Library

Chapter 4

4

The soft brush of the breeze tugged Jai’s worries away. At least, it usually did. Today was different. Today , he had captured his greatest enemy, his most hated foe.

Today , he had spoken to Arya .

It hadn’t been as satisfying as he’d imagined it would be. He hadn’t expected his gut to clench painfully when the fear flashed across her face. He’d had to fight his instinct to rush to her side. How could he still feel that way about someone who had ripped away his life so cruelly? Someone who had taken away his freedom.

She acted innocent, but they both knew she was anything but. It might have taken him a few years, but she was about to get payback for what she had done to him, Priya , and so many others. He had begged the gods to allow him to bring her to justice. For the first time in his life, they had answered his prayers.

He adjusted his grip on the helm as he stared over the ship to the river beyond. Priya had gone to let the Masters know they had Arya . His freedom was so close he could almost taste it.

The sails popped, alerting him that the winds were about to change.

“ All hands on deck!” Jai bellowed.

There was no navigating away from the coming storm. All they could do was go through it. He had hoped Priya would be back before they encountered any issues. Most captains had a larger crew, but Jai preferred to keep his on the smaller side. That wasn’t usually a problem but being down one crew member created difficulties. He watched his people race about, taking down the sails and getting ready for the storm.

His thoughts briefly went to Arya , but he soon forgot her as the first gust of wind hit the ship’s side, shoving it straight toward some protruding rocks. They were approaching one of the narrower sections of the river, and going off course could be a real problem.

Jai tightened his hands on the stern and steered the ship away from shore, but even with the sails down, there was still a chance the vessel might capsize. All the air in the tunnels converged into a small space, and by the time it exited, the winds became high-velocity gales.

He had just righted the ship when another gust slammed into it from the other side, this time hitting the back end. The vessel slid across the water. Jai struggled to turn the helm before they listed too far. He looked up in time to see a blast of wind strike one of his crew. The sailor managed to grab hold of something before he was tossed over the side.

The wind howled around them, coming from all directions. Its roar was deafening. Jai stopped trying to turn the helm and simply worked to keep it as steady as he could. He had to lock his arms around the large, wooden wheel to keep from being swept overboard.

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the wind died away.

Jai relaxed his hold on the stern and breathed a sigh of relief as the ship floated with the river. Was this the gods’ way of letting him know he had to earn his freedom? Saying they weren’t giving it to him?

“ Never thought you would,” he murmured.

One by one, the crew called out, letting him know they were well. They waited for him to make a decision about the sails. It would be safer to keep them down and float with the river. That wouldn’t stop the windstorms, but it would lessen the damage if they were caught unawares.

But that meant adding days to their journey—time he could be free. He had always taken the risk before. He wouldn’t stop now. Jai motioned for the crew to raise the rigging. They had the sails up in moments, and Jai braced himself as the ship lurched forward.

He steered the ship through a narrow section without incident. It wasn’t long after that Priya returned. He watched her. Their visits to the Masters were never easy. It was never only a discussion. Some kind of payment was always involved. Her face was tight with strain, her steps slow.

“ Well ?” Jai asked as she climbed the stairs to stand next to him.

“ They’re pleased,” she replied with a smile. “ Very pleased, in fact.”

He nodded, expecting nothing less. “ They’re going to keep their promise?”

“ They didn’t say otherwise.”

That didn’t mean they would free him. They had given their word, but what could he do if they went back on that? It was something Jai hadn’t thought of before now. Mainly because he had never been so close to getting out.

“ They’ll keep to it,” Priya said, bumping his shoulder with hers.

“ I hope so.”

“ Lighten up. Things are working out. You’ll see.”

He grunted. “ I’ll lighten up after she’s delivered, and we’re free.”

“ When we get closer, I’ll take her ahead of the others.”

Jai turned his head to look at her. “ If anyone is taking her, it’s me. Besides , that isn’t how things are done. You know that.”

“ I just thought getting her off the ship would be better.”

“ It will be.”

“ Then let me take her. You won’t ever have to see her again.”

He looked back across the ship and shook his head. “ I want to be the one who hands her over. I want to see her face for myself when she realizes there is no escape. I want her to know I was the one who delivered her to her new fate.” He shook himself as he realized how much he needed to hurt Arya . He cleared his throat and glanced at Priya , finding her watching him silently. “ It won’t matter how close we are. You’d have to make a lot of stops traveling with her.”

“ That won’t bother me.”

“ Did you tell them about the human?” he asked.

Priya blew out a breath and moved to the railing in front of the helm. “ I did. They’re intrigued.”

The first time Jai was ordered to find elves to be used as slaves, he refused. He had been beaten to within an inch of his life. The second time, he ignored them and got another beating. The third time he rebuffed them, he hadn’t been the one beaten. It had been Priya . Seeing his friend begging for her life had broken him.

They had always been there for each other. Through the hardships when they were young, to finding their way in life. She’d had his back on so many occasions, and he had always returned the favor. It was the kind of trust some never attained. But they had it. It was unequivocal, indisputable. There was nothing more certain in his life than Priya . And had he continued to refuse the Masters , she would’ve accepted his decision and backed him. But while he might have been prepared to die, he couldn’t have her death on his hands. So , he relented.

But with every elf collared and delivered, a piece of him shriveled and died. Not much of his soul remained. There hadn’t been much to begin with, and the last four years had nearly erased him. There were times he looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize the elf staring back at him. Maybe it was better that way.

His younger self had been too trusting, too na?ve. Too forgiving. Look what it had gotten him. Agony and torment beyond anything he could imagine. He would never be able to walk among his kind.

He’d lied to Priya when he said he hadn’t thought about the future. It was all he thought about. Sailing might not have been his preferred choice for an occupation, but he was damn good at it. When he was free, he planned to go to the coast, far away from Shecrish . He’d procure a ship and set sail to see the rest of the realm.

And leave his Masters and their long reach far behind, so they could never touch him again.

There were only two ways to be completely free: death or distance.

“ Do you remember when we were kids, and you fell off the balcony because you lost your balance?” Priya asked with a smile as she turned to him.

He rolled his eyes. “ You keep saying I fell, but I remember you pushing me.”

“ It was a tap. I always said you needed to work on your balance.”

“ You only bring up the past when you’re trying to make a point. Spit it out.”

Priya braced her hands on the railing on either side of her as she leaned back. “ You’re letting her get to you. Your inner balance is off.”

It had been off for years, but there was no point in stating that. “ I’m fine. I’m always fine.”

“ I saw you with her. You can’t lie,” she said softly, her gaze intense.

“ What do you want me to say? I’ve held onto a lot of anger.”

Priya nodded and glanced away. Then she pushed off the railing. “ Then we’ll make sure you don’t see her. The rest of the crew and I will take her and the human meals. You won’t have to see her again until you bring her to the Masters .”

Jai considered her proposal. He hadn’t thought about repeatedly seeing Arya between now and the end. He wanted her awake to make her suffer more, and he didn’t want to alter that. He had wanted to help her earlier. Nearly had. The last thing he needed was to forget who Arya was and what she was capable of.

“ All right,” he said.

Priya nodded and walked away. Jai felt his chest loosen. He hadn’t realized how tense he was until then.

They were in one of the widest sections of the river, the cavern arching so high overhead it almost appeared as if nothing was there but the starless night sky. He had to strain to see it, but he caught a faint blue on the ceiling and walls. The first sightings of the bioluminescence. It would soon cover the walls and ceiling, showering everything in blue. Between that and the colored fish and riverbed, it was one of the most stunning sights in all the Below .

And he should know. He had seen nearly every inch of Dark Elf territory.

Jai didn’t give up the helm despite being there for hours. He liked the feel of the ship beneath his feet, the wind, and the spray of the water. The first time he had navigated the Lotus River , it had been in a small skiff with him at the rudder, their captive in the middle, and Priya at the bow, watching for rocks. It was a miracle they had survived that trip. Neither of them knew a thing about sailing then. Priya yearned to live, so Jai made sure they stayed alive.

All these years later, it was still the same. It didn’t matter that the ship was bigger, they had more crew, or the cargo was larger. It was still the same. Him and Priya against the world.

At one time, he had believed Arya would be included in their group. Before she lied and duped him.

Once he handed her over, Jai could shut the door on that part of his past. Not only would he have earned his freedom, but he would have also gotten retribution. That was more than anyone could ask for. And he’d walk away without a backward glance. Just as Arya had done.

Jai’s gaze was drawn to the deck, where Priya spoke to one of the crew. They shared a laugh before he and Priya raced their way to the top of the rigging. Priya was tall, lithe, and nimble. She always won.

Today was no different. Jai grinned when she climbed to the top first and lifted her arms in victory. He checked the wind the moment she got up there. Priya thrived on danger, embraced it. He would rather have a home somewhere and be left alone. She turned to look at him and waved. He lifted a hand in response.

It was time they both put the past behind them.

Comments

0 Comments
Best Newest

Contents
Settings
  • T
  • T
  • T
  • T
Font

Welcome to FullEpub

Create or log into your account to access terrific novels and protect your data

Don’t Have an account?
Click above to create an account.

lf you continue, you are agreeing to the
Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy.