by E. L. Todd
How? You’ve never practiced.
I’m not going to kill a rabbit for the hell of it.
Then we need to hunt some Shamans.
Callon swiped his sword across the air, left and right, intimidating her from his stance a few feet away.
Not a psychopath, my ass…
Conserve your energy. Choose the moments that will have the most impact. Battles aren’t won and lost in hours, not even in days sometimes. Your mind is just like the sword, the bow, the shield—it has its own purpose. Use it wisely.
Callon approached her, his sword ready to slice her head from her shoulders.
You can do this, Cora.
When they returned to Eden Star, Callon veered off the path toward his tree house. Cora continued on to hers, sore, with grass stains on her arms and neck.
I demand your truth.
Cora kept her eyes down, moving under the canopy of trees and taking advantage of the coolness of the shade. I’m sorry, Ashe. I can’t tell you.
You must.
My father made me promise to keep it to myself.
Why?
I don’t know…he just did.
But I’m Ashe, King of Dragons, the powerful being that shares your soul this very moment. We are one, Cora.
Her eyes remained on the ground as a heavy sigh filled her lungs. I know…
Tell me.
I can’t. I learned nothing about myself or my abilities, so it really doesn’t matter anyway. It’s of no use to us. Just some elvish lore.
Ashe turned quiet.
She approached the foot of her tree house and spotted Peony waiting there.
Who is that?
Peony. She’s the one I helped in the cemetery.
And that man?
Must be her father.
Cora approached, visibly sweaty, all of her gear stuffed into her pack so no one would realize she trained with Callon deep in the woods. Her sword was wrapped in a bundle of bulky leaves to hide the outline of the blade. She was suddenly self-conscious of her appearance, her sweaty hair sticking to her scalp and the sides of her neck.
Peony stepped forward. “Cora, this is my father, Hyacinth.”
Cora gave a short bow.
Peony did the same—as did her father.
Cora stilled at their actions, her eyes shifting back and forth between them quickly.
What is it?
No one has ever bowed to me before…
They may be the first, but they won’t be the last.
Hyacinth was blond like his daughter, with the same blue eyes. But the rest of his features contained despair where hers contained beauty. He gave her a piercing stare, just the way Callon did in battle. “My Per-lei has told me of your abilities. It’s no trick. It’s no hallucination. The veil has truly been broken.”
Cora nodded. “I’m happy to act as your vessel if you wish.”
“Why?” His question exploded like a bomb from a cannon. “You’re an outsider to Eden Star. Why would you offer your abilities to those who have vehemently opposed your existence in our forest?”
Didn’t know that until now. “Because I’ve lost someone too. I know how that feels…outsider or not.”
Hyacinth exchanged a look with his daughter before he turned back to Cora.
“Just let me put my stuff down, and we’ll go.”
Connecting two souls from across the grave was fulfilling—but also heartbreaking. There were always tears, always regret, always sorrow. The connection was sometimes more painful than the separation. It was the same experience she had with Callon—over and over again.
But it was her duty.
Without her, no one would ever have this opportunity. It was more than just a tool to gain favor with her people. It was also her moral obligation to provide closure to those who never had it.
Hyacinth’s suspicions immediately evaporated once the conversation began. His Sun-lei said everything to confirm her authenticity, and his tears were immediate. His hand reached out repeatedly to where she was, like her spirit would solidify and they would touch once more.
The conversation drew to a close when she had to withdraw from the plane.
And just like Peony and Callon had, he begged her not to go.
He sobbed on the bench, his daughter beside him with her hand on his, the two of them grieving their loss together.
Cora silently excused herself and left the Cemetery of Spirits. She took her time moving through Eden Star as she proceeded to her tree house. The difference between the cemetery and the rest of the forest was striking. It was evening, but the sunlight still set the leaves aglow with a beautiful light. Fireflies were replaced by monarch butterflies and sparrows. The cemetery was silent, but the forest was loud with music from the songbirds. Visiting the spirits always left a weight in her heart that dragged her down to the earth, and it always required a night of sleep to pass. But the next time she went, it would happen once more.
She made dinner and ate alone at the table, her backpack and sword against the wall at her bedside. Slowly, the sun set further, the shadows elongating across her wooden floor.
I feel your sadness.
You always feel my sadness.
Because you’re always sad.
The cemetery… It’s just hard.
I understand, Cora. It’s a heavy burden to carry, to be the vessel for someone’s grief. To communicate through the veil and feel nothing would be impossible. You know how much Callon appreciates it, along with Peony and Hyacinth as well. What wouldn’t you give to be able to speak to your father the way you do now?
I have no regrets about my actions. It just…takes a toll sometimes.
Someone approaches.
Cora turned to the door, recognizing Peony in the doorway, carrying a tray in her hands. “Just wanted to drop this off.” She carried the tray to the table and set it beside Cora. “My family has a garden. We grow some of the less common items, like the blue turnips, sugar peas, purple cauliflower. Thought you might enjoy a casserole…as a thank-you.”
Cora stared down at the dish, seeing the roasted vegetables in a sea of black rice. She’d never come across these things in the wild, and Callon never dropped them off either. It was a whole different menu for her to choose from. As much as she’d adopted her new lifestyle, eating the same things over and over got repetitive. “Damn, this looks good.” Her meal had already been finished, but she didn’t hesitate to grab her fork and dig in. The rice was naturally flavored from the rock salt and minerals, and the potatoes had such a distinct crunch that she’d never had before. “You made this?”
Peony brought her hands together as a smile moved on to her face. “I did.”
Cora took another bite, talking with her mouth full. “This is, like, the best shit I’ve ever tasted.”
Stop cussing.
Oh, right. “Sorry…”
Peony continued to smile. “I’m glad you like it.”
Cora continued to eat because no amount of food would replace the energy she burned training with Callon every day. Her body was the tightest it’d ever been, but she was perpetually hungry.
“I also make a vanilla and chocolate swirl with raspberry sauce.”
With her mouth full of food, she spoke. “Didyoubringit?”
This time, Peony gave a chuckle. “No. But I will next time.”
“What else do you make?” Cora wiped her mouth, knowing she looked like a pig. “Take a seat.”
Peony sat in the chair across from her, her posture perfect just like Callon’s and every other elf Cora had ever seen. Her hands rested together on the table, her long blond hair interwoven with white flowers. She had a resemblance to the queen, especially in white, but there was much more kindness in her blue eyes. “Since we grow the less popular items, we keep our garden small, but our produce is very high quality because I sing to our crops every morning, from the moment their seed is planted into the soil.”
“You sing to plants?”
; She nodded.
“Does it work?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“Not sure. But they grow heartier, grow quicker. It’s a commitment, but my mother used to do it before she passed away, so I took her place. My father comes out to hear me because I sound just like her…”
“That’s beautiful.” Cora set down her fork and spared the casserole before she consumed the whole thing. “I wish I could sing.”
“How do you know you can’t?”
“I don’t know. I can just tell.”
“Without proper training, you’ll never know. You need to understand how to project your voice, to find that perfect pitch, to feel the vibrations of the world around you and match your voice to that resonance. Yes, some voices are better than others, but everyone has the ability to sing. Would you like me to teach you?”
“That’s very nice of you, but I prefer the food.”
She chuckled. “You sound like my father. He likes my cooking too.”
“Psh, how could he not?”
Her chuckle faded to a smile, but within a few seconds, that faded too. “I apologize for the way I treated you before. Like everyone else, I didn’t give you a chance because of my prejudice. That was wrong.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Her eyes shifted to the window, the remaining light beginning to disappear. “I get it.”
“There’s never been a hybrid before now. It’s shocking to the elves, even though they’ve had plenty of time to process it. We process time differently.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before…” Like a million times.
“If you ever need anything from our garden, don’t hesitate to ask. My father is in the market every morning.”
“You would…let me take something?”
“Yes.”
“In front of everyone?”
“After what you’ve done for us, there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for you, Cora.”
Congratulations, Cora. You have a friend.
Yeah…I guess I do.
“Twilight has almost arrived.” She rose from the chair. “I’ll let you retire for the evening.”
“Do you think you could show me your garden tomorrow?” The request left her voice like a tense arrow. It shot off spontaneously, without aim. While Callon filled a gaping hole that no one else ever had, she needed more than just him.
Peony turned back and gave a nod. “Of course. You’re welcome—always.”
Now.
Cora projected her mind to infect his.
Callon hesitated in his swing, a wince coming over his features.
Cora caught his sword with the edge of her blade and threw it down, trying to fling it out of his grasp.
His hand dropped, but his fingers remained tight on his sword. He maneuvered away, ducking under her swing, retreating backward as he fought against the agony burning in his mind.
Good.
The battle continued, Ashe instructing her to unleash her powers at just the right moment, to disarm him long enough to get the upper hand.
Very rarely could Cora actually get the sword out of his hand or her blade against his neck—but it did happen sometimes.
Callon channeled all of his rage into the battle, using it as energy to overcome the assaults that incapacitated his mind. Beads of sweat rolled down his temples and over his cheeks. His mouth was tight in a grimace, his hard jaw clenched like an angry fist.
His energy drained as the afternoon waned on, and by the end, he was an easier opponent to face. His physical endurance was stable as always, but his mind simply couldn’t stay as sharp when the assaults chipped at his mental state.
She got the sword out of his hand.
She went in for the kill, ready to press the blade against his neck.
Beaten and exhausted, he should have surrendered, but he didn’t. The sword was inaccessible because Cora stood directly over it, making sure he couldn’t retrieve it.
His hands were up at his sides as he held his ground, ready to take her on with just his palms. His fair skin was red like a ripe tomato, and the rivers of sweat continued to drip down his face. But his shoulders remained strong, his eyes focused.
“Keep going?”
“Battles aren’t only fought with swords.”
“I don’t want to hurt you—”
“I want to hurt you. Give me your best, Cora.”
Fight him as if he wields a sword.
She jumped forward and swung her sword, aiming for his torso then his shoulder, missing every swing because he danced away quickly.
Don’t let him get to his sword.
She blocked his path and continued her assault.
He ducked under her spin, spun into her, and slammed her hand down onto his thigh.
Her sword dropped.
Run!
He sprinted to the sword she’d dropped, but before he could grab it, she kicked it away and punched him in the back of the head.
He spun around and threw a fist.
It landed against her cheek, immediately giving her a headache.
There was no remorse in his eyes. With his palms tight into fists, he circled her, ignoring the swords.
You can’t beat him physically. You must use your mind.
He rushed her, his fists flying.
She blocked each one with her forearms, grimacing because each hit would leave a bruise, even through her armor.
Now.
She pushed her mind, making him back away.
She rushed him, kicking him in the chest then dropping to the ground to kick out her leg and trip him.
He landed on his back.
She immediately crawled on top of him, assuming the fight would continue.
But he lay there, his eyes calm as if he’d just woken up from a midday nap. “Eye-gouge.”
“What?”
“Unless you have a small blade on you to slit my throat, press your thumbs into my eyes. It’ll permanently blind your opponent.”
“That’s…barbaric.”
“It’s not barbaric. It’s war.” His eyes turned angry, vicious. “It’ll give you the opportunity to retrieve your sword and finish the job.”
She’d been training for battle, but she’d never actually thought about the victories. For her to win, someone had to die. Repeatedly.
She stood up then helped him to his feet.
His sight was normal once again, and he examined her cheek with concern, his fingertips moving to her chin so he could examine it. “Are you okay, Sor-lei?”
She grinned. “You should look at yourself, Tor-lei.”
He grinned back. “You’ve come a long way. I admire your dedication and resilience. I’m very proud.”
Her heart clenched with both joy and guilt. “Without my powers, I wouldn’t be able to hold my own.”
“Doesn’t matter. You do have them—and you should use them.”
“I’m not hurting you, am I?”
“Headaches are a common side effect, but I’ve learned that a glass of wine is an excellent remedy.”
“I didn’t know you drank wine.”
“I stopped after I lost my Sun-lei. She liked to enjoy dinner every night with a glass of wine. I detested the substance at first because it inhibited my abilities, but I grew to appreciate the dulling effect.”
Cora watched his eyes light up when he spoke of her rather than plunging into a sea of gray. “I’ll have to try it, then.”
“Our vineyards are in the hillsides. Our wine is excellent. A lot better than the horse piss humans drink.”
“I believe it.”
He picked up both swords from the ground before he handed hers over. “Let’s head back.”
Together, they took the trail, side by side.
“Peony came by last night. Brought me a casserole from her garden.”
Callon pulled his gaze away from the path and regarded her instead. “That was kind.”
“I connected her father to her mother. She wa
nted to show her gratitude.”
“Excellent, Cora.” He faced ahead again.
“And this food…was unbelievable.”
He glanced at her again.
“Not that your cooking isn’t great.”
He gave a slight smile before he faced forward once more. “Weila was the chef in the family. I take no offense to your words.”
“She said she makes this vanilla-chocolate swirl with some kind of fruit sauce… I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”
“You’ve never shown passion for food before.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m starving all the time.” She gave him a look of accusation. “Because we train every day, rain or shine, no excuses…”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m complaining, if that wasn’t clear.”
“And you’re a much better fighter, if that wasn’t clear.”
“Well, since I’m better, do you think we could lighten up—”
“No.”
She gave a loud and exaggerated sigh.
“You don’t fight. You’re a fighter. So, you never pause your craft, because it’s not a craft at all. It’s who you are. The only time my training ceased was when I lost my family. You never know when your enemies will strike, when war will arrive on your doorstep. You must be ready—always.”
“But I’m not a fighter—”
“If you want to defeat King Lux, you have to be.”
She followed Peony’s directions through Eden Star, ignored the sour looks on the way, and then arrived at the garden she’d described. There was a perfect break in the trees for the sun to flourish at midday, giving life to the produce that grew from the earth.
Peony was on her knees in the dirt.
But she wasn’t alone.
There were two other elves there—one man and one woman.
The man had short blond hair and light-colored eyes. The sleeves of his tunic were pushed to his elbows as he squatted down and harvested carrots from the soil. He was muscular like Callon, like he was a soldier as well as a gardener. The woman was a brunette, her hair in a high ponytail, small flowers pinned behind her ear.
When Cora had thought it would just be her and Peony, all the fear vanished. But seeing other elves immediately brought on a wave of overwhelming intimidation. Sour looks had been cast her way on the entire journey, so now she would receive more.