“Yes,” Henry called out. “I’ll find him and have him contact Erfce.”
“Thanks.” Soon they would know Charlie’s whereabouts.
--
At the base of the hill, Ceceta had admitted to her friends that Rhen was telling Henry the truth. Themrock was returning, Rhen was expected to become friends with him, Layla was living inside Rhen’s body, giving him amazing powers, and the two elfin women they’d seen in Rhen’s palace this weekend were Genisters. She made them promise not to tell anyone what they’d heard, because it’d put Themrock and Rhen in grave danger.
Latsoh realized she needed to stay away from Rhen for a little while, at least until she could calm down. She couldn’t seem to control herself; her body was shaking involuntarily. She and Erfce decided to leave to visit her parents’ castle.
As Rhen sat down next to Ceceta, he kissed her on the top of the head. She smiled up at him and asked, “Did you have a nice visit with Henry?”
“Actually, yes. It was a lot of fun.” Glancing over at Tgfhi and Crystam, he asked, “Did you finish studying?”
“For today,” Tgfhi replied in a lazy voice.
“Are you ready to move into your apartment? I think we can get it done in a couple of hours,” Rhen said.
Tgfhi opened one eye and glanced over at Rhen. “I think it’ll be easier if we wait for the others to help.”
“What do you mean?” Rhen asked.
Ceceta reached up to stroke Rhen’s hair. He leaned his head down into her hand. “Latsoh went home,” she told him. “She has to prepare for the Themrock and Giy Flower Festivals that the elves will soon be having. Erfce went with her.”
“Oh, are you going to the festivals?” Rhen asked.
“No,” she said. “I’m going to stay with you.”
Chapter 43
Fire Elf Castle
Erfce pulled on Latsoh’s trembling hand as he walked with her down the hall towards her bedroom. “Come on. It’s not much further.”
Latsoh was too numb to respond. Themrock was coming back? Their God had escaped the Void Box? She had to tell the others.
Erfce paused outside Latsoh’s bedroom door. He wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for him to open the door. Glancing back at Latsoh’s pale face, he realized this wasn’t the time to follow protocol. He reached out and turned the cold, metal doorknob. Why is it always freezing in this place? he thought, pushing open the door and guiding Latsoh into her room.
Erfce closed the door then walked Latsoh to her bed. “Do you want something to drink?”
Latsoh was shaking too much to answer.
Erfce helped Latsoh get comfortable on her bed then sat down beside her. So, now what? he wondered.
Latsoh’s hands felt clammy and she wanted to throw up. Her God was returning. Themrock was returning. She had hoped and prayed for it her whole life and it was finally coming true.
“Do you want some water?” Erfce asked.
Latsoh felt so weak that when she tried to shake her head, Erfce couldn’t see her gesture.
“I’ll get you another blanket,” Erfce said. He stood up and walked over to the lounge chair in the corner of her room. A bunch of blankets had been thrown over the back of the chair. Erfce picked one up and returned to the bed to wrap it around Latsoh.
He leaned back from her and his eyes happened to notice a square of lighter paint on the wall behind Latsoh’s bed. For a moment he was confused as to why there would be a square of bright white paint on the wall, while the rest of the wall seemed to be a greyish color, but then it hit him that that had been the location of Latsoh’s Genister portrait. He’d never seen the discoloration on Latsoh’s wall before. Erfce scanned the room. There weren’t any other pictures or decorations on any of Latsoh’s walls. He was surprised that he hadn’t noticed that earlier. Erfce’s heart went out to Latsoh and he wanted to get her portrait back even more.
Erfce’s fingers felt cold and he considered getting a blanket for himself. He sat down beside Latsoh and reached out to rub his hand on her forearm, hoping to give her some comfort. He didn’t know what else to do. He watched Latsoh stare off into space. She was still trembling.
“Latsoh?” Erfce asked. She turned towards him and he saw there were tears in her eyes. Erfce felt himself flush with anger. Damn Themrock. He hated the God for what he was putting Latsoh through. He wished there was some way he could help her.
A lock of Latsoh’s hair fell forward over her face covering her eye. She tried to push it back, but her hand was shaking too much. Latsoh felt Erfce’s cool fingertips against her cheek and glanced up as he leaned forward to tuck her hair behind her ear. The movement brought their faces inches apart.
Erfce noticed that Latsoh had stilled. His nearness had broken through the trauma she’d been feeling. Glancing down at Latsoh’s lips, he hesitated. No, he thought. This isn’t the time. Slowly Erfce started to lean back. As he put distance between them, Latsoh began to shake again. His nearness had calmed her. Why not? Erfce thought. After all, it would help Latsoh. Leaning forward, he kissed her.
Latsoh felt Erfce’s soft lips press gently against hers. Her body stilled and a deep warmth filled her chest. A new sort of tingling raced through her body. Erfce slid his lips a fraction of an inch to the left and right, rubbing them softly against hers. The tickling sensation made her want to grab him. She’d never been kissed like that before. Latsoh breathed in Erfce’s scent. He smelled amazing. She wanted to bury her face into his neck. It was at that moment that she realized she was in love with him. Erfce was the one.
Latsoh had stopped shaking. Erfce hoped she wasn’t going to be mad at him for kissing her at a time like this. He would explain that he’d done it to help her calm down. The warmth of Latsoh’s lips tugged at his body. He knew if he didn’t pull back, he might overstep the bounds of their relationship. Using every ounce of willpower he possessed, Erfce began to lean back.
“No,” Latsoh said, when Erfce’s lips left hers. She reached out and jerked him forward, kissing him with everything she had. She wanted to shout with joy when she felt Erfce wrap his arms around her, matching her enthusiasm with his own.
Somebody was running down the hallway towards Latsoh’s room. Crap, Erfce thought. He jerked back and rose from the bed, putting distance between them.
Latsoh looked hurt but then she heard the footsteps. She threw herself off the bed and ran to her desk, grabbing one of her books.
The person in the hallway slowed down and stopped outside Latsoh’s door. Latsoh and Erfce waited. They saw the doorknob turn and held their breath. Someone must have seen them going into Latsoh’s room. In the past, when Latsoh’s father had sent people to spy on them, they’d never had to worry. If anyone had walked in, they would have seen them studying. But this time… it was obvious that they’d been doing more than studying. Latsoh’s face felt flushed. When she glanced at Erfce, she noticed his hair was messed up and his lips were pink.
Latsoh turned to see her door opening. She had to do something or they’d be caught. “Erfce, I just don’t understand this phrase,” she said, sounding frustrated. “What’s the author trying to portray here? Do you get it?”
“We covered this two weeks ago,” Erfce said, playing along. Gods did he love Latsoh. He didn’t know how she could come up with a diversion so quickly. “The trees represent the anger the people have towards their ruler. Here let me find my notes for you…”
The bedroom door shut and the person in the hallway walked away.
Latsoh laughed and leaned back against her desk. She looked over at Erfce. “‘The trees represent the anger the people have towards their ruler?’”
Erfce smiled and shrugged. “It was the best I could come up with.”
“It’s priceless,” Latsoh said. She took a deep breath. Should she talk to Erfce about their kiss? She watched Erfce walk over to her bed and pick up the blanket he’d given her. No, she thought. Erfce is shy. It’d probably make him uncomfortable and it’d ruin t
he moment. “I can’t believe Themrock’s coming back. Can you?”
Erfce shook his head as he folded the blanket. He wanted to ask Latsoh if it was alright that he’d kissed her, but he was worried he might not like her answer.
“Themrock!” Latsoh shouted with disbelief. She laughed. “Everything’s going to change when he comes back. I can’t wait. It’s no wonder Rhen never wanted to talk about the Genisters. He was probably afraid he’d give something away.”
“Probably,” Erfce said, tossing the blanket back onto Latsoh’s chair.
“I wonder what it’s like for him to have Layla riding around inside him. Do you think she talks to him?”
Erfce shrugged again.
“Oh, Gods,” Latsoh said. “I just realized that she can probably see everything he does. I wonder if she watches when… ” Latsoh decided not to finish that sentence. She didn’t think she could get intimate with anyone if Themrock’s wife was watching everything she did. “What do you think Layla’s like?”
It seemed that Latsoh could talk about Themrock without losing herself, so Erfce said, “I’m sure she’s really nice. Themrock married her, so she’d have to be, right?”
“I hope she likes me. We’re taught by our priests to try to emulate her since she’s the perfect elfin woman.”
“She’ll love you,” Erfce said with confidence. How could she not? he thought.
Latsoh smiled at Erfce. He was too sweet. She saw him shiver and realized they’d left the school so fast that they hadn’t had a chance to dress for the Fire Elf Castle. “That was nice of you to say. Thank you.” She pushed herself off her desk. “Let’s go back to school. I can’t wait to talk to Crystam and Tgfhi about Themrock.”
Erfce hesitated. “We can’t, remember?” Latsoh frowned. “Ceceta made us promise to never mention it again. We shouldn’t even be talking about it now.”
Latsoh dropped her head. She’d forgotten. They’d promised never to talk about it again, because it might put Themrock and Rhen in danger. The last thing Latsoh wanted to do was to put Themrock in danger. She nodded to Erfce. She wouldn’t mention it again. “We should head back to school.”
Erfce followed Latsoh down the hallway towards the Fire Elves’ portal room. “What a day,” he said softly.
“You can say that again,” Latsoh murmured. She’d never forget today. She’d learned Themrock was returning and she’d kissed the man she wanted to marry for the first time. It had been the best day of her life.
Chapter 44
Rhen and Ceceta’s Apartment – Elfin University
“You’re being too rough!” Tgfhi yelled at Rhen, while they trained in Rhen's apartment.
"Damn it, Tgfhi!" Rhen yelled back. "The enemy isn’t going to go easy on you, so why should I?" He slammed Tgfhi onto the ground. “Get up. Try it again.”
Tgfhi crawled to his feet to attack Rhen. This time, when he lunged forward towards Rhen’s side, he tripped on his own sword and fell to the floor. In anger, Rhen raised his sword and slammed it down through Tgfhi’s stomach. “Stupid mistake. Now you’re dead!”
Tgfhi screamed his hands hovering around his bloody belly. "You’ve killed me you idiot!”
“Change you fool, change to water and you won’t be in pain!”
Tgfhi screamed again. "I can’t! It hurts too much to focus." Tgfhi glared up at Rhen. “What the hell’s the matter with you? You gods-damned freak!”
“Do you think I was trained by some incipient Thestran on how to use my powers? Do you think they held my hand and gently coaxed me into working my powers? No! I was tortured every hellish step of the way. Every power I possess was won through my own sweat and blood. I’m not here to coddle you. I’m here to train you to win a war against the Rasacks!” Tgfhi started to cry from the pain, so Rhen pulled his sword out. He healed Tgfhi’s wounds and stepped back. "Why won't you try harder to learn how to use your powers?"
Tgfhi raised himself up off the ground and rubbed his stomach. He’d been trying to use his powers, but they failed him every time he fought with Rhen. “You were tortured. They beat you until you learned how to fight,” he said. “But Rhen, tell me, was that the right way to teach you? Don’t you think that possibly, you might’ve learned just as quickly in a more… gentle manner?”
Rhen studied the ground. “I don’t know,” he confessed. He’d tried to teach Tgfhi how to fight, how to access his powers over water to take down his opponents, but nothing seemed to work. It was time for him to admit that he had failed Tgfhi as a teacher. “Tgfhi, I don’t think I can teach you how to fight. I only have my own experiences to draw from and they don’t seem to be working for you. I’m sorry.” Pulling off his weapons belt, Rhen added, “I’m not going to teach you how to fight anymore.”
Ceceta, who was sitting with the others watching the scene unfold, stood up and approached her husband. She whispered into his ear and Rhen nodded. “If you haven’t improved on your own by the end of the semester, Ceceta’s asked me to help you in a… different way. Although I don’t like doing what she’s asked, I will do it to help you.” Rhen sheathed his sword. “I’m sorry if I hurt you, Tgfhi.” He glanced at Ceceta then walked into his bedroom.
For the first time in his life, Rhen had seen a part of Andres in himself, and it scared him. His memory of spearing Tgfhi’s abdomen would haunt him for years to come.
"Rhen," Tgfhi called out, after Rhen had disappeared into his bedroom. "Thank you!"
"No hard feelings?" Rhen asked, returning to his bedroom doorway.
"Never," Tgfhi told him with a grin.
It wasn’t much, but Tgfhi’s smile actually made Rhen feel a little better.
“Thanks again for helping us move into our apartment today,” Tgfhi added. “We never would’ve been able to get it done without you.”
“My pleasure. It’s going to be fun having you next door.”
"Are you guys going over to the stadium to see the two dragons the Headmaster hired that dragon company to bring by on their way to the breeding grounds?" Jet called out from his adjoining apartment, interrupting them.
"Is that now?" Ceceta asked.
"In about ten minutes," Latsoh said, closing her books to pack. “We’re definitely going.” She laughed when Erfce leaned over to kiss her unexpectedly. A few days after their first kiss, Erfce had suggested they go out. Latsoh had agreed to it at once, although she’d asked him not to kiss her in public until after she had a chance to tell her parents they were dating. Unfortunately, Latsoh still hadn’t worked up enough courage to tell her parents. For the first time, their relationship was being delayed because of her, not him. Latsoh was happy that Erfce wasn’t putting pressure on her to tell her parents. She knew he was ready to move forward. Soon. She would tell her parents soon.
"Wait for us," Jet told them. "Lilly just went to pee before we go."
It was very noisy in the University's stadium when they arrived. Professor Dewey and the dragon company President were on stage making speeches. Rhen and his friends found some seats together and waited as the dragon company President asked for silence so the dragons could be brought in.
When the stadium was quiet, the main double doors on the ground level opened and a rush of men and women ran forward, carrying large, heavy chains over their shoulders.
“What are they doing?” Rhen asked Ceceta, but she shushed him. Rhen watched in horror as the Thestrans dragged two struggling, frightened dragons out into the center of the stadium. The first dragon was quite small, about the size of a pony. Its body had patchy, blue scales and short black spikes on its leg joints that matched a row of spikes on its tail. Its yellow eyes were large with fear. There was a thick chain around its mouth keeping its jaws shut. The dragon bucked and reared as it fought the Thestrans, who were dragging it forward. The second dragon was a bit larger than the first. It had hazy, olive-green scales. There was a line of what might have been red scales that crisscrossed across its chest and sides. The dragon’s legs were quite long for i
ts size and its claws were larger than a man's arm. The second dragon’s eyes were partially shut, because it had worked the chains that were around its jaws backward so that they now crossed over its eyes.
“This is asinine,” Rhen complained. He watched the dragon handlers fight with the two young dragons in their charge. Ceceta smacked him on his thigh to tell him to be quiet.
The dragon company President began to lecture the audience on the dragons’ features and abilities over the sound system. Rhen rolled his eyes as he listened to the man speak. When the company President started to explain in detail the breeding program that had been devised for the two dragons, Rhen laughed. Ceceta smacked his leg again and told him to be quiet.
“Sorry,” he said. “I can’t help it. This whole experience is ridiculous.”
“That’s not an excuse,” Ceceta whispered. “One more word out of you and I’m telling Bartar that you laughed at her cousins.”
“No,” Rhen said. He was about to explain why he was laughing but closed his mouth. Ceceta was glaring at him and he didn’t want to get in trouble. He’d tell her later that he wasn’t making fun of the dragons; he’d been mocking the Thestrans.
After the company President finished his lecture, he signaled that the dragons should be taken away. As the handlers pulled on the chains of the olive-green dragon, the chain that was blinding the animal slipped upward. Normally, this wouldn’t have been of any concern, but there was a small, jagged piece sticking out of one of the links in the chain and it scratched the dragon across its eye. The dragon reared unexpectedly in pain, causing the handlers to lose their grip on the animal's chains. With the chains loosened, the dragon was able to use its front claws to remove the chains from its face. Once the dragon was free, it snapped out and grabbed the closest handler into its mouth. The crowd gasped, expecting the man to be bitten in half.
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