Chapter 8

8

“ There you are.”

Arya halted at the sound of Jai’s voice. She turned to find him leaning a shoulder against the wall, his short hair wet from a shower. His pale gray eyes had their normal mischievous glint. That and his crooked smile had caught her attention the first time she’d walked amid the Milni crime family.

He pushed away from the wall and slowly walked to her. His eyes, darkened by desire, devoured her. “ I’ve been looking for you all day.”

“ Oh ?” Her heart skidded as he came to stand in front of her, so close their bodies were mere breaths apart.

She leaned into him, needing to feel his body against hers. His hand came up and touched her arm, curled around her biceps. She couldn’t catch her breath. She couldn’t look away from his eyes. She was drowning in need, the ache so deep and cavernous that only one could pull her from it.

His hand moved up her arm, drawing her closer. Her breasts brushed against his chest, her nipples hardening instantly. She sucked in a breath, and his nostrils flared. She wanted to rip off her shirt and thrust out her chest as she tugged his head down. The craving for his touch was all-consuming, and she willingly gave herself over to it.

A small frown furrowed his brow. “ I can’t stop thinking about you.”

She should walk away. At the very least, she should tell him there was nothing between them. That she felt nothing. But she couldn’t. Because she definitely felt something. She had been warned not to get tangled up with anyone while undercover. It had sounded easy. Until she met Jai . Then , all the rules went out the window.

He lightly brushed her cheek with his knuckles as he searched her gaze. “ Please , tell me I’m not the only one feeling this.”

She looked into his eyes, her mind counseling her to guard herself. It was the safe thing to do. Possibly even the right thing. But her heart urged her to give in to the longing.

It won. “ I feel it.”

“ Arya .”

She jerked back because it wasn’t Jai’s voice that came out of his mouth. It was Reva’s , coming from far away. Jai fell away before her eyes. Arya tried to hold onto him, desperate to stay in the dream, but he vanished like smoke.

“ Arya ?”

She came awake slowly, and throbbing pain radiated from her cheek.

“ Arya ?”

“ I’m awake,” she answered. Then softer, “ I’m awake.” Her face crumpled, tears pooling. She wanted to go back to the dream, to Jai .

“ Thank the gods.”

Arya swallowed her tears and tucked away her aching heart. This wasn’t a place to give in to any weaknesses. She slowly stretched out her neck to work out the kinks and rolled onto her back. The instant she moved, nausea assaulted her. She looked at the bucket. Given how she felt, she wasn’t sure she would make it before she got sick.

“ I tried to get help,” Reva said.

Arya licked her dry, cracked lips and then immediately regretted it. “ I take it they didn’t come.”

“ He came.”

He . Jai . Arya didn’t need to ask what’d happened. It was obvious. He had come but had done nothing. To her horror, tears threatened again. It was harder to keep them at bay this time.

“ You’ve been out for some time,” Reva said.

Arya bent her knees and put her feet on the floor, then she scooted herself backward. Bloody hell. She wouldn’t make it to the bucket. “ How long?”

“ I slept some. And Priya brought a meal.”

Arya rolled her head toward the door and saw another bowl of something with bread sticking out. But it was the water she wanted. “ Hours , then.”

“ Hours and hours.” Reva paused. “ I heard her hit you. How bad is it?”

“ Bad . My left cheek is swollen. Hurts to move.”

“ Did she strike your cheekbone or jaw?”

Arya frowned and glanced at the wall separating them as she kept scooting on her back. That was a question someone asked when they had healing knowledge. Or had been abused. “ Cheekbone .”

“ I don’t suppose you have any herbs on you.”

“ I’d have already taken them for the seasickness.”

Reva made a sound. “ Of course. You’ll be in some discomfort, but there isn’t much to do with the cheek, whether it’s bruised or broken.”

“ How do you know about such injuries?”

The human didn’t immediately answer. The silence stretched so long that Arya didn’t think she would respond. Then Reva said, “ Just things I picked up. Be glad it isn’t your jaw.”

“ I would’ve preferred a fair fight.”

“ Pretty sure anything fair is long gone for us.”

Arya twisted her lips. “ Pretty sure you’re right. I’m having a hard time coping with that knowledge.”

Reva’s laugh floated through the wall. “ I have to give it to you, standing up to Priya like you did. You really got a rise out of her. She wouldn’t have reacted so strongly if she didn’t have romantic feelings for Jai .”

“ I know.”

Her head bumped the bucket. Arya then slowly rolled onto her side. The nausea was so bad she couldn’t think of anything else. She rose onto one elbow. When she did, her stomach heaved. It took several minutes before Arya could sit and lean against the wall. She kept her eyes closed, wishing Reva hadn’t dragged her from unconsciousness. At least then, she wasn’t retching.

“ I saw a human healer give someone wormwood to help with nausea before. If we were in the rainwood, I’d find some for you. Jai should’ve helped you. I don’t understand why no one has,” Reva said.

But Arya knew. “ It doesn’t matter if I’m dead or alive. I helped ruin their favorite hideaway.”

“ If they wanted you dead, wouldn’t you be dead? Instead , they captured you.”

Arya opened her eyes as she considered that. “ Hmm . You might have a point. Or …they didn’t want to make a spectacle where others could see.”

“ They could’ve done it when no one was around. Besides , if you were dead, it would send a message to the others you worked with. Warn them.”

Arya had to give it to the human. She was looking at the broader picture—one that seemed to elude Arya at the moment. She moved with deliberate cautiousness onto her hands and knees so she could stretch out her arm and grab the waterskin. Once she had it, Arya returned to her position against the wall, still moving gingerly.

She took off the cap. “ That’s the thing. We were already aware of being hunted. Dain warned me to be careful.”

“ Do you think they have him?”

“ Maybe . Jai said he left me awake so I’d know what was happening.” Arya’s mind raced as she began connecting things. “ That implied he’s done this before and kept the elves unconscious.”

“ They could have Dain , then.”

Arya took a sip of water. She waited, expecting it to immediately come up. When it didn’t, she said, “ It’s possible, but if they did, they’d be wise not to keep him awake.”

“ Why ?”

“ Just trust me on that.”

Reva made another sound that Arya couldn’t decipher. “ What of the others in your group?”

“ One is human.”

There was disbelief in Reva’s voice when she said, “ Interesting . They’ll probably go for him or her next.”

“ They’ll be in for a surprise if they do. Yasmin is stronger than she looks. And her lover, Ravi , is an elf just as dangerous as Dain .” Arya sighed in frustration. “ I should’ve been more vigilant.”

“ These people sound like they always get what they want. Sooner or later, your friends will be taken, too. If they haven’t been already.”

Arya paused before bringing the waterskin back to her lips. “ Let’s hope not.”

She took a swallow, letting the cool liquid coat her dry mouth and throat. She still believed it wouldn’t matter if she was dead or alive when they delivered her to whoever the group was that she had angered. Priya wanted her dead. Jai , too, apparently. But she wouldn’t go easily. She would fight to stay alive, and in order to do that, she had to hydrate.

Another swallow. Then another.

And then it all came up.

She stretched out on the floor, the waterskin close, but she wouldn’t test taking another drink for a bit. It was too easy to give in to the unpleasantness of her situation. She should be using this time to come up with a plan. She knew why she was awake, but why was Reva ?

“ One thing is bothering me. Why did they leave you awake?”

Reva made an indistinct sound. “ Magic doesn’t work on me.”

Arya was so shocked that she couldn’t form words for a moment. “ How is that possible?”

“ Everyone wants to know that. It frightens elves enough that they usually keep away once they find out. It’s what happened when we arrived on the ship. Jai and Priya could’ve knocked me out with their fists, but they didn’t want to get too close. I guess they feared I might rub off on them,” Reva said, a smile in her voice.

“ You’re telling me no magic works on you.”

“ None that has ever been tried.”

“ Do you feel anything when magic is used?”

Silence . Then , “ Sometimes .”

“ Your secret is safe with me.”

“ It doesn’t matter. I know our captors told whoever we’re headed to. They’ll want to study me.”

Arya wished it wasn’t true, but, sadly, it was. When elves didn’t understand something, they studied it, interrogated it if they could, and then put it through various tests until it died so they could study its organs in hopes of figuring out what made it different.

“ I know what awaits me,” Reva said. “ You can say it.”

“ I shouldn’t have to.”

Reva laughed softly. “ That’s in a perfect life, which this is not.”

“ Shecrish is just one section of our realm. When you get free, you should leave. Go see what else is out there. I know there are other humans.”

“ I’ve been trying to find a way out of this room.”

Arya let her change the subject. If she was shocked that there were other humans on Zora , she hid it well. “ Any progress?”

“ The window opens, but it isn’t large enough for me to fit through, and if what you said about the river is true, swimming isn’t an option.”

“ It’s true.”

Reva blew out a breath. “ Which means we’ll have to take over the ship.”

Arya smiled at her words. Nothing stopped the human. It was time she had the same attitude.

“ How many crew members are there, do you think?” Reva asked.

“ I know nothing about sailing, but I think it would depend on the size of the ship. Did you happen to see that?”

“ I was brought straight to this room. I tried to see from the window, but I didn’t have much luck.”

Arya sighed as her nausea continued. “ I’m not going to be much use to you like this.”

“ Acceptance of the situation is the first step in taking action.”

“ You sound like my father.”

“ Truth hurts.” Reva’s voice faded as if she’d walked to the other side of the room.

Arya rolled her eyes. “ Isn’t acceptance giving in?”

“ Are you fighting your illness?”

“ It’s seasickness. And I’d be happy to hand it over so you could see if you accept it. As well as my cheekbone.”

Reva laughed, her voice getting closer. “ There is a difference between acceptance and giving up. Accept that you’re ill. Accept that your body needs time to adjust to these conditions. Just as we’ll both acknowledge that we’re prisoners. For now. That will allow you to clear your mind and strategize.”

Arya opened her mouth to say something, but Reva continued.

“ Think about the times you had me talk to you. It was to take your mind off your stomach. And you weren’t thinking of seasickness when you confronted Priya .”

Arya grinned at the memory. “ All right. I accept all of that.”

“ You can’t just say it. You have to believe it.”

“ Gods . You are my father.”

Reva laughed again. “ You need to keep hitting the nerve you struck with Priya .”

“ How will that help, other than perhaps getting me beat to a pulp and unable to retaliate?”

“ It will get her close to you. Surely , you saw the dagger she wears at her back.”

Arya hadn’t, and it was something she should’ve noticed. The sound of footsteps halted their conversation. Arya’s gaze went to the door, and she watched as a Dark male entered. He barely gave her a glance before taking her bucket and replacing it with a clean one. He did the same with Reva’s . The moment he walked away, Arya crawled to the back corner.

“ We’ll have seconds to get away,” Arya whispered.

Reva’s voice was also pitched low when she said, “ The two of us hold the element of surprise.”

A shout from above was all the warning they got before the ship rocked dramatically. Water lashed the window, slapping against it as the boat groaned ominously. Arya was tossed to the side and lifted her arms, just as the bucket flew at her.