peaks.”

“You’ve never turned away from a mission before, no matter how risky or treacherous.”

Ravi’s copper eyes met hers. “I’m not now.”

“Is this where you tell me again that I should be questioning her?”

“You know the more information we have, the better the mission.”

Durga shrugged. “If the original plan still stood, I would be interrogating her right now. But it doesn’t. She’s angry and defensive because I’ve put her in an impossible situation. You have days with her to get all the information you need. Get over your anger and do your job.”

“She’s a dissenter.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter. We all have a job to do to save lives. That’s what matters at the end of the day.”

“Aye,” he said and turned his head away.

“Then I suggest you get yourself ready. Everything rests on your shoulders, just the way you like it.”

He smiled for the first time since she’d seen him at the tavern. “Aye, I do.”

~ ~ ~

Yasmin hadn’t realized she’d dozed off until sounds from within the house woke her. She glanced outside to see the sky lightening from black to gray. Dawn approached. And with it, her past.

She rose and dressed with care. She took her time combing her hair before braiding it. Habit had her checking the bag and its contents. Yasmin tucked the small knife she always carried with her into her boot, then downed the last of the food from the night before.

That’s when she found herself staring out the window. She wished she knew what she had done to the gods that they would put her in this predicament. She tried to live a good life. She only stole when she had to—which seemed to be all the time. Why hadn’t she left Shecrish? She’d had four years to leave, yet she remained.

There was no getting out of what she had to do. She had given her word. Yasmin slung the strap of the bag over her shoulder and walked from the room. She followed the sound of voices to the kitchen and found Durga with the Sun Elf. More food was set out.

“Ah, there you are,” Durga said. “The clothes fit well. That’s good. Grab some food while you can.”

Yasmin set down her bag and got a napkin to put several items in. She wrapped it up and carefully placed it in her pack, all while the Sun Elf stared at her. She noted his boots were the same as hers. She really hoped he wasn’t Ravi.