Elfin (19 page)

Trik continued to pace as he tried to gather his thoughts. He had never felt ash
amed of himself or his actions—until now. A part of him didn’t want to have to justify himself to her, another part of him didn’t want to see the look in her eyes that said she finally understood who and what he was.

“Lorsan wants
our income to increase from the Casinos. Your economy is struggling and so people aren’t spending money frivolously like they used to. Income has dropped across the board. To combat this problem, Lorsan has created a drink from the small fruit of one of our plants that creates a euphoric sensation in humans. It loosens inhibitions.”

“He’s going to drug people?” Cassie couldn’t believe what he was telling her.

“It’s not a drug; it’s natural, made from a plant.”

“So is heroin and marijuana! That doesn’t make them safe.” Cassie had to control her temper, so her mom wouldn’t hear her.

“It’s not harmful, Cassie. It doesn’t cause any health issues. It’s really no different than the alcohol humans consume so freely and with such exuberance.”

Cassie snorted.
“Yea and some people don’t handle that alcohol well and there are horrible consequences.” She gestured in frustration. “What about driving? Can they drive safely under the influence of this oh so natural fruit drink?”

Trik stopped pacing and leaned back against the wall. His arms were folded across his chest and he appeared relaxed. Cassie knew better than to believe that pose.

“How about this?” He responded. “We can put a regulation on each of the Casinos. If a person has had too much Rapture then they aren’t permitted to leave and will be put up in one of the hotel rooms.” Trik spoke as if that would fix it all, like he had just solved the only dilemma to his King’s plan.

“
Rapture ,” Cassie said the word and it was a bitter taste in her mouth. “That’s what it’s called? Oh, that’s rich.”

Trik didn’t flinch under her hard
glower. He didn’t appear to be affected at all by her reaction and that only angered her more. She held his stare, not the least bit intimidated. She knew that he would never hurt her, no matter how angry he became. He let out a growl worthy of a pissed off lion.

“Shh, my mom will hear you,” she admonished.

“I’ve taken care of that, no noise can leave this room while I am in it,” he barked.

Oh well, thanks for sharing
, Cassie thought sarcastically.

“I told you who I was, who I am. I told you, showed you that it is what I will always be. Nothing has changed.”
Trik’s body was tense, his lips narrowed into a thin line. The soft, sexy lips that had been pressed to hers only moments ago were gone.

“I know what you told me. I know what you think you are
, but you do have a choice, Trik. There is always a choice.”

“NO! There isn’t Cassandra. You are so young, so naive to the responsibilities of someone in my position.”

“Do not,” her eyes narrowed, her voice an angry whisper, “do not make the mistake of thinking that because I am not a thousand years old that I don’t know anything, that I am clueless.”

“I
bear the protection of an entire race, Cassie. I have served my King for hundreds of years. There is not any way that you can possibly understand.”

“I know the difference between RIGHT AND WRONG!” She yelled
, now knowing that her mom wouldn’t hear them.

“What is so wrong with making people feel good? What is so wrong with giving them the choice to take something that allows them to let loose? It’s not like we are going to force it down their throats.
It will be a choice that they will make. Isn’t that what you keep saying to me?”

Cassie scoffed at him. “Are you kidding me? Trik there are all kinds of drugs that humans have concocted to make them feel better, to make them let go of their worries for a time , and guess what, they cause more problems than they solve and they are illegal! Do you know why they are illegal, even though it is a choice ? They are illegal because the innocent, the weak, and the ones who can’t stand up for themselves need to be protected. You are willing to make available something that will probably cause addiction, drive people to spend money they don’t have and who knows what else, all because your King wants more money. Why? What does he need money for?”

“Even for us
,
we must have money to be a part of your society, to have nice things, to enjoy all that being in this realm means.”

“So that is what it always comes back to, pleasure, enjoyment?”

“What is so wrong with that?” Trik snapped back. “What is wrong with wanting to enjoy life as much as possible?”

“When it’s at the expense of other people, it’s wrong.
” Cassie closed her eyes and brought her hands up and framed her face, shaking her head in anger and pain. How could he think it was okay to drug people? How do you justify such behavior?

Several moments of frustrated silence
passed.

Trik knelt down in front of his Chosen. He took in the slump of her
shoulders, the anger etched on her face and knew that she would never get past this.

“What would you have me do?” He whispered.

Cassie lifted her head to look at him.
He was too beautiful, too handsome for words. In the few months that she had known him, she had come to see the light in Trik. She knew there was hope. They spent six weeks apart because he thought she would be better off without him. That proves that he isn’t completely lost. He just needs a road map to point him in the right direction.

“I can’t stop him Cassie.”

“Then take the next best, first step.”

“Tell me,” he implored. “P
lease, I can’t stand to see you like this because of me.”

“Quit,” she said plainly.

Trik’s head tilted to the side as he tried to understand her meaning.

“Quit?”

She nodded. “Turn in your resignation. Tell Lorsan that you are done being his killer.”

Trik’s
mouth dropped open and then closed. Deep down he knew that it would eventually come to this, but somehow he had hoped to still be a part of the people he had known for over a thousand years and still have Cassie.

“You want me to walk away from everything I’ve ever known?”

“Is that not what you were going to ask me to do? To go to your realm to live with you,” she countered.

“Touché”

They sat staring at one another, not touching, not speaking, just searching for something in each other’s eyes.

“Alright,” Trik said wearily.
“Alright, if that’s what it will take to keep you.”

Cassie’s smile could have lit a stadium. His heart skipped as he watched her climb off of her bed and into his arms. He pulled her close and buried his nose in her neck.
He could never give her up. He knew that as sure as he knew that Lorsan would never let him go alive.

“Thank you,” Cassie whispered against his chest and the heart that he was sure could not break, fell apart. He hadn’t lied to her . He would leave Lorsan, but it would have to be strategically done. He didn’t think she would understand that sometimes you have to bide your time. You can’t run head first into a battle that you know will be a massacre.

“I have a question for you.
” He stood up from his position on the floor never letting go of her and sat back down on the bed.

“You look a little nervous,” she grinned clearly enjoying an uneasy Trik.

“Lorsan and his Chosen would like to meet you. They are having a party in honor of our union. It’s a great honor.”

Cassie cleared her throat as she considered going before a man willing to enslave humans so that he could line his pockets.

“Why?” She asked.

“If an elf has high enough standing in the kingdom, such as I have, then it is tradition to throw a ball in honor of him finding his Chosen. It signifies an acceptance of the Chosen to her rightful place by his side in the kingdom.”

“
But I don’t want to be part of that kingdom?”

“I know, but it will cause many problems if we don’
t attend,” Trik responded.

“
This is important to you?”

“
Not just me, us,” he responded honestly.

“And we just go and eat, talk, and that’s all?”

“That’s all,” Trik concurred.

“Okay,” she reached up with her hand to smooth away the worry lines
that had formed on his forehead. “If it’s that important to you, then we will go.”

It was Trik’s turn to smile.
“Thank you.”

“So when is this party?”

“In three days.”

Cassie absentmindedly played with a strand of his long, dark hair as she thought.

“So am I going to need to wear a dress?”

“Yes, but I will bring you
an Elfin dress suitable for the occasion. You are my Chosen and you will wear my crest and my colors.”

Cassie raised a single eyebrow
. “Let me guess, your crest has a quiver in it and your colors are black?”

Trik
growled playfully at her and tickled her sides until she relented.

“Okay, okay I give,” she laughed.

“What will you give, beautiful? Will you give me your heart? Will you give me your soul? Will you give me your body? ” Trik asked as he paused in his tickle assault.

Cassie’s breathing became shallow as she took in the possessiveness, need
, and want dancing in his silver eyes. His words repeated themselves in her mind as she tried to focus on what he was asking. Trik leaned down and his nose brushed against her cheek.

“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.”

T
rik’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.

C
hapter 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?” Ta
msin 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.”