“Ilyrana wishes to throw a ball in your honor,” Lorsan continued when Trik didn’t speak.
Trik groaned inwardly at this news. “She’s knows how I hate balls, besides humans don’t throw balls.”
“Sure they do,” Lorsan’s Chosen walked gracefully into the garden. “They call them parties.”
Trik smiled at his Queen and bowed his head.
“Really Trik, all this formality from you is going to begin to go to my head and I might actually think I am the Queen of an Elfin race.”
Trik laughed. He always had liked Lorsan’s Chosen.
“We wouldn’t want that.”
“So will you bring her?” Lorsan interrupted their banter.
Trik stared at his King boldly. He searched his eyes, looking for any ill intent. Though he could see that Lorsan had an agenda, he couldn’t seem to see that there was any threat to Cassie.
Trik nodded. “When shall I bring her?”
“Give me three days,” Ilyrana announced. “It is all planned. Now I just need to put it all together.”
“That quickly?” Lorsan asked his Chosen.
“It will be very small. There’s no need to frighten her.”
Trik stood and took Ilyrana’s hand. He bowed over it and brought it to his lips. He kissed her hand gently and then looked up into her eyes. “Thank you my Queen, you honor my Chosen.”
The formality of his actions caught both Lorsan and Ilyrana by surprise. He was asking her blessing over his union.
Ilyrana nodded once and answered formally. “As all will honor her.”
Lorsan stood and echoed his Queen’s words. “As all will honor her.”
Trik cleared his throat. Emotion from their acknowledgement of his Chosen welled up in his chest.
“We shall see you in a few days then,” he told them.
Lorsan nodded and Ilyrana smiled. Trik turned and left quickly before his emotions overwhelmed him.
Lorsan looked to Ilyrana after Trik had gone. “He asked our blessing.” Surprise laced Lorsan’s voice. Trik never asked for anything, but in that moment when he had knelt before his Queen and spoke the formal words, he had been asking the blessing of his King and Queen on his union with his Chosen.
“I told you that his loyalty hadn’t wavered,” his Chosen chided him.
“I was wrong to have questioned him,” Lorsan admitted again.
“Triktapic is his own creature Lorsan, you can’t control him. But he has just proven again his loyalty to you, his fealty to you. You would do well not to forget it.”
Lorsan chuckled. “You would make a fine King my love.”
“Yes, yes I would.” Ilyrana teased.
~
“So where are we off to?” Cassie asked Elora as she climbed into her beat up Neon.
“On my way out the door Lisa asked if we could come up to the store and help with some inventory. She’s gotten behind.”
Cassie smiled “You know I’m all about hanging with your mom, she’s cool.”
Elora rolled her eyes, “You just think that because she isn’t your mom.”
“Your mom knows an Elf Queen, owns a new age shop, and dresses like she’s twenty,” Cassie stated as she raised her eyebrows at Elora.
Elora shrugged. “Okay so she’s kind of cool.”
Cassie laughed. “I am so going to tell her you said that.”
“I’ll deny every word.”
Cassie turned on the radio, thankful at least that it still worked. She clapped her hands when she heard her favorite song, Just Give Me a Reason by Pink, coming through the speakers. She turned up the volume and started to sing along at the top of her lungs. Elora laughed at her friend and, to Cassie’s delighted surprise, joined in.
“Lisa!” Elora yelled as they entered Enigma.
Lisa came out of the backroom carrying several boxes in her arms.
“Thank goodness. The cavalry has arrived. Thank you girls for helping me out.”
“It’s no big thing,” Cassie told her. “So, put us to work.”
“Go to the back room and grab some boxes,” Lisa motioned towards the door she had just emerged from.
Cassie and Elora both headed through the door. They both froze as they entered the storeroom. The door closed ominously behind them as they saw three very intimidating elves standing before them.
“Uh, hi.” Cassie gave a meek wave.
Trik, in his Elfin form, stood across from two other figures. Apparently Trik wasn’t bothering to hide himself from Elora. He leaned lazily against the back wall, but he wasn’t fooling Cassie with the relaxed pose. She could tell that he was ticked off and knew that it was because she hadn’t stayed at her house like he had asked.
Across the room from him, stood Syndra and another male elf. Syndra smiled at Cassie warmly.
“Hello Cassie, Elora,” Syndra’s smile didn’t quite meet her eyes.
Elora crossed her arms. She looked over at Trik. “Okay I know why you are here. You’re pouting because Cassie didn’t obey your orders.” She looked over at Syndra and the male elf. “I don’t have a clue why you are here and who is the tall dude?”
“This is Tamsin, King of the Light Elves, and my Sh'mai ,” Syndra explained.
Tamsin bowed his head slightly as he watched Cassie closely. He seemed to be ignoring Trik’s presence.
“Cassie, could you please come here?” Trik asked. His voice could have cut through tempered steel.
Cassie cringed.
“Now probably isn’t the best time,” she told him.
“Now is the perfect time. Come here.” She saw that his eyes were glowing.
Elora clucked her tongue. “Why don’t you just put a collar on her if you’re going to treat her like she’s your pet?”
Trik’s eyes snapped to Elora, who had the intelligence to not back away from the stalking predator.
Cassie looked over at Elora, nervous for her friend for being so blunt with an obviously ticked off dark elf assassin.
Cassie gave up and walked over to him.
He reached for her as soon as she was within his grasp. He took her hand and placed it on his chest. He didn’t bother to speak out loud but instead shared his frustration and fear at finding her room empty.
“I was bored,” she tried to implore him with her eyes.
“I explained to you why it was so important for you to stay at home. Cassie, I can’t lose you. I won’t. If something happens to you I would destroy the world, no one would be safe from my wrath.”
Cassie could see that he was not bluffing or exaggerating, could feel the resolve in his mind.
“You would lose what good is left in you if you allowed yourself to act on those words.”
“I keep telling you there is no good in me, never was.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“Nor do I,” Syndra interrupted.
Cassie turned to look at her, having forgotten that others were in the room with them. Trik had that effect on her, when he was with her he took over her world.
Tamsin stepped forward and Trik pushed away from the wall and pulled Cassie behind him.
“I mean her no harm,” Tamsin told him.
“What do you want Tamsin, King of my enemies?” Trik asked and it sounded strangely formal.
“I’ve come to implore you to seek out the Forest Lords.”
Trik’s eyes glowed even more and his face turned to stone.
“Why would I do that?” He asked sharply.
“Because you know that something is changing. Something is causing this change and I think you know what it is. What does your King have planned that the Forest Lords have emerged from their long absence from our people?”
“I know not of what you speak,” Trik lied smoothly.
Cassie leaned around him and glared daggers up at him.
“Really? That’s your answer?” She folded her arms across her chest.
Elora snorted out a laugh. “Man you sure know how to dig your own
grave rather impressively.”
Trik ignored her, his eyes still locked with his Chosen’s.
“Cassandra,” his lips were drawn tight. “You do not know what you ask of me.”
“Please.” It was Syndra who snorted this time. She rolled her eyes. “You are your King’s most trusted warrior. You know that whatever he has planned, it is not good.”
“Has he figured out just how important your Chosen is?” Tamsin asked.
Trik and Cassie both blurted out questions at the same time.
“Excuse me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“She will be Lorsan’s downfall,” Syndra answered.
“How? How do you know this?” Trik’s voice was full of concern and more than a hint of skepticism.
“Seek out the Forest Lords. They are waiting to hear from you, and take your Chosen with you.” Tamsin repeated.
Trik thought of something then. “You know of the land and the plant. Why are you acting as if you have no knowledge of it?”
Tamsin folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the wall behind him, taking the same nonchalant air as Trik.
“So you were at the meeting?” Tamsin’s eyes narrowed.
“You suspected me?” Trik asked surprised.
“Something felt off. I didn’t detect your presence, but I knew that something wasn’t right.”
“Are you going to answer my question?”
“I know of the plant and the land,” Tamsin agreed. “However, I do not know why he wants to grow the plant in the human realm, or for what purpose he intends to use it.”
“Is all that true?” Cassie asked Trik, her arms still folded across her chest and growing anger marring her face.
“We will speak in private,” Trik told her and then turned back to the King and Queen.
“Triktapic, dark elf, assassin, spy, right hand of Lorsan the King of the Dark Elves,” Syndra’s voice was quiet, but it dripped with power.
Cassie watched in awe and a little bit of fear as the Light Elf Queen stepped forward, her human form faded away and she stood there in all her royal glory. A light seemed to glow around her and t he room suddenly felt small and dingier next to her glorious presence. Cassie glanced at Trik to see his reaction and to her surprise she saw rage written in every line of his face. His body shook with it as he stared daggers at Syndra.
“Though I am not your Queen, I am an ancient bloodline—royal. A bloodline that at one time coursed through almost all of our kind. I do not use my power lightly. I do not control my race by fear and I have never forced compliance from anyone.”
“But?” Trik interrupted. His voice barely controlled.
“You and your Chosen are too important. I tell you now that if you choose loyalty to Lorsan over the wellbeing of your Chosen, she will be taken from you.”
There was no warning, not even the slightest movement, but suddenly Trik lunged at the Light Elf Queen.
“NO TRIK,” Cassie yelled and rushed to reach forward and grab him, but she needn’t have bother ed. Before Trik could reach the Queen, he had come to an abrupt halt, jerked to a stop almost as if a rope was tied around his neck and he had reached the end of it. Cassie could feel the power pulsing off of the Queen, repelling Trik’s advance.
“How dare you threaten me! How dare you threaten to take what is mine!” Trik snarled. His voice dropped and the controlled rage was even scarier than the yelling. “No one will ever take her from me and should it happen, I will rip through your kingdom and destroy any in my way to find her. You know what I am capable of; do not think that you and yours will be safe from my wrath, not when it comes to my Chosen.”
Cassie had only thought she had been afraid of Trik before. Now, as she saw the look of pure, undiluted fury on Trik’s face, she could imagine the fear that his victims must feel.
“I am not threatening to harm her,” Syndra’s voice was just as firm as before and still very calm, as if she was speaking to a disobedient child.
“I am telling you that we will take her to protect her. She will never be safe again in the human realm. You know how many enemies you have , Trik, and until now there was nothing they could do to hurt you; not physically or emotionally. But now they can. They can destroy you. All they have to do is get their hands on Cassie.”
“I would never let that happen.”
Tamsin, who had not moved a muscle since Trik’s outburst, pushed off the wall and stepped before Trik’s unmoving form.
“You are not flawless, despite what others may think. You are not omnipotent or omniscient. You will not be able to protect her at all times and still remain Lorsan’s lap dog.”
“Ouch,” Elora murmured. “That has got to sting.”
Cassie’s eyes snapped over to her friend but Elora simply shrugged.
“I am not now, nor have I ever been, his lap dog,” Trik’s dagger-like stare had turned on Tamsin.
“You have to go to him when he calls, do you not? No matter where you are or what you are doing.”
“Or who,” Elora’s fake cough she used to veil her words echoed ominously.
Cassie rolled her eyes in frustration. “Elora, really?”
Once again the famous Elora “whatever” shrug accompanied her retort. “Just calling it like I see it.”
When Cassie looked back at Tamsin she was surprised to find a hint of amusement on his face.
Trik’s eyes never left Tamsin. He didn’t respond to the question, he didn’t need to. Tamsin was right. Trik would always have to go when Lorsan summoned him, no matter what he was doing.
“You will not take her from me,” Trik’s voice was low and brought a shiver to Cassie’s body, and not the good kind.
“Then do what you know is right, Trik.” The power that had pulsed around Syndra had diminished now and she was once again in her human appearance.
“Why do you care?” Trik stepped back, the invisible hold no longer keeping him in place. He once again attempted to shield Cassie with his body but she was having none of it and moved to stand beside him, which earned her an irritated glance.
“She is not a light elf; she does not belong to your court.”
“That may be, but she is an innocent. She has been thrust into a world and battle that is not her own and to which she has no defenses. We will not allow her to suffer because of the ill will between the light and dark elves. If you will not protect her from our race, then we will. Besides,” Syndra smiled, “I like her.”
Cassie smiled back, surprised by the admission.
“You will not take her from me,” Trik repeated for the third time.
“So you have said,” Syndra gestured. “Do not put me in a position to have to.”
Just then the door to the storeroom opened and Lisa froze, her jaw dropping.
“Oh,” she said surprised. “I didn’t realize there was um,” she didn’t know quite what to say.
“The Elfin mafia hanging out in your store room?” Elora filled in.
“Something like that,” Lisa said as the door closed behind her. “Is everything alright, Syndra?”
Syndra smiled at Lisa. She looked like she was there for a friendly visit, not the intense meeting they had been having.
“Everything is fine, Lisa,” Syndra assured her. “We were just on our way out.”
Cassie stepped towards Syndra but didn’t make it far before Trik wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back towards his chest. Cassie didn’t bother to acknowledge the possessive gesture.
“Um, I have a question,” she told the Light Elf Queen.
Syndra motioned for her to continue.
“Is Elora on your hit list since she has seen you and Trik in your true form?”
Lisa’s eyes widened at that question.
Syndra shook her head. “We have made an exception for Lisa and her daughter. Things are changing. You are going to need your friends to support you, Cassie, and I will not take from you what you are goin
g to so desperately need very soon.”
Cassie stared at Syndra in shock. She felt a tightening in her chest and a feeling of inevitably set in. Syndra’s words were not an exaggeration. She was not trying to induce unfounded fear. Cassie could see in her eyes the knowledge that haunted the Queen.
Tamsin took his Chosen’s hand and together they walked to a large mirror that stood in the far back corner. Cassie had never noticed it before, but it now made sense as to why Lisa had it there.
“We will see you soon, Trik,” Syndra announced just before they stepped into the mirror.
“So, what’s it going to be lover boy?” Elora’s arms were folded across her chest and her foot tapped impatiently. Her eyes were narrowed at Trik.
Cassie pulled out of Trik’s hold and he reluctantly let her go. She turned to look up at him. She saw so many emotions warring in his eyes and her heart ached for him. He reached for her hand and pulled it to his chest laying it over his heart.
“I need to speak with you,” his voice was soft but Cassie still heard the edge of his anger that lurked beneath the surface. He looked over to Elora then.
“Elora can you please take Cassie home?”
Elora cocked her head to the side. “Is that what you want Cass?” She asked ignoring Trik.
With her hand on his chest, Cassie could see into Trik’s mind, confirming that he needed to speak with her privately and that it was important.
“Yeah, we obviously have some things to discuss.”
“Fine, let’s go,” she motioned towards the door.
“I will meet you there,” Trik told Cassie as he tucked her hair behind her ear. He leaned down and gently, though possessively, kissed her. Cassie felt light headed as he pulled back. She felt the warmth of his lips all the way to her toes and thought disappointedly that it was entirely too short of a kiss. Her hand still lay against his chest and he chuckled at her thoughts.
“Later,” he whispered in her ear as he walked past her and dropped her hand at the last possible moment. He looked back and his silver eyes met hers. For a moment she wanted to run to him, wrap her arms around him and tell him it would be okay. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t because she didn’t know if it was going to be okay.