Chapter 12

12

Tensions always ran high whenever they sailed through the channel, but today was worse than usual. Jai wasn’t sure if it was because everyone was on edge, they had lost cargo, or if he had left some prisoners conscious. Priya’s anger had been intense once she learned he’d healed Arya . They rarely quarreled, but this one had devolved into an argument. It wasn’t until he pointed out that they needed Arya alive to gain their freedom that Priya walked away without another word. But not before he saw the depth of her animosity toward Arya .

Jai shut off those thoughts and concentrated on keeping The Viper steady. The crew was at their stations, ready to leap into action should a storm hit. He looked behind him where Priya stood, but she didn’t meet his gaze. Jai gripped the helm, scanning the channel and listening for rushing water or a gust of wind. He had a nagging feeling that he should’ve done more than warn Arya and the human about the wraiths.

That had been part of their squabble. Priya had hurled several questions at him, but two had stayed with him. Why had he given Arya and Reva a choice? And why hadn’t he decided for them? Jai couldn’t answer that even now, as he thought about his decisions. The threat of what awaited both Arya and the human was enough to force one of them to make a move. The very choice he would make if given the opportunity.

And he had handed it right to them.

Maybe that was why he had done it. Yet , if he had given them a way out, he’d also doomed himself and his crew. Some might say they deserved the kind of death a wraith would deliver. And they would be right. He had decided some time ago not to think about what he was doing. Otherwise , he might go mad with it. But there were times he couldn’t help but think about it, mull it over, debate it, and pass judgment on himself.

Had he done that subconsciously?

Maybe .

His cargo was always unconscious. He never had to worry about them remaining quiet. Wanting Arya to be awake to fully comprehend what was happening to her was one thing. Leaving her and Reva conscious to kill everyone was another. He realized he’d made a terrible mistake.

He didn’t make those kinds of mistakes. The last thing he needed was to do it now. But there was no time to change his mind, no time to rectify the situation. All he could do was hope the prisoners remained silent. Because the tiniest sound would bring the wraiths down upon them swifter than a thought. And not even shadows could save him before the wraiths descended.

Jai adjusted his grip on the helm and looked over his shoulder. He hastily scanned the area where Priya had been to find it empty. He knew where she had gone. Jai wasn’t worried that she might kill Arya or the human. She knew they were too important. Nay , his closest friend, the one person in his entire life who had never failed him, had done what he hadn’t been thinking clearly enough to do—ensure the prisoners couldn’t make any noise.

He thought about the sight of her when she returned from the Masters . There was no telling what kind of psychological damage they had doled out along with the physical. She wouldn’t tell him, which confirmed it was as bad as he feared. It was why she had been gunning for a fight and the reason they had argued. He should’ve realized it then.

A gust of wind ruffled his hair from the back and dragged strands into his face. He looked behind him and found Priya at her post once more. She had her back to him, staring behind them. Were her thoughts as morose as his? Was she dreaming of freedom and what she might do next? He might not want to share his thoughts, but he would ask her about hers, listen as she spoke. He owed her that, at the very least.

Jai turned his attention to the sheer walls rising like enormous barricades on either side of them. They were dark and foreboding, with many entrances, where it was said the wraiths lived. They rose so high it was almost impossible to see the ragged tops. The beautiful bioluminescence kept to a ceiling as narrow as the river, as if not even it dared get too close to the wraiths. The entire area felt dead. Empty .

The channel itself was barely wide enough for a ship to pass. Jai kept The Viper in the middle of the channel, the current sweeping them along.

He had trembled the first time he’d passed through the channel. And it hadn’t gotten easier over the years. It was said that sailors only got so many passes before their luck ran out. He was so close to having his freedom. All he needed was this one last pass. Then , he would never sail the Lotus again.

They reached the midway point of the channel, and Jai glanced at the folded sails, recalling Priya’s argument. If he had listened to her, they would be through by now. He shifted his shoulders and mentally shook himself. He had followed his instincts. Why question that now? But he knew. He had to question everything now. Having Arya on his ship was messing with his head.

Jai could see the end of the channel approaching. The current, which had been steady up until now, seemed to all but vanish. The Viper slowed and came to a standstill. The crew sent him worried looks.

There was no wind, no current. Had the sails been up, the sound of them deflating would’ve been noisy in the quiet. His nerves were stretched tight, but he kept his expression impassive. He needed his crew to remain calm. Rattled elves did reckless things.

Time stretched as they sluggishly floated. Jai was beginning to wonder if he had angered the gods. The two storms, and now this? It was hard not to think that something or someone was out to impede his freedom.

Wind howled as it raced through the channel. The burst came from the bow and passed over them to the back. An unholy shriek came from the left side of the wall. Jai’s blood turned to ice as he scanned the cliffs, searching for the wraith. He swiveled his head to the other side. No one moved, no one uttered a single sound.

Had his luck run out? Would he die so close to winning his freedom? Would The Viper be found floating, devoid of life like the one he had come upon a year earlier? He thought about Arya below, the fear that had slackened her face when he mentioned the wraiths. At least Priya had knocked her unconscious. Arya wouldn’t know or feel anything. He should want her to hurt. And he had. Until he came face-to-face with her again. Now , he was rethinking every decision he’d made since tracking her down.

Jai squared his shoulders. One way or another, he would be released from his Masters . If that was by the wraiths’ hands, then who was he to question the gods? He had prayed for freedom, begged for it. He hadn’t asked the gods for a specific way out.

A hand fell on his shoulder. He snapped his head around to find Priya smiling. She motioned toward the bow with her chin. Jai looked at the front of the ship and saw that they had reached the end of the channel. The river widened, but everyone remained still until they were far enough away that the wraiths couldn’t hear them.

“ We made it,” Priya said.

Jai nodded and pursed his lips as he released a breath. “ Too fucking close for my liking.”

“ Good call on keeping the sails lowered.”

He motioned for the crew to raise them now in hopes of making up some time. Then he faced Priya . “ I made a mistake.”

“ You mean by leaving the prisoners awake?” Priya shrugged one shoulder. “ I made sure neither would be the reason we died today.”

Jai wanted to ask how badly Arya was hurt, but he bit back the words. He shouldn’t care. She certainly hadn’t when she sentenced him to the life he now led. “ Thank you.”

“ You know you don’t ever have to thank me. We look out for each other.”

“ I wouldn’t want to be here without you.”

Priya grinned and looked away. “ You’d have been dead a long time ago if it weren’t for me.”

She was teasing, but he wasn’t when he said, “ I know.”

Priya had been there when he was four and got him out of the way of a runaway carriage. From that moment on, they had been inseparable.

“ Take a break,” she told him.

But Jai didn’t move. “ How are you?”

“ You’ve asked me that four times since I woke. As I told you before, I’m fine.”

“ Don’t minimize what they did to you.”

She faced him, holding his gaze. “ It’s done. It’s over. Forget it.”

“ I can’t.”

“ I experienced worse when we were first taken. I survived that, and I’m stronger now.”

Jai wanted to argue the point, but he could tell by the way she held her head that she was finished discussing the matter. “ You won’t ever have to go through that again.”

She nudged him out of the way to take the helm. Jai relented. He remained with her for a bit before heading to his quarters. Except he deviated at the last minute and went to the hold instead. He walked to Arya’s door and looked through the square window. She was lying on her side away from him as if she had been sitting with her back to the wall and slumped over.

He moved to the next door and found the human sprawled on her back.

Sounds from Arya’s chamber pulled him back to her. He watched as she pushed herself up with her hands. Jai should go. There was no reason for him to be here, no reason to have checked on them. But he couldn’t will his feet to move.

Then Arya’s head swung around, her gaze clashing with his. Laughter from above reached them, and she turned to look out the porthole as she got to her feet and walked to peer outside.

“ Didn’t trust us not to remain quiet?” Arya turned to lean her shoulder against the wall. “ Smart . Reva intended to die by the wraiths.”

Before Jai knew it, he was inside the room. Arya stiffened slightly but kept her head turned away from him. “ And you didn’t?”

“ Don’t pretend to know me.”

“ Oh , believe me, I would never dare.”

Her eyes flashed angrily as she looked his way.

“ Answer the question,” he bit out. It was suddenly imperative that he know the answer.

Her look could have flayed the skin from his bones. “ What if I did?”

He stepped closer. He played a dangerous game, but sensible thought went out the window when it came to Arya . “ You won’t get away that easily. You’ll have what’s coming to you.”

“ You have a lot of nerve saying that after I warned you.”

“ Warned me? Warned me ?” Outrage shot through him. Indignation licked angrily through his veins, leaving a scorched trail in its wake. Jai closed the distance between them until she was pressed against the wall, the toes of their shoes touching.

But Arya wasn’t cowed. She held his stare, returning it with a glower of her own. “ Aye .”

“ Your actions put me here, chained to this damn ship. You wrenched me from my home and imprisoned me. For four years, I’ve dreamed of nothing but this moment.”

Her anger vanished, replaced by confusion. “ What are you talking about?”

He didn’t intend to fall for it. “ Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

“ I don’t,” she snapped. “ It’s why I asked.”

Jai towered over her, forcing her to lean her head back to see him as she tried to sink into the wall. He gazed into the depths of her dark gray eyes. They were richer, darker than he remembered. He couldn’t forget that she was a skilled liar. She had played him once. She wouldn’t get a second chance. “ You were instrumental in this hellacious life I’ve been forced to endure. But it’s nearly over. It seems fitting that since you put me here, you’ll be the one who frees me.”

“ What happened to you?” Arya asked softly.

The change in her voice was unexpected. It did strange things to him. It loosened the tightness in his chest and warmed his blood. He became aware of how close their bodies were. The never-banked desire flared. He placed a hand on the wall and dropped his gaze to her mouth. They had only shared a brief kiss all those years before, but he could still taste her on his lips when she plagued his dreams. Would her mouth be as pliant, her kiss as intoxicating as before?

Why did she have such a pull on him? How could she still make his blood heat, make him long for her?

Crave her.

She was the enemy. Her heart was as empty and dangerous as the wraiths. She was a clever temptress, one who willingly destroyed others for her benefit. Too trusting, he had been caught in her trap. He wasn’t the same elf. Now , he had the strength to resist being pulled into her web again.

His head might have made that decision, but his body had a mind of its own. And it yearned for Arya . He had gotten too close. The sight of her messed with him, but her nearness had a power all its own. It made him forget anything but the need to have her, to mark her as his. All he had to do was lower his head a little more to claim her lips—and her.

Jai wrenched himself away just in time. He backed up several steps, his hands clenched at his sides. Every beat of his heart sent blood straight to his cock, already hard and aching. Evil or not, he didn’t think he would ever stop wanting Arya . She had infected him, body and soul.

He knew he was teetering on the edge of giving in, and he couldn’t. He stopped himself the only way he could. He turned to the memories of when he’d first been taken, of the torture and pain.

The betrayal at the hands of the elf he had believed loved him.