Dark Angel

by Kim Richardson

  Their faces, though plain and forgettable—nothing wrong with plain—were full of indignant anger. Fury simmered in their eyes, and their hate-filled expressions chilled me just a little.

  “About time you guys showed up,” I said, hands on my hips. “I was beginning to feel a little insulted. We’ve been walking around forever.”

  Tyrius snorted, awarding him a snarl from one of the elves with the fairest hair.

  The tallest elf stepped closer. “You are intruding upon the woods of the secret city of the elves.” Golden loops pierced his ears. He looked as though he wanted to stick me with the pointy end of his sword. That would be a mistake. A terrible mistake. For him, not for me.

  “Who are you? What are you doing in our sacred forest?” he demanded.

  “Out for a midnight stroll. What does it look like?” I flicked my gaze over the three elves. Those jackets looked like they had many secret pockets on the inside, perfect to hide some elf dust. So why were they using swords?

  “Who are you,” pressed the same elf, his eyes glancing briefly on me before flicking to Gareth. Then his eyes narrowed. “I know you,” he said moving closer to Gareth. “You’re the outcast. You’ve been exiled. You can’t be here.”

  Gareth remained very still. “I need a word with my father.”

  “Your father gave us specific orders to kill you should you ever come back.”

  At that, the three elves took on a fighting stance.

  Oh crap. I looked at Gareth. “Is that true?”

  “Now this is getting interesting,” said Tyrius, and he sat down, looking like he was watching a movie. “Where’s the popcorn when you need it?”

  Gareth’s face was pinched in frustration and anger. “Look. I don’t have time for this. I’m going to see my father. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if you don’t let us pass.” He pulled out his hands, and they were dripping in light blue elf dust.

  The elves shared nervous glances. Either they knew they were no match for Gareth or they just didn’t want to fight another elf.

  Tyrius beamed. “How exciting!” he shrilled.

  I didn’t think so. I didn’t want any more blood on my hands. “Let Gareth see his father, for God’s sake. We won’t stay long. Promise.”

  The same elf shot a look at me. “And you. Who are you?” he commanded. His breath went in and out in a rough sound.

  I pursed my lips and flicked my gaze back to the elf. I pegged him for their leader. “Rowyn. I’m… Gareth’s friend.” I wasn’t sure if girlfriend would score me any points right now.

  For a long moment, there was silence. The elves still hadn’t dropped their swords, which pushed my temper over the edge.

  “Never heard of you,” answered the elf leader, his posture telling me that he regarded me as an intruder and possibly an enemy. “The way I see it, you are trespassing onto sacred lands. Non-elves are not allowed to set foot in this forest.”

  “But we did,” prompted the cat, his eyes narrowing. “Which means what, exactly?”

  The elf looked back at me and said, “We have the right to kill you.”

  Now, why did he have to go and say that. “That’s just awesome. I didn’t come here to kill any elves… but if you don’t lower your weapons, I think we’re going to have a problem.”

  A deep frown came over the elf leader and he moved his free hand further inside his jacket.

  “Don’t even try,” I warned. “I’ll poke your eyes out before you remove that hand.”

  Tyrius laughed, rocking back and forth looking like he was enjoying this exchange a little too much.

  The elf pulled his hand away and looked at me like I was a blabbering idiot. “If you leave now, we’ll let you go. But you must leave right now and never return.”

  “We’re not leaving, elf-boy,” said Tyrius. “You can just forget about it.”

  A smile twitched Gareth’s face. “Like my friend said, we’re not leaving.”

  “Your father will kill you when he sees you,” pressed the elf leader.

  “I’ll deal with him.” Gareth’s voice carried a surprising amount of warning. “It’s between me and my father. I’ll make sure he knows you had no choice.”

  The leader lowered his weapon and the others followed his example. “We’ll bring you to your father. But we’re not responsible for what happens afterward.”

  “Fine,” agreed Gareth, though his hands still dripped with his elf dust.

  “We can’t let them into the city,” said the elf with the fair hair. “She’s not elf kin and he’s exiled. Our asses are on the line here.”

  “Don’t you think I know that, Dick,” snapped the elf leader, and Tyrius made a strange noise from his throat.

  Ah, hell.

  The cat’s mouth was hanging slightly open. “Your name’s Dick?” sneered the Siamese cat. “As in… Dick , Dick?” When the elf named Dick gave the cat a frown, well, Tyrius fell over on his side, his legs twitching in a laughing stupor. I would have joined him, but one of us had to keep it together in case the elves decided to cut us up with their pretty swords.

  The elves’ faces all sported the same hardness in their eyes, their mouths pressed in a tight line with their expressions darkened. The elves were not impressed by the cat’s tantrum.

  Tyrius jumped up on his feet and said, “Who’s ready for some dick jokes? Well, I heard this new one just the other day down in Mystic Quarter by Igor the troll…”

  Damn that cat was going to get us killed.

  I moved and leaned over the cat. “Tyrius, how about we save the topic of dicks for later.”

  “Why? You can’t handle dick?” chortled the baal demon.

  I let out a breath. “Tyrius, shut up. I mean it.”

  The cat raised his shoulders. “Okay, okay. Can’t even take a joke,” he fussed, though the smile never left his face.

  The elves began speaking really fast in another language that sounded like a mix of Latin and German—Elvish. From Gareth’s bleak expression, I had no idea what they were saying.

  “This way,” ordered the elf leader, as he strode forward on the path.

  “Uh, Rowyn?” Tyrius looked up at me. “Mind if I catch a lift? I can’t see a thing down here.”

  “Sure.” I knelt, my heart pounding as unease trickled through me. Tyrius crawled over my front and settled around my shoulders.

  I straightened and we all followed their leader down the dirt path. Dick and the other one positioned themselves behind us, feeding me more with apprehension. Never turn your back on a potential threat, like I was doing just now. It went against all my rules as a Hunter. The hair on the back of my neck prickled, and my jaw clenched as I fought the urge to turn around.

  “Keep calm, woman,” whispered the cat, sensing my anxiety. “If they wanted to hurt us, they would have done it by now.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “No, but Gareth does,” said the cat, and my eyes flicked to Gareth next to me. “He wouldn’t put us in harm’s way.”

  Tension had my muscles tight, and I walked watching the back of the leader’s head while trying to listen to the tread of the elves behind me for a sudden change in their movements. But I couldn’t hear anything. Damn that elf stealth.

  We kept to the trail in silence. The forest had grown denser, trees bunched up so thick there was barely any light from the moon. I could only see a few yards ahead of me and the back of the tall elf’s head, which wasn’t exactly a thrilling view. We’d barely walked for another five minutes when the trees thinned and we got to a clearing.

  There was a long winding road, and at the end of the road stood the elven city.

  Even in the dim light of the moon, the city was spectacular.

  The size of a moderate farm, more than two hundred acres of timber-framed dwellings and gardens were all lit with soft yellow light—a secluded getaway nestled back in miles of forest and safe from prying eyes.

  The leader said nothing as he led us down the dirt
path. The closer we got to the city, the faster my pulse raced.

  I kept shooting covert glances over to Gareth. His face was mostly hidden by his hair, but I could see a frown whenever the breeze brushed his hair away.

  His father wanted him dead. Just because he loved a human woman? The elf sounded like a real bastard. Questions burned on my lips. I was dying to ask him, but I knew this wasn’t the place or the time to pepper him with them. I was nervous. And couldn’t even imagine what Gareth was going through. He’d risked so much to come here.

  “That dragon’s breath better be worth it,” mumbled Tyrius, pulling those thoughts right out of my mind.

  We walked down the road, wending through the grassy hills and ponds, all the way into the elven city. The houses and structures were all wood and stone, mostly timber framed and impressive. We moved past the first set of houses. Though not the largest of the city, each one had ornate carvings painted in gold and silver that I recognized as elven symbols.

  The streets were laid with paver stones. There were no cars here, which was a nice change. The air buzzed around us with the music of crickets and the faint croaking of frogs in the ponds nearby. The lights were all soft yellows and greens, small lamps that, upon a closer glance, proved to be elf dust contained in glass boxes.

  Street corners were lit with tall lampposts. A flickering silver light was mounted on the top, which I suspected was more elf dust. I could see some dim yellow light coming from the windows of a few homes, but most of the houses we passed were covered in darkness.

  Unlike New York City, the city that never sleeps, this elven city was snoozing.

  We crossed a few elves, three to be exact, all male. Mistrust danced in their eyes as I made eye contact with each of them. But they said nothing, and we kept moving onward.

  The road the elves were leading us on ended abruptly because a giant wooden edifice stood in its way.

  A vast wooden structure, resembling a castle and fit for a great king, sat overlooking a small lake. It rose up before us, three stories high, and was made of a mix of dark logs and stone. I’d never seen anything like it. And the elves appeared to be leading us there.

  Tyrius whistled. “Looks like Gareth’s dad’s loaded,” he whispered as we neared the front gate.

  “Looks like it,” I agreed, my eyes rolling over the impressive building, trying to see everything at once. A pang went through me, all the way to the depths of my soul, and then it squeezed a little more. He’d never told me about this place. Looks like he hadn’t told me about much.

  My gaze flicked to Gareth but he wouldn’t meet my eyes, his frown deepening the closer we got to the building.

  We followed the tall elf past the building’s stone gates and into a large courtyard. Stone benches were strewn around the landscape, surrounded by flowers and fruit trees. A square pool rested at its center, silver waters reflecting the moon overhead.

  We reached the entrance, which was a pair of giant wooden doors painted black with more of the same intricate Elvish symbols and letters painted in golds and silvers.

  Two elves dressed in black cargo pants and black military jackets flanked the entrance. They pulled out their swords at the sight of us.

  “Nice welcome,” I told the guards as I stepped up on the concrete platform with Gareth. “But I do like the house. The whole castle-looking thing. Very goth-chic.”

  The guard to my left frowned and looked at our elf leader escort. “Jasper. What the hell are you doing bringing them here? Are you crazy?” He had long black hair pulled back in a braid. His dark eyes rolled over me, his jaw clenching in disgust. “You know it’s forbidden to bring foreigners to our city.” His expression turned sour when his eyes flicked to Gareth. “And this one… you know the High elf had an execution order out on him if he ever came back to Imadell.”

  “Let the warden of the city decide their fate,” answered Jasper, our tall escort.

  The guard scowled at him. “The High elf will have your balls for this.” His eyes moved to me again, his face bunched up like I was a piece of turd he’d just stepped on.

  Tyrius straightened on my shoulder. “Just give us a damn visitor’s pass so we can get on with it.”

  The guard’s face darkened into a scowl. “We don’t allow non-elves to enter Stormhold Castle.”

  Right. Like that was supposed to stop us.

  “It won’t take long,” said Gareth, his voice calm and resolute. “The High elf will want to speak to me.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. Not anymore.

  The elf guard said nothing as he turned on his heel. He pushed open the tall wooden doors and stepped inside, holding one open for us.

  We formed a line behind Jasper and followed him through.

  Adrenaline spiking, I slid next to Gareth and matched his pace. “So, your father is the High elf and lives in a castle.” Why the hell didn’t you ever tell me!

  Gareth’s expression shifted to anger, his stride stiffening. “He’s also the warden of the city.”

  “What does that make you?”

  The elf took a breath and said, “Absolutely nothing.”

  11

  Stormhold Castle was just as impressive inside as it was on the outside, just better lit. It was like walking into a Medieval castle, with bulky, yet sparse wood furnishings and chandeliers the size of tables. The doors were fit for giants because there was no other way to explain why you needed them to be so damn high.

  The air held a mix of wood and spices, which I couldn’t decipher, and of growing things, like a plant nursery.

  My boots clanked loudly on the wood floors as we followed Jasper through a large entryway, Dick and his buddy behind us. The space was at least two stories high, dimly lit with the same soft glow from glass globes filled with elf dust.

  It was quiet, but the stillness seemed to hold a new threat, like something was lurking in the shadows waiting.

  And somewhere in the middle of all that, I felt a quiet, quivering pulse—elf magic. I was certain of it because it was the same pulse I felt when I touched my elf stone. It hummed through the walls and the floor like a living, breathing beast. It was like the castle itself was made of magic.

  The elf guard who had let us in had marched on ahead of us—no doubt to warn the others of our untimely arrival. I didn’t like the look he gave me before he trooped off, rife with disgust.

  I barely took notice of the grand wooden furniture or the biggest fireplace I’d ever seen in my life that could fit an SUV and still have room. My mind was swirling, my jaw clenched, and I loosened my grip on my fingers, not having realized I’d grasped them into fists. Maybe on a subconscious level, I wanted to punch Gareth.

  And rightly so because as it turns out, Gareth, the elf wizard, had been keeping a lot from me.

  Come to think of it, everything was making sense now. The secrets. The not sharing much about his family. Why he chose to live among the humans. It all came down to one special reason. He fell in love with a human woman. And then his elven life went to hell.

  Was he running away?

  He was some sort of elf lord and she had been a human. The pieces of the puzzle that was Gareth all fell into place.

  I was a mix of emotions, not sure how I felt about this. Betrayed? Cheated? Lied to? Yes, the fact that Gareth didn’t tell me sucked, in a big way. There wasn’t much the elf didn’t know about me. Granted, you didn’t have to tell your partner everything. But being some elf lord qualified under some unspoken relationship rule as a piece of information that should have been shared before we got naked. And I was ticked that he’d hadn’t told me.

  “You’re angry. I can tell,” came Tyrius’s soft voice as I trailed behind Jasper and Gareth, my steps a little heavier than before.

  I shrugged. “Maybe a little.”

  “Maybe a lot.” The cat sighed, the air brushing against my ear. “I’m sure he had a good reason why he didn’t tell you.”

  “I doubt that.”

  Tyri
us tapped my shoulder with one of his front paws. “Maybe it was just not the right time. With all that’s been going on. I’m sure he was going to tell you, eventually.”

  “He had plenty of time,” I said, the memory of the two of us entangled in his bed until late afternoon because we couldn’t take our hands off each other sending my heart thrashing a little faster. “He just chose not to tell me.”

  “I don’t think that’s it at all,” argued Tyrius. His right ear brushed my cheek as he shook his head. “Obviously, the elf has baggage, the lordship kind of baggage. Maybe he was scared of how you would react.”

  “Please.”

  “Like how you’re overreacting now.”

  “I’m not overreacting.”

  “Says the woman who’s overreacting.”

  “I’m not.”

  “You are,” said Tyrius. “Don’t forget his father sounds like a capital douche.”

  I pursed my lips. “You’re right about that.”

  “Maybe he didn’t want you to know. Or maybe he didn’t want things to change between the two of you. Think about it. How do you suppose you’d feel if he told you he was the son of the High elf, warden of the elven city?”

  “I would have felt the same,” I shrugged. “It doesn’t change anything.”

  “I’m just saying,” continued the cat. “Gareth probably didn’t tell you because he thought maybe you would feel differently and he didn’t want that. He didn’t want things to change between you two. He’s still Gareth. He’s the same elf who cares about you and who’s saved your ass, god knows how many times. Lord or not. The dude’s got some serious magic.”

  “I know that,” I answered, feeling angry and guilty all at once. It was giving me a massive headache. He was right of course. Still, I hated when Tyrius was right. It went straight to his ego, which was already too big for his tiny body.

  “Just try not to rip off his head later,” added the cat.