Trik looked over at her and saw that she was staring at the banners.
“Those are the pictures depicted in the dark elf crest,” he explained.
“Do you all have a team cheer too?” Cassie asked dryly.
Trik simply stared at her and she looked slightly ashamed.
“Sorry, I’m just a little tense.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “It will be over before you know it.”
Before Cassie could respond a tall man with gold eyes walked up to them. Cassie had to blink several times as she took in the male before her. He was every bit as handsome as Trik, but he made her skin crawl. His eyes were gold and they stared into her making her wish she could crawl into the deepest, darkest hole she could find. He too wore a tux, which surprised her. She expected them to be in some sort of medieval clothes like she often saw Trik wear when he was in his Elfin form.
He smiled at her and reached out his hand to her. She remembered the first time that Trik had made the same motion to her. Her emotions then had been screaming at her not to take his hand, but she had felt like it was because something in her would be changed foreve r. Now as she stood before the Dark Elf King and his out stretched hand, again her emotions screamed at her to run, but this time it was for her life. They told her to run as far and as fast as she could because this man could easily take her life. She knew that if she denied his hand that it would be rude and embarrass Trik and she didn’t want that. So she reached out her own hand and placed it in his. He brought it to his lips and pressed a cool kiss there, his eyes never leaving hers. It wasn’t the type of eye contact that would be considered flirting; more like the way a snake would look at a mouse. Cassie shivered and politely pulled her hand away.
“I am honored to meet Triktapic’s Chosen,” Lorsan told her.
Cassie smiled and tried very hard to make it convincing.
“Thank you,” she responded. “It’s very nice to meet you as well.”
A woman stepped up next to Lorsan and Cassie guessed that she must be his Queen though Trik had never really spoken of her. She was beautiful, of course. Cassie had yet to see an elf that wasn’t. She had long dark hair that shimmered when she moved. Her eyes were a dark purple and made Cassie think of the contacts that Elora wore. She wore a dress that was similar to Cassie’s, only the elf’s dress was long and had a short train that trailed behind her.
“I am Ilyrana, Queen of the dark elves.” The woman stepped forward and smiled at Cassie. Cassie was surprised to see the warmth behind her purple eyes.
“Hello,” Cassie smiled. “I’m Cassie.”
“I know,” Ilyrana let out a small laugh, “you have caused quite the stir.”
Cassie wasn’t sure what to say to that so she simply smiled. Trik took her hand and pulled her close to his side as the Dark King and Queen continued to stare at her. Finally after a few moments of awkward silence, Lorsan spoke up.
“Come let me introduce you to my court. He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm and started walking before she or Trik could argue. Cassie looked over her shoulder at Trik who was being pulled to the dance floor by the Queen.
Lorsan introduced her to all sorts of elves. Most were warriors, but some were gardeners and some were cooks. She met a weapons crafter and a weapons master, a grounds keeper, a seamstress, a decorator and a librarian. It was all so very medieval. She hadn’t realized that she had spoken out loud until Lorsan answered.
“You can’t expect us to have the same things that are in your realm; we are not human. We do not need the same things; our magic takes care of much that you would need a machine to do.”
“Why do you still have gardeners and not grocery stores?” she asked him.
Lorsan shook his head. “My people rely on me for their needs, and that is the way it should be.”
“So you keep them dependent on you by controlling all of the goods they receive,” Cassie challenged.
Lorsan frowned. “No, they are not dependent. They can have their own gardens and learn their own trades. But why should they when I provide it for them?”
Cassie shrugged. “I come from a democracy. A dictatorship just seems selfish to me.”
“It is my job to maintain order in my kingdom. I am the King of a dark race with dark ambitions and desires. You cannot compare us to your people.”
“You might be surprised,” Cassie muttered.
Lorsan chuckled. “True enough. Come,” he told her as he began walking again, “let’s have a dance.”
Cassie groaned inwardly. She was not the dancing type, but again, she did not want to embarrass Trik. She allowed Lorsan to pull her onto the dance floor and lead her into a dance that seemed old and oddly symbolic of something.
“Why did you introduce me to all of those people?” Cassie finally asked the King.
Lorsan raised a brow at her question.
“I thought you would want to know the people that you will soon be living with.”
Cassie’s movements slowed as she looked up at the King.
“Living with?”
Lorsan nodded, “Surely Trik told you that you cannot stay in the human realm.”
Cassie recalled Trik mentioning this, but they had yet to discuss it since he had told her he would walk away from being Lorsan’s killer.
“You would be willing to let Trik live here even though he is no longer your assassin?” Cassie asked cautiously. Not that she had any intention of living with the Dark King and his little dark minions.
Lorsan stopped abruptly causing Cassie to stumble. He stepped back from her and she had to lean forward with her arms out to keep from falling on her face. She stood up once her balance was restored and looked up into a face filled with mistrust and disbelief.
“What are you saying Chosen of Triktapic?” His voice was a menacing whisper.
Cassie’s eyes shifted around the room as people began to stop and stare.
“Didn’t Trik tell you that he was quitting?” She asked slowly.
Lorsan’s frame began to shake with anger. “Quitting?” He growled.
Suddenly Trik was at her side pulling her behind him. Lorsan’s eyes met Trik’s and Cassie was sure that if looks could kill then Trik would be a dead dark assassin.
“What lies does she spew, Trik?”
Trik looked back at Cassie and it was then that she saw it. Guilt. She took a step back as her mouth dropped open. Her eyes widened and when he took a step towards her she held a hand up to stop him from coming any closer.
“You didn’t tell him,” Cassie’s voice was hoarse as her throat threatened to close off. She tried to take in gasps of air but her lungs seemed to be constricting, not allowing any life giving air to pass through.
“Cassie,” her name was a plea on his lips.
“Why? Why did you lie to me?” Cassie continued to back away from the man she loved, the man who had now broken her heart.
“You never intended to leave him did you? You were just going to keep on doing what you do best, killing and lying.”
“Cassie you don’t understand,” Trik tried again to move towards her.
“NO! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND,” she yelled. “I trusted you, I believed in you, I gave my heart to you and what did you do? You lied to me.”
Cassie didn’t see him move and he was standing directly in front of her.
“Cassie I lo….” Cassie slapped him across the face before he could finish his sentence.
“Don’t you dare say those words to me. You have no right. I told you what I could handle and I told you what was a deal breaker.” Tears began to form in her eyes as the anger began to turn into pain.
“I just wanted you to choose me, to choose us, Trik.” She looked up into his silver eyes one last time. She took in the beautiful dark hair and full red lips. This would be the last time she saw him and she wanted to remember. Trik must have seen the intent in her eyes because as she turned and ran for the mirrors along the walls he lunged for her call
ing out her name. She didn’t look back and didn’t stop to think that she might just crash into the mirror instead of going through it. But she needn’t have worried. She reached the mirror and her foot slipped right through. She felt a hand on her arm but ripped it out of the grasp. She emerged in the store room of Enigma and crumpled to the cold ground. Sobs ripped from her chest as she curled into a ball and let the pain of their separation sweep over her and drag her under.
~
“GRAB HIM,” Lorsan bellowed as he watched Trik reach for his Chosen as she disappeared through the mirror.
Trik felt hands grasp his arms and pull him away from the mirror where his love had vanished.
Trik fought their hold as he roared into the great hall. The pain in his chest ripped through his body and he flung those who attempted to hold him away , their bodies crashing into mirrors and walls. He knew that he needed to get control of himself. He would need to fool Lorsan now or he would be locked up and never be able to get to Cassie. His body shook as he tried to regain his composure. His head slowly rose as he looked at his King.
“You were going to leave me?” Lorsan’s face was shrouded in darkness as his eyes bore into Trik.
“Did you not just hear my Chosen yelling that I had lied to her? I obviously had no intention of leaving you. I had hoped that she wouldn’t find out,” Trik lied smoothly. He needed Lorsan to believe that he was loyal, that he had no intention of defecting. Lorsan continued to stare at him, searching for any deceit in his words.
The room was still and everyone held their breath as the Dark King deliberated over his dark assassin.
Finally Lorsan spoke.
“You are not to see her again.” He paused waiting to see Trik’s response.
“She is my Chosen,” Trik growled.
“And she has made her choice. She cannot accept you as you are. What more is there to discuss with her.?”
Trik glared at his King but did not say anything more about it.
“Are we done?” He asked.
“Do you have somewhere to be?” Lorsan asked.
“If I remember correctly, there is a crop of Rapture being bottled tonight. Am I not still in charge of this venture?”
“Yes, you are. Fine go and take care of it.” Lorsan motioned. “Trik I meant what I said. Stay away from the human.”
Trik turned and walked to the mirrors. Without looking back or acknowledging the King’s words, he stepped through.
Lorsan turned and caught Alok’s eye. “Keep an eye on him.”
Alok nodded and headed to a mirror to follow Trik to California where the crops and labs were.
Ilyrana walked over to her mate and lifted her hand to his face. He closed his eyes at her touch.
“Leave us,” he announced to the hall and a few moments later they were alone.
“Do you believe him?” He asked her.
“No,” Ilyrana answered. “She is his Chosen, and I saw the way he looked at her. He was going to leave you, but it was going to be in his time, not hers.”
“What should I do?” Lorsan’s eyes opened and met his Queen’s.
“Keep an eye on him. If he seeks her out, then we take her. She is his weakness. If you have her, then you control Trik.”
Lorsan nodded and pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck.
He grieved. He was a Dark King. He held power over a great Kingdom, and yet for the loss of one assassin, he grieved.
“He was more than your assassin,” Ilyrana picked up on his thoughts. “He had become a friend.”
“You are the only one that I can trust,” he pulled back and looked down into her face and ran his thumb across her cheek. “Through all of these years still only you remain faithful.”
“And I always will.”
“No matter what?” He asked.
She nodded.
“Things might get ugly before all is said and done.”
Ilyrana kissed him gently and then looked into his eyes. “You will always come first.”
Lorsan pulled her close and laid his head on top of hers. He thought of what had happened that night and of Trik’s deception. He knew it would come down to him taking Cassie. He would have to take her to break Trik. And he would. He would break Trik and have him humbled on his knees before him begging for mercy.
~
“Cassie?” Elora stepped into the storeroom cautiously. Cassie had finally pulled herself together enough to call her best friend. Though she was unable to get out anything coherent, Elora finally deciphered that she was at her mom’s store. It was after eleven o’clock when Elora arrived.
Cassie sat curled up in the far corner across from the mirror that she had emerged from. She eyed it wearily, expecting at any moment for Trik to come crashing through it.
“Cassie?”
She turned at the sound of her name being called a second time. When Elora saw the broken look in her friend’s eyes, she rushed forward. She pulled Cassie into her arms and held her close.
“I’ll kill him,” she growled. “I told him that if he hurt you that he was a dead dark elf.”
Cassie began to cry again as the pain continued to wrack her body. She wanted to go to him , to beg him to hold her and make the pain go away. She needed to hear the words that she didn’t let him finish and she needed him to tell her it was alright, that everything would be alright. But it wasn’t and it never would be. As long as Trik was out there, without her, it would never be alright. She cried for the loss, she cried for the hurt and the lies, she cried as her soul mourned its mate as if he had died. Her eyes burned and her throat felt dry as her sobs poured out. She knew that she was scaring Elora but she didn’t care. She was dying. She was dying and Trik didn’t care.
He had stood there and not denied her words. When she had slapped him he had looked like a whipped puppy, the confident, cocky Trik gone. Part of her had hoped he would have thrown himself at her feet and begged her forgiveness, part of her wished he had been the barbarian he had claimed and thrown her over his shoulder and hauled her off to be with him, and then part of her hoped that he would never contact her again. When that thought crossed her mind she wailed and shook.
“Cassie, please,” Elora patted her friend and rocked her. “Please tell me what happened. Are you hurt?”
Cassie nodded.
“Physically, Cass, are you hurt physically?” Elora clarified.
Cassie pulled back to look at her friend. Tears streaked her face. Her eyes, swollen and bloodshot, were devoid of any life.
“What did he do to you?” Elora snarled.
“He killed me,” Cassie whispered. “He ripped out my heart and threw it in my face.”
Elora watched as Cassie scooted back from her hold and looked up at her.
“He lied. He told me he was leaving Lorsan, but he never told Lorsan.”
Elora shook her head and bit her tongue. Now was not the time to point out that she had said this would probably happen.
Elora pulled her phone from her back pocket and dialed her mom’s number.
“Hey, you need to get the Queen and her man to your store a.s.a.p.,” she said when she heard her mom’s voice.
Elora hung up without waiting for a response.
“Where is he?” Elora asked.
Cassie let out a snort that was filled with indignation. “Who knows, who cares? I told him to stay away from me.”
“You think he will listen?”
“Don’t know, don’t care.”
Just then a leg followed by the rest of Tamsin’s body emerged from the mirror with Syndra hot on his heels. Cassie scampered back quickly , her eyes glazing over with pain.
Tamsin and Syndra stopped short as they looked down at the broken person before them.
Syndra looked over at Elora. “What has happened?”
Elora stood up and folded her arms across her chest. “Trik lied to her. He said he would leave the Dark King, but apparently the Dark King had
no knowledge of it. And from what Cassie says Trik didn’t argue with her when she told him that he had lied to her.”
“Where is the assassin now?” Tamsin asked.
Elora shrugged. “Cassie doesn’t know. He didn’t follow her here.”
Syndra knelt down before Cassie and brushed her hair away from her face.
“Cassie,” Syndra’s voice was soft and melodic. “We need to keep you safe. We told Trik that we would protect you if he failed.”
Cassie looked up at the Light Queen. Her eyes were vacant. “What does it matter? He doesn’t care what happens to me.”
“That is not true,” Syndra told her. “Whatever his reasons for doing what he did, he cares for you.”
“It’s not enough,” Cassie whimpered as another tear fell.
“No, you are right, it isn’t. He needs to love you.”
Cassie’s eyes snapped up at Tamsin who had spoken.
“We have much to discuss. We need you to come with us.”
“What about my parents?” Cassie asked as she let Syndra pull her to her feet.
“Syndra will deal with your parents. You are vulnerable and if Lorsan’s entire court watched you run from Trik then they will not wait long to pursue you in order to get back at him for centuries of being the right arm of the Dark King.”
Cassie took Syndra’s hand and then reached for Elora.
“Please let her come with me.”
Elora rolled her eyes. “Like they could stop me.”
Cassie let Syndra pull her towards the mirror and Elora followed, her hand holding tight to her best friend.
When they emerged on the other side, Cassie’s eyes widened as she looked around. Elora openly gaped and shook her head. “We aren’t in Kansas anymore, Toto.”
Syndra laughed at the girls’ expressions.
“What did you expect? We are royalty, you know?”
Tamsin emerged behind them. He watched as Cassie and Elora took in everything around them.