Chapter 29

29

Jai tugged at the necklace, hating to be relegated to the side instead of taking part in the initial attack. There was no changing that this time. Jai feared it might never change, but he wouldn’t stop fighting alongside Arya for as long as he could. None of it would erase the stain on his soul for his actions over the years—no matter what excuses he had.

His gaze tracked Arya as she went to her position to wait. Jai lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned toward Dain as he said, “ Don’t let anything happen to her.”

“ If you should be worried about anyone, it’s your old crew. Arya is one of the best at her job. I know. I trained her.”

Jai held Dain’s gaze. “ They aren’t my crew anymore. They made their choice.”

“ So you say. If you turn on us, if all of this is nothing more than a trap, I’ll kill you. Slowly . Painfully .”

“ I’d expect nothing less.”

“ Then we understand each other.”

Jai nodded. “ We do.”

Dain turned his head to look down the tunnel, where the captured elves would arrive. “ You’d best get to your spot.”

Jai turned away just as the shadows enveloped Dain . Jai walked along the rippling tunnel wall and settled into a hollowed portion. The walk from the ship to the fort’s gates was lengthy and arduous. Though the captives had no idea where they were going, they could always sense the impending dread of the gates and inevitably slowed. Few were able to come and go as they pleased from the fort. Which meant none of them would anticipate the coming assault.

It was the perfect location. He had found it his first year. It was far enough from the guard station and the fort to not be seen and secluded enough that the chances of being heard were slim. That wasn’t to say the location was foolproof—nowhere along the route was—but the tunnel’s many recesses and niches made for excellent hiding spots.

Jai heard the group before he saw them. A particular gloom hearkened the arrival of the slaves. A melancholy that seemed to bleed from every crevice in the passageway. Jai hadn’t taken this walk. He had woken up in a cell. But he had walked it with detained elves before, and it had left a lasting stain on his subconscious that would never be wiped away.

Why hadn’t it bothered him more that Priya willingly led the prisoners to their doom? He’d been so glad not to have to make the trek again that he hadn’t considered looking deeper into it. Particularly why Priya didn’t mind and why she didn’t demand that he join them.

Two very important questions that could have revealed her true purpose years ago. Had he been that na?ve? That trusting? Or had he refused to see the truth because he feared being alone? Was afraid of being trapped forever?

He might never know. And perhaps it didn’t matter. He hadn’t seen who Priya truly was before, but he did now. Every abhorrent inch of it.

As if his thoughts had conjured her, she came into sight. She walked ahead of everyone as she always did. He had once thought her brave to take the lead and return to the place that had ripped away their lives. She put herself in the front because she wanted everyone to see her, know her. Fear her.

And it worked.

His eyes tracked her as she came even with him and then walked past. Not once did she look anywhere but straight ahead. Two crew members were behind her. The abducted elves were next, walking double file. They were clumped tightly together, touching whoever was in front of them so the Dark among them could lead. Most had their heads down as if by ignoring the surroundings, none of it would be real.

A few of the captives kept their heads raised defiantly. He wanted to tell them it wouldn’t do any good. Whatever insolence they had would be quickly stripped away within the walls of the fort. Those in charge had mastered the breakdown of spirit and identity, making it an art form. He’d experienced it himself.

Jai didn’t want to think about all the others he brought on The Viper who had been led thus. If he allowed himself to consider about how many had died or were sold, he might go mad. He couldn’t undo the past, but he could make sure these were free. And do his damnedest to release any others.

The last of the slaves walked past. A few steps behind them were the remaining crew members. They were talking in low voices and laughing. They never saw Arya and Dain appear.

Within seconds, all four of the crew were dead. The slaves didn’t even notice. Why would they? They were more concerned about where they were being taken and what their lives would be like in the coming days. Jai adjusted his grip on the sword and stepped out of the alcove. He hurried to the captured elves.

A ripple of surprise went through them. It was quiet, though, as if they didn’t dare make a sound. Arya and Dain must have launched their second attack. Jai wished he was the one going after Priya , but it wouldn’t have been smart. She had the advantage thanks to the gold around his neck.

“ Not a word,” he whispered as he came up alongside the elves. “ Stop walking. Tug on those in front of you to halt them, too.”

He repeated the words as he moved down the line. The elves did as he said, just as he knew they would. He got close enough to the front to see Priya . She didn’t realize she was walking alone. Dain materialized behind her, but when he went to strike, she spun and sent a shot of magic that the Dark narrowly avoided. Then she was gone.

“ Fuck ,” Jai muttered.

This wasn’t good. He scanned the area, turning in a slow circle as he waited for Priya’s retaliation.

“ We can’t stay here,” Ravi said, coming out from behind a boulder.

Jai motioned for the elves to turn around. “ Everyone . I need you to walk as fast as you can back to the ship. Work together as a unit. Now , move.”

There were murmurs of confusion and fear, but those who had held their heads up defiantly soon got everyone turned around and hurrying back the way they had come.

Jai wanted to go with them and make sure they made it back to The Viper safely, but there wasn’t time. Priya had gotten away. She’d likely gone to get the guards. An all-out assault was coming. Jai tugged on the necklace again.

“ What happened?” Ravi asked when they were all together.

Dain shrugged. “ We were quiet. She shouldn’t have heard us.”

“ There’s no use worrying about that right now. We need to prepare for what’s next,” Arya said.

But Dain’s eyes were on Jai . “ Did you alert Priya ?”

“ Dain .” Arya said his name firmly, her gaze narrowed on his face.

The Dark held up his hand, his attention on Jai .

“ Nay ,” Jai replied. “ We can debate this all night, but it won’t change the fact that she’s going for reinforcements. She can’t go to the fort without the cargo, Arya , and Reva . The Masters will kill her on the spot.”

Yasmin blindly reached out a hand until she connected with Ravi . “ The stones say Jai was silent and still.”

“ Then what the fuck happened?” Dain bit out.

Jai shrugged. “ Priya has always had a sixth sense when it comes to protecting herself.”

“ Now what? Do we stay and wait, or do we follow the others to the ship?” Ravi asked.

Arya shook her head and looked around. “ They’ll expect us to go with the elves.”

“ I don’t think we should remain in this tunnel,” Dain said.

Jai shrugged and grinned. “ Then we do what they’d never expect. We go to them.”

“ That’s suicide,” Yasmin replied.

Ravi chuckled. “ I distinctly remember you saying the same thing about us going to Shaldorn .”

“ They didn’t know we were coming then,” she argued. “ They do now.”

Dain blew out a breath. “ Whatever we’re doing, we need to decide fast.”

“ I say we go to the fort,” Arya said.

Ravi linked his fingers with Yasmin’s . “ What do you think?”

Silence stretched for a long moment before Yasmin sighed. “ We go.”

“ It’s up to you, Dain ,” Ravi said.

Dain bowed his head. “ I agree. We go.”

“ What about the guards?” Yasmin asked.

Arya’s lips twisted as she looked at Jai . “ How many will come?”

“ Depends ,” he answered. “ Priya will want to quietly take back the captives before the Masters discover what’s happened. I don’t know how many of the guards she has manipulated to join her side, but there’s no doubt about it, she has them.”

Dain grunted. “ Then we go. Now .”

“ We need to go to the stockroom,” Jai said as the shadows closed over them.

While shadows hid them, it didn’t stop the noise. They remained silent until both Arya and Dain dropped their shadows. Even with Dain and Arya sharing the load, it still took a toll on them. Since Jai couldn’t help, they would have to use such modes of travel sparingly.

Jai , along with Arya and Dain , searched the stockroom to make sure they were alone. Only then did Arya create a light so Yasmin and Ravi could see.

“ The stones are very loud,” Yasmin whispered, rubbing her ears.

Dain motioned to the stones. “ Is anyone near?”

The entire fort was made of stone. Jai wondered if all the rocks spoke. Was it in one voice, or did they all say something different? Jai would never get tired of watching the human work her magic. It wasn’t visible like an elf’s. There was nothing to see or hear. Only Yasmin knew the answers, and the group trusted her implicitly to tell them truthfully.

“ There’s a group, but they’re concentrated to the left. Someone’s approaching from the right,” Yasmin said.

Jai met Dain’s gaze. “ There are holding cells on this floor. We could get to them but unlocking them takes magic.”

“ Something you don’t have,” Ravi said.

Jai fought not to touch the gold again. “ Precisely . Even if we get some doors open, only two can get anyone to safety.”

“ We want to free anyone we can,” Dain said. “ But first, we’re going to take down those responsible. Tell me where they are?”

Arya made a sound at the back of her throat. “ Are you sure that’s wise? We need more before we go after anyone.”

“ We needed more at Shaldorn and pulled it off,” Yasmin said.

Ravi gave her a strange look. “ Barely .”

“ We have the element of surprise. We could free many if we focus on that,” Arya argued.

Jai looked around the room. “ No one has come this far before. I know I’m hindered, but I’m willing to take the risk. I agree with Dain . We go for the Masters . If they topple, doing the rest should be easier.”

“ Have any suggestions for how to do that?” Dain asked.

“ Chaos ,” Jai replied. “ Everything about this place is orderly. Everything . All it would take is one disruption for utter pandemonium.”

Ravi perked up. “ I like the sound of that.”

“ I’d suggest more than one disturbance,” Arya added.

Dain grunted in agreement.

“ How many guards do you think Priya got to return to the tunnel?” Yasmin asked.

Jai twisted his lips. “ Hard to say. She likes to cover her bases. She wants power, money, and influence. But more than that, she wants her life. She knows it’s over if she can’t recover the prisoners. It reflects badly on her that she not only lost Arya and Reva but also had to kill me and another member of the crew.”

“ If she’s that scared of the Masters , then there’s a chance she didn’t tell anyone,” Arya said. “ Think about it. All it would take is one guard blabbing to another for it to make it to the Masters . Would she take that chance?”

Jai considered that. “ If everything Priya told me is true, she’s been setting herself up for considerable power at the fort since before I was taken. The slave trade is extending out of Shecrish . She wanted me to captain the first ship on the ocean, looking for new lands for us to explore together.”

“ Bloody hell,” Ravi stated angrily.

Jai scratched his whisker-stubbled jaw. “ She anticipated my releasing Arya , which meant she had a plan to explain her death and mine. The Masters won’t be too concerned with the death of any replaceable crew. Including me. The Masters will be irked at not having Arya’s life to take themselves, but they’ll be content when Priya tells them why she did it. Explaining Reva will be more difficult, but it’s the loss of the captives that will seal Priya’s fate.”

“ Unless she goes back for them,” Arya suggested.

Yasmin shook her head, her hand still touching the rock. “ The stones tell me no one has gone after them.”

“ Whether Priya ran to get the guards or to save her arse, she’s still out there,” Jai cautioned.

A muscle in Dain’s jaw jumped. “ Which is why we need to take the opportunity we’ve been given. With that, where do we begin causing chaos?”

Jai grinned. “ First place is the kitchen. Food comes at regular intervals. Make it so the next meal is late, and the guards will be out of sorts.”

“ That should be easy enough,” Arya said.

Ravi rubbed his hands together. “ And second?”

“ The baths,” Jai said.

Yasmin gaped at him. “ There are baths?”

“ The slaves bathe daily because the Masters want them looking their best before they’re sold,” Jai explained.

Anger rolled off Yasmin . “ I think I can help with that one. The stones are eager to aid us. Shall they start now? Or do we do everything at once?”

“ A little at a time would be better. It won’t raise suspicions,” Arya said.

“ Good . What else?” Dain asked.

Jai leaned back and rested his sword against the wall. “ Everything else will be tricky. We could open some cell doors, but most of those contained within will be too fearful to get out. They know when they’re removed, it could be their time for auction.”

“ I really hate these people,” Ravi muttered.

Arya nodded solemnly. “ We all do.”

And Jai had been a part of it for years. Even if he hadn’t been willing, he had participated. That made him just as culpable.

“ What about the Masters ? Can we get to them?” Dain asked.

Jai threw up his hands. “ I don’t know if they’re here. They aren’t always. Even if they are, I wouldn’t know where.”

“ They’re not here,” Yasmin interjected. “ But I can find their location.”

“ Good . We’ll need that. What would get their attention?” Arya asked. “ Something that would bring them here.”

Jai scratched his jaw. “ Losing an entire ship of slaves would.”

“ Then we let it be known what Priya did,” Dain said.

Jai frowned as he looked at the Dark . “ How do you propose we do that?”

“ Gossip ,” Yasmin replied, her smile wide.

Arya grinned, nodding. “ We let a few chosen guards in different locations overhear talk about Priya’s blunders.”

“ That kind of gossip spreads quickly,” Jai admitted. “ And that’s likely to bring the Masters .”

Dain crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against a crate. “ We need everything to happen seamlessly. First , disrupt the flow.”

“ The kitchen is busy and crowded. One or two of us can get there, do what we need, and be out before anyone notices,” Jai said.

Arya looked to him. “ We’ll go together.”

“ Then there’s the gossip,” Dain said.

Ravi grinned. “ I want to take part in that one.”

“ You and I will pair up, then.” Dain looked at Yasmin . “ The stones will have to let you know when those in charge arrive and where they’re located.”

“ I’ll make sure of it,” Yasmin said.

Arya pushed her hair out of her face. “ If this happens, it’ll go down quickly. We need to plan our attack on the so-called Masters .”

“ Oh , that one is easy,” Ravi said. “ We go in together and let loose. I only need one of the bastards. We’ll get them to list everyone involved.”

Dain chuckled. “ Then get to work.”

Jai looked around at his companions. This could actually work. Arya waited for him as the shadows rose behind her. Jai eagerly moved closer to her. Their gazes met just as the shadows closed in around them.