“So we’re heading home?” she turned and spoke to her mom.
Lisa nodded. “I don’t know what more we can do, Elora. I mean we stopped the production of Rapture, but I don’t see how we can get it out of the casinos without getting ourselves killed or captured.”
“None of you are going back to Vegas,” Cush spoke up.
“So we’re just going to twiddle our thumbs in Lisa’s shop?” Elora snapped.
“No, you are going to get caught back up on schoolwork,” Lisa told her. “I’m going to have to come up with some reason as to why you’ve missed so much and hopefully they won’t make you repeat the whole semester.”
“I just wanted it noted that I think this idea blows,” Elora told them as she watched Cush dial a number on his phone and then proceed to buy them all airline tickets back to Oklahoma City.
Elora returned her attention to her mom. “I can’t believe you’re worrying about school at a time like this. I mean let’s think about it logically.”
“What’s logical about any of this, Elora?” Lisa interrupted.
“That’s not the point, Lisa. The point is that am I really going to need a high school diploma in elf land?” Elora cocked an eyebrow at her mom. “I mean seriously, Mom. I’m going to be the wife of an elfin warrior. I don’t think he’s too concerned about how much algebra I do or don’t know.”
“We are not going to have this conversation right now when you’re emotional and tired, okay?”
Elora knew her mom wasn’t really asking; she was pretty much telling her to let it go. She decided she would, for now.
“Tickets are booked, I’ve called a taxi to take us to the airport,” Cush told them as he slid his phone into his back pocket. “So now we just wait.”
“Waiting sucks,” Oakley and Elora said at the same time.
Cush looked from one to the other.
“It’s an American thing,” Elora told him. “We don’t do patient.”
Chapter 18
“I wonder if he knows what he is truly capable of. I wonder if he knows that without him they would remain divided. Though I’m immortal, I never imagined that I would live to see the day that Triktapic would reclaim his throne, and now that the day is here I wonder if any of us will live to see peace between a race that has been fighting for far too long.” ~Myrin
Trik heard the knock on their door and wanted to gut the one who would dare to interrupt his time with his new bride. Unfortunately he also knew that just because he had taken his Chosen and bound her to him, the world did not stop turning for them. There was still a war to be fought, prisoners to be dealt with, and a human realm to save. No matter how badly he wanted to pull her into the shelter of his arms and close the rest of the world out, he couldn’t.
“I can get it,” Cassie murmured as she started to get out of the warmth of their bed.
Trik wrapped an arm around her waist like a steel band and pulled her back to his chest. “You are not dressed appropriately to be answering doors, Love.”
Cassie laughed and the sound danced across his skin and deep into his soul filling him with warmth. “I’m not dressed at all.”
“Exactly my point.”
“I was going to put clothes on Trik, geeze,” she hissed at him like an adorable little kitten.
“ENTER,” he bellowed as he made sure the sheets covered all of Cassie. Trik watched as Tamsin entered. Anyone, except maybe Syndra, would have blushed or at least looked somewhat embarrassed to be interrupting him and his Chosen, but not Tamsin. He looked way too pleased with himself.
“Were you coming to ensure that an heir was being created?” Trik grunted when Cassie elbowed him, as he knew she would, for the statement.
Tamsin laughed. “Quit embarrassing your queen. As interesting as I know creating an heir is, that is not why I have dared to bother you. We found someone amongst the captives who needs to speak with you.”
That had Trik’s attention. “Who?”
“Myrin.”
Trik’s eyes widened. “Did any of the other elders live?”
“We haven’t found any,” Tamsin told him solemnly.
Trik nodded. “Alright, have him brought to the throne room. I will be there in a minute.”
Tamsin left without another word.
“Who is Myrin and what’s an elder?” Cassie asked as she rolled over so he could see her face.
“Myrin is the oldest and wisest of the elders of the dark elves. Elders are sort of like historians. They keep the facts of our people, and they are usually very powerful. I don’t know his story, but I know that at one time he was an elder of our entire race, not just the dark elves. He has helped me in the past.”
“Will he give you fealty?” Cassie asked.
“Yes, I believe he will.”
“Good.”
“Yes, it is. Now, it pains me to say this,” he said as he ran a finger down her bare shoulder and across her arm. “But we have to get dressed.”
He looked into her smiling face and her eyes danced with mischief. “You know there is an upside to getting dressed?”
“I fail to see what it is; please enlighten me.”
“It just means later we get to get undressed again,” she grinned wickedly.
“I’m glad that one of us is a glass half-full type,” Trik told her as he climbed out of bed. He looked over his shoulder at her and winked when he caught her staring. “Put on your fighting clothes; the best way to work out the soreness from battle is a good workout,” he told her.
“I thought you just gave me a good work out,” she said and then squealed when he jumped on her and started to tickle her.
“You’re making me late, woman. Now, be a good queen and do as you’re told.” He swatted her on the rump as he climbed back out of the bed and headed for the bathroom and a quick shower.
Cassie listened to the water run as she brushed her hair and then braided it so it would stay out of her face. She had decided against a shower, knowing if she joined her husband then they would be even later than they already were. So instead she dressed in the clothing Trik had requested and tried not to groan at the workout she knew was coming. She was also studiously trying to avoid the thoughts of what Trik would have to face soon, the lives he would have to take. She walked over to the window and pushed the long, silver drapes aside and looked out into the morning light. She wasn’t sure what time it was, but it was early which meant she hadn’t slept much if any at all.
That led to thoughts of what had transpired between her and Trik and she felt the heat from her blood as it traveled up her skin. Nothing in all of her wildest imagination could have prepared her for the love they shared. The intensity of it, the passion and rightness of it, was like nothing she had ever known, and she knew that it would have never been that way with anyone else. What a waste, she thought, to give yourself to someone and have it not feel like the earth was coming apart beneath you, truly a waste. Her lips tingled with the memory of their most recent kisses. She walked over to the mirror and looked at herself, wondering if she looked different. Her eyes roamed over her reflection and she saw a couple of small bruises on her upper arms where the sleeveless shirt left them bare.
“I guess I got a little overeager.” Trik’s deep voice rumbled through his chest and against her back where he pressed against her. His fingers traced the small bruises and when she looked up into his face she saw the shame there.
“They don’t hurt and I don’t recall complaining,” she told him.
“Still, I need to be more careful.” He kissed her forehead and then slipped his hand into hers. “Time to go to work, Love. Be prepared for Syndra to tease you and by all means feel free to blush. I love it when your skin turns that beautiful rosy color,” he teased her as he pulled her from their room.
“Ugh,” Cassie groaned. “I’m not sure who will be worse Syndra or Elora.”
Trik chuckled which earned him a pinch on the side. “Cassie, a queen should not pinch her king,?
?? he informed her in a haughty voice.
“Oh,” she said innocently as she walked alongside him. “Is it all right for a queen to poke the king with his own arrows while he sleeps?”
He looked at her from the corner of his eye, and he had to bite back the laughter at the straight face she held in place as they entered the throne room.
“Myrin.” Trik’s voice carried across the great hall and had the elder turning to face him. He looked tired and worn, Trik noted, but he was alive and that was saying something.
“King Trikitapic,” the elder took a knee and bowed before them. “Queen Cassandra,” he continued as he remained in the kneeling position. “I pledge my fealty to you both. I will honor and protect you both with my own life. I will give you sound council and I will uphold the laws of the Forest Lords.”
Trik looked down at the elf that knelt before him, who swore him fealty without even hearing what all that might entail and he was humbled. “Stand, Myrin.”
“Do you accept me, my liege?” Myrin asked as he stood and looked Trik in the eyes.
“I have known you a very long time. In all my time as the king’s assassin, you never betrayed me. I accept you. But,” he paused and his eyes narrowed, “you need to understand that from this day forward if you assist the dark elves, in any way, it is an automatic death sentence.”
“I understand,” Myrin nodded.
“Good. Now, do you have any information for me that will help me take out Lorsan? He blew up his own castle, Myrin, knowing he would kill his own dark elves.”
“He’s gone mad with the need for more power,” Myrin told him. “He’s even been harsh with his Chosen.”
Trik frowned. “Has he struck her?” If Lorsan was becoming violent with his Chosen, then he indeed had gone mad and needed to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
“Not that I had seen. He’s obsessed with the distribution of Rapture and with killing you. It’s all he talked about in any of the council meetings.”
“When was your last meeting?” Trik asked.
“It’s been several weeks ago,” Myrin answered. “His circle of those he trusts grows smaller and smaller. We had no idea he was going to close the portals. We would never have supported such an action.”
Trik nodded. “I didn’t figure you did, but Lorsan can be quite convincing when he needs to be.”
“Trik,” Myrin’s voice took on an urgency that both Cassie and Trik recognized, and they both watched the elder closely. “You have to kill him. He is going to destroy the human race and our own race if he isn’t stopped.”
“I know, Myrin.” Trik reached out and patted the older elf. “He will be brought to justice.”
“Justice won’t be enough if he manages to enslave an entire nation. No, you will need more than justice. You will need a reckoning of all he’s done; all he’s hurt, and then you will need to give restitution to the human race. He is disrupting the balance, Trik; if he disrupts it too badly then the Forest Lords might just close all the portals,” he paused and looked at Cassie, his eyes full of earnest, “for good.” he finally finished.
Cassie felt those words like a punch to her gut. Close the portals for good? That was not something that could happen, not if she was going to be living in the elfin realm with Trik and her parents were in the human realm. She looked at Trik and she could see that he fully understood just how much that would hurt her if that happened.
“It won’t come to that,” Trik told her. “I’ll kill him before it gets that far.”
She nodded knowing that he would do everything in his power to keep the portals open so that she could still see her parents.
A commotion behind her caught Trik’s attention, and she turned just as Trik pulled her behind him, blocking her with his body. She leaned around his shoulder to see what was happening and she saw Rin come through the mirrored wall along with a man she didn’t recognize. They were both breathing heavy and wielding swords and daggers as if they had just come from a battle. As she looked more intently, she saw that there were a few places on both of them where their clothes had been torn.
“They got it. I’m sorry, liege, but they got it.” Rin’s eyes were wide with shock as he looked at Trik.
“Rin, Tony,” Trik took a step towards them and held up his hand to stop some of the light-elf warriors from grabbing the man he called Tony, “what happened? Who got what? Where are Nedhudir and Elora?”
Rin seemed to be trying to gather himself as he answered. “They are heading back to the store that Elora’s mother owns.”
“Heading back?” Cassie spoke up, stepping around Trik only to be pulled to his side by one of his strong arms. “Where were they?”
Rin turned his attention on Cassie, and she could see that though he wasn’t breathing hard, he was tired. “Forgive me, my queen, but it is a long story. Is there any way we could sit down before I begin?”
Cassie nodded. “Of course.”
“Let’s go to the dining hall. I’ll have food and water brought,” Trik told them as he turned toward one of the warriors and motioned for him to carry out his orders.
Once they were all settled at the table with water for Tony and Rin, and some sort of elf version of chips and dip, Rin finally began the tale starting with when he and Nedhudir, who he now calls Cush thanks to Elora, stepped through the master portal with Lisa. Tamsin and Syndra joined them somewhere during the story, and they all listened in rapt attention as he told them of arriving at Oakley’s, seeing Cassie’s parents, of the Book of the Elves, going to Las Vegas and Elora having evil urges, which made Cassie snicker. He told them of Tarron and his attempt to kill Tony, and then how they went to California and burned the crops and destroyed the Rapture that was already made. When he finally got to the part about Cush tying Elora up so he could go back to their blown up vehicle to retrieve the Book of the Elves, Cassie was nearly rolling on the floor laughing along with Syndra.
“I’m sorry,” she said as she held her hand up in a placating gesture. “I know it’s serious and I truly am terrified for all of their lives, but I really wish I could have seen her tied up.”
“I bet she was spitting mad,” Syndra agreed.
“She had a few choice words for all of us,” Rin told them and then continued his tale. He back tracked a moment to tell them about Tony trying to open the portals only for Cush to be grabbed when he put his hand into the mirror. Then he finally told them of how they came to be the ones that traveled through the portal only to be attacked while inside the portal by dark elves. As Rin finished speaking he stood up and reached behind him. Untucking his shirt, he pulled what appeared to be the torn cover of a book from beneath it and laid it on the table in front of them.
“This is what they got,” he said, answering Trik’s earlier question.
For several heartbeats nobody moved. They all simply stared at it. Based on the reactions of the elves around her, Cassie guessed this must be a piece of the Book of the Elves.
“Lisa had it in her possession?” Trik finally asked Rin.
“Yes, my liege, and there is something else you need to know.” Rin looked from Trik to Cassie and then back again. He let out a deep breath before he spoke again. “Lisa told her children about their father, but she didn’t tell them how he died.”
“What?” Cassie gasped. “Who was he? How did he die?” Cassie watched a myriad number of emotions cross Trik’s face as he looked at her.
“Lisa was a Chosen,” he finally answered. “She was Chosen to a dark elf named Steal.”
Cassie’s mouth dropped open but no sound came out. She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t believe that Elora had to go through that without her, had to find out about her dad in front of a Rin and Cush. Oh and poor Oakley, she thought of her best friend’s brother and how he had always felt just a little different, but he kept those feelings to himself. She only knew because he had come home one night a little tipsy and she had been spending the night at Elora’s. She had been up
getting a drink when Oakley came in, and he sat at the kitchen table looking so lost. She could tell he needed to talk so she just listened, and they never spoke of it to anyone not even each other.
“Steal defected from Lorsan and stole the book,” Trik continued and motioned towards the book before them. “I, being who I was, was sent after him.”
“Oh no,” Cassie’s hand came up to cover her mouth as she realized what her mate was about to tell her and she didn’t want to hear it. “No, Trik.”
“I’m so sorry, Love; I am.” He came over to her and knelt before her, taking her hands in his. “You need to hear it from me, as does Elora and Oakley. I killed Steal. I was told to get the book and if I couldn’t I was to take his life.”
Cassie’s eyes filled with tears as she felt the pain inside of Trik, the torment that he dealt with regarding the innocent lives that he had taken.
“Elora has no father because of me,” he said as his jaw clenched and he fought back his emotions.
Cassie leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She placed her mouth next to his ear and whispered, “She will forgive you.”
He shook his head. “She shouldn’t.”
“Maybe, but she will.” Cassie pressed a kiss to his ear and then pulled back. She looked at her humbled king and her heart broke for him. She couldn’t take away the years of darkness; all she could do was help him to see the light that was before him now. She couldn’t fix him, that was something only time could do, but she could cry with him, she could hurt with him, and she could live one day at a time with him until he was healed.
Trik stood and turned to face the group who watched them both intently. “So Lorsan has the Book of the Elves?”
“Lorsan or maybe Tarron,” Tony spoke up for the first time. “It will be worse if it’s Tarron who has it.”
Trik let out a string of curse words that had Cassie’s eyes widening.
“What exactly is in this book that is so valuable?” she asked. “Why is it so dangerous for Lorsan to have it?