by Quinn Loftis
“Cassandra,” he whispered softly.
“Yes,” Cassie’s breath and the word came out at the same time.
Trik closed his eyes on that one little word. He reveled and rejoiced in it.
“Say it. Say what you will give me.” He was looking into her eyes, his stare penetrating to her very soul. Though they could look into each other’s minds, Trik wanted to hear the words out loud.
Cassie reached up and traced the features of his face as she spoke. “I give you my heart, I give you my soul, and I will give you my body.”
Trik’s eyes filled with mischief. “Will?”
Cassie blushed as she spoke. “Eventually.”
Trik leaned down and kissed her lips, a slow kiss meant to write the words she had spoken onto his heart.
He pulled back abruptly and stood. Cassie looked at him, confused by his sudden change in mood.
“I have to go take care of some things,” he told her as he reached for her hand to pull her to her feet.
“Things?”
Trik nodded, not bothering to clarify. He would let her draw her own conclusions. It would be better that way. With one last kiss he turned away from her and in a blink he was through her window and gone as if he’d never been there.
Cassie suddenly felt alone without Trik’s overwhelming presence. He didn’t say what he was doing , but she guessed that he must be going to talk to Lorsan. She shivered as she thought about how that conversation would play out. Would they still want them to come to their party? Would they still want to honor Trik for having found his Chosen?
She shook her head, trying to clear all of the thoughts from her mind. She suddenly felt very tired. She lay back down on her bed and she had barely hit the pillow before she fell asleep.
Chapter 9
“The Forest Lords have spoken for the first time in a millennia. They have sent out a plea to our people to unite. They have said that a dark one’s Chosen will tip the balance, but they worry that his darkness is greater than the light in her. We must guide them as much as we can. They belong together, were made for each other, and will either destroy each other, or destroy the evil that has leaked into the human realm. It is a choice, their choice. Let us hope that they choose wisely.” Tamsin, Light Elf King
“Do you think she can save him?” Tamsin asked his Queen as they lay in their bed.
“Yes,” Syndra answered, “but he has to want to be saved. She can’t force him and she can’t make his decisions for him.”
Tamsin rubbed his face in frustration. He pushed himself up and leaned against the headboard.
“I don’t understand why he is so blind to what Lorsan is, and what he is doing.”
“You forget, my love, he comes from darkness. He has lived in that darkness for more than a thousand years. That’s a lot to overcome.”
“That’s what scares me. Can he overcome it in time to save the human race from becoming mindless slaves?”
Syndra sat up and took his hand in hers. She looked into the face of her mate, framed by striking dark blue hair; his eyes, shimmering like diamonds met hers. She gazed into the face of the man who had held her heart and the other half of her soul for over a thousand years. “We will do all we can to help him overcome. We will protect Cassie and we will defeat Lorsan.”
Tamsin leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “The Forest Lords blessed me beyond all measure when they gave me you.”
Syndra smiled at him and pulled him back down. She snuggled in close to his side as he wrapped her in his strong arms. She wanted this for Cassie and Trik. She wanted them to find comfort and peace with each other. She knew they couldn’t see it now, but the time was coming when they would need each other more than any other, a time where they’d be the only ones who could keep the other safe.
~
Trik stood in the field overlooking the crops that would become Rapture. At one time he would have stared out over this land and felt a sense of accomplishment. Now, now he just felt sick. Cassie had looked at him as if he had handed her the moon when he told her he would walk away from Lorsan and, though he meant it, he knew that they weren’t talking about the same time frame. He hadn’t bothered to clarify. He couldn’t stand being in the room with her one minute more, couldn’t stand seeing her adoration when he didn’t deserve it. Something inside him pushed at him to go back and tell her the truth, but he couldn’t. Lorsan would destroy everything Trik cared about if he walked away. Since the only thing he cared about was Cassie, then she would bear the entirety of Lorsan’s wrath.
“The first plants will be ready to harvest by tomorrow,” Alok said as he walked up to stand next to Trik.
“Is the lab ready for them?” Lorsan had his most trusted potions masters working on getting the plant into a liquid form. They had converted one of the large buildings on the land into a lab and it was there that the drug would be manufactured.
“It will be finished tonight,” Alok answered.
Trik nodded at him but said nothing more. He didn’t want to speak with anyone in his race. He didn’t want to look into their eyes for fear that they would see that something in him had changed. Something in him had suddenly burst forth to life like a new born babe taking its first breath. Cassie. Cassie’s soul, so pure, so caring had connected with his and now his dark soul would never be the same.
The other elven voices surrounding him began to intrude on his thoughts, annoyingly loud, interrupting his self-loathing. He needed to think. He needed to be alone. That wasn’t the truth, though. He needed to be with Cassie. His soul was beginning to ache at the distance he had put between them and he knew that he would need to return to her soon because she would begin to feel the pain of their forced separation; forced by him.
He turned and walked toward the large building that had become the lab. He walked around to the back side where there were several glass windows. With the pain becoming more and more noticeable , he stepped quickly through the window and emerged in a small cabin. He stepped out of the cabin into the lush land of his people. The trees were tall, older than even he. Canopies of bright green vines lovingly draped the trees. The ground was clothed in soft, thick, green grass with moss covered rocks scattered here and there. All around, foliage and flowers shot forth, reaching for the light that helped them grow.
He took a familiar path that led to a river, which ran through the Elfin realm. A waterfall towered over the river and the rush of the crashing water pulled Trik closer. He stood on the edge of the river and looked down at his reflection. He didn’t recognize the man who stood before him. His usual cocky smirk gone, replaced by worry, fear, and pain, three things he was not familiar with and didn’t know how to handle. He knelt down and looked into the eyes of his reflection, searching for the good that Cassie saw in him, but he saw nothing there. Trik knew each and every life that he had taken over the past thousand years. He had spilled enough blood to fill the river before him and all the rivers of the earth. She was so young, so innocent. She couldn’t possibly understand the depth of Trik’s sedition. Because she didn’t understand it was his job to protect her. He had to do this his way, and if she found out he would have to convince her that it was because he loved her.
Trik’s head fell forward and he felt his soul screaming for its mate. Did he love her? He knew that he cared deeply for her, he knew he couldn’t lose her, and that he would be nothing without her. Is that love? Whatever it was, Cassie was his, his Chosen and he had waited too long to give her up now.
It was for those reasons that he had to bide his time with Lorsan. He prayed to the Forest Lords that Cassie would understand.
~
Elora sat in her mom’s store flipping through a book she had found while helping her mom clean the storeroom. It was a book about the elves.
“Where’d you get this?” Elora asked as she turned another page.
Lisa stopped in mid-step as she saw what Elora was holding. Her eyes widened slightly but she schooled her
expression quickly.
“Just a book that Syndra loaned me.”
“Syndra loaned you a book that holds the history of their race?” Elora raised a brow at her mom.
Lisa shrugged. “She said she trusts me.”
“Uh-huh,” Elora grunted as she watched Lisa’s tense, jerky movements.
“We really should put that away. Syndra doesn’t want others knowing that it’s here.”
Elora closed the book and handed it to her mother’s outstretched hand.
“Lisa, are you okay?” Elora asked, “You have been weird ever since the elves let themselves out.”
Lisa took a deep breath and seemed to gather herself. “I know we don’t talk about your father very much.”
Elora interrupted. “He died, what more is there to say?”
Lisa chuckled. “You are a lot like him. He was so matter of fact about everything.”
“So why the sudden nostalgia?”
“Because, to—” she choked on her words as she tried to hold back the tears, “tomorrow is the anniversary of his death.”
Elora’s face fell and she regretted having been so uncompassionate. She knew that her mom had loved her father immensely. Elora didn’t remember him. He died before she could even walk.
“He adored you. I don’t know if I’ve ever told you that.” Lisa looked at Elora and her eyes seemed to glaze over as she remembered a time long ago. “He used to sing to you and you would laugh and smile. He thought you were the most incredible blessing. I know you don’t remember him and you don’t feel much towards him, but I just want you to know that you were his world.”
Elora tried to discreetly wipe the tear from her eye before it made its appearance on her face. She didn’t like to cry. She didn’t like to feel something for someone she’d never known or would ever know.
“Thanks,” she whispered not trusting her voice to not waver.
Lisa smiled. “It’s getting late. You ready to call it a night and get something to eat?”
Elora nodded. She followed her mom out of the store and waited while she locked up. Elora pulled her phone out of her pocket to see if Cassie had responded to any of her texts. She hadn’t. She was very tempted to go over and check on her but what explanation would she give Cassie’s parents? Hi, just checking on Cassie because she has a dark elf quiver carrying assassin in her room. Yeah, that would not go over very well.
She climbed into the car and looked out into the dark night. She let her thoughts take over as she replayed her mother’s words about her dad. She thought it odd that her mom had never said that the man was Oakley’s dad, but she had never asked why and neither had Oakley.
~
Cassie felt her bed dip down as she tried to clear her head from the deep sleep that had claimed her. She tried to turn over but an arm, or what she figured was an arm, snaked around her and pulled her close.
“Shh, beautiful, it’s just me.” She felt Trik’s lips on her neck before he whispered again. “Go back to sleep. I will stay with you.”
Cassie woke up Sunday morning feeling light and refreshed. She turned to find Trik sound asleep. She took the opportunity to study him. He was so handsome, from his shiny, dark hair, to his silver eyes that saw into her soul, to his strong jaw and straight nose. He was perfect, and he was hers.
Suddenly his eyes snapped open as they met hers. A wide grin spread across his lips.
“So, I’m yours?”
Cassie’s face turned bright red as she hadn’t even realized that she had reached out to touch him while she took him and all his glory in. He had seen that thought in her mind.
He pulled her down next to him and pressed her head to his chest.
“Do you hear that?” His fingers ran through her hair as he spoke. “My heart beats only for you. I may be yours, but you are every bit mine. So do not be embarrassed to feel that way. I like knowing that you are possessive of me.” He sounded so smug.
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Could your ego get any larger?”
“Maybe. Want to try stroking it?”
Though Cassie heard the playfulness in his voice she choked as she tried to swallow a laugh with her embarrassed gasp.
He clucked his tongue at her. “I was talking about my ego, Cassandra. Teenage minds always jump to the wrong conclusion.”
“You knew what you were saying and how it would sound.”
Though she couldn’t see his face, she knew that he had a smile plastered across it and his eyes danced with mischief.
“Maybe, maybe I’m as innocent as freshly fallen snow.”
“Well that’s not very innocent because by the time snow has fallen it’s full of all the crap that is floating around in the air from our pollution.”
Trik leaned down and kissed her hair, and she felt it all the way to her toes.
“You always have a retort.”
“Not always,” she said pushing away from him. She watched as he raised an eyebrow at her.
She realized that she had just proven him right by once again taking the bait he had so temptingly dangled before her.
“So, what are we doing today?” Trik pushed himself up and leaned back against her bed.
Cassie shrugged. “What do you want to do?”
Suddenly his face lit up like a child on Christmas morning seeing the presents piled under the tree.
“To show you my realm.”
Cassie froze. “I’ve been in your room.”
He nodded. “Yes, but I want to show you the beauty and glory of the Elven realm.”
He looked so excited. Cassie had never seen him with such boyish enthusiasm. She didn’t want to squelch it or hurt his feelings. “Okay,” she finally said.
He leaned forward and took her face in both of his hands and pressed his lips to hers. He pulled back much too soon and jumped up out of the bed. “I’ll be back for you in an hour. Be ready.”
She watched as he disappeared through her mirror.
“Well okay then,” she muttered to herself as she climbed out of bed.
She grabbed her phone and checked her texts. Elora had texted her five times while she had been in her coma like sleep.
She dialed Elora’s number listening to the rings as she waited.
“So did you dump quiver boy?” Elora said with no preamble.
Cassie laughed. “No. We talked and he finally relented. He’s going to tell Lorsan that he will no longer be his assassin or spy.”
Elora was quiet.
“You there?” Cassie asked.
“Yeah. Do you really believe it will be that easy, that Lorsan will just let his most powerful weapon go?”
“What choice does he have? By the way everyone makes it sound, Trik could wipe the floor with him.”
“Lorsan is a Royal. They have all kinds of sneaky tricks up their sleeves.”
Cassie’s eyes narrowed at Elora’s words.
“How do you suddenly know so much about the Royal Elves?”
“I found a book. It contains the entire history of the elves. Not only does it detail their history, but it also discusses their bloodlines, listing the strengths and weaknesses of each one. I didn’t get very far in it before Lisa took it from me. This book in the wrong hands could destroy them.”
“How on earth did your mother end up with it? Surely she didn’t buy it on eBay like she does a lot of her stuff.” Cassie was deep in thought. She realized just how dangerous it was for Lisa to have something so important to the elves.
“She says Syndra gave it to her, but I’m not buying it,” Elora grumbled.
Cassie agreed. Syndra didn’t seem the type to leave something so detrimental to their race in the hands of a single mother who owned a new age shop. But then again, maybe Syndra thought nobody would ever think to look there.
“I need a favor,” Cassie started.
“Let me guess. It has something to do with a mysterious figure that is tall, dark, and pointy eared?” Elora said dryly.
Cassie rolled
her eyes though Elora couldn’t see her.
“He wants to take me to his realm.”
“Hmm, so what I hear you saying is a that dark elf assassin, who is helping his Dark Elf King make a drug that will make all the humans that take it become pleasure seeking morons wants to take you, by yourself, to the world where all that is going down?”
Cassie nodded her head slowly then remembered that Elora couldn’t see her so she added, “Uh-yeah.”
She heard Elora let out a sigh. “I swear Cassie, I can’t decide if you have a unique sense of adventure or are just looking for the most original way to get yourself killed.”
“So can you cover for me? If you will come pick me up I can tell my mom that we are going to hang out and then you can drop me off somewhere Trik can meet us.”
“Fine, but if you get yourself killed I reserve the right to flush your ashes down the toilet while I sing the theme from Titanic.”
“Elora you don’t sing.”
“Not the point.”
“So, you in?”
“Fine. What time is QB going to be ready?” Elora asked.
“He said in an hour or so,” Cassie pulled the phone away and looked at the time then returned the phone to her ear. “We’ve got about thirty-five minutes until he’s back.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in twenty.”
Cassie grabbed her clothes and headed for the bathroom. She showered in record time and then blow-dried her hair until it was just a tad damp. She pulled it back into a messy bun, looked herself over and decided that that was as good as it was going to get.
Downstairs, Cassie found her mom pouring a cup of coffee. Her dad was sitting at the dining room table, trying to make a spot for his plate amongst her mom’s mess of papers.
“Hey mom, dad,” Cassie headed for the fridge and pulled out the milk. She grabbed a bowl from the cabinet and placed it on the counter. She turned to get the Lucky Charms cereal from the pantry but her mom already had it in her hand. Cassie took it and smiled at her.