Elfin (5 page)

“I’m not sure why it happens, or how. However, I believe that it is rare simply because we limit our interactions with the humans. I think that it would probably happen much more often if we spent more time in direct contact with the humans in their realm.”

“
How do you know if one is your Chosen?”

“There is one
thing; and one thing only that determines if a human is a Chosen.”

Trik waited for an explanation. W
hen it didn’t come, he huffed. “Well, out with it.”

Myrin chuckled.
“I don’t believe that I have ever seen Lorsan’s great killer so out of sorts.”

Trik’s eyes flashed menacingly.
“I respect you old one, but my patience is wearing thin.”

“
Tsk, tsk, Trik. There is no need for idle threats,” Myrin sighed. “If she is your Chosen, then she will be able to see you in your true form without your help,” he continued, deciding it was unwise to goad the assassin further.

Trik sat down hard
on the couch opposite the elder as the words echoed ominously through his mind. A string of profanities in his own language poured from his lips as he considered the consequences.

“Trik,
” Myrin leaned forward watching him closely. “You’ve met your Chosen.” It wasn’t a question.

“S
he’s human, practically a child,” Trik ground out through clenched teeth.

Myrin sucked in a breath. “Well that is i
mpossible. A child can never be revealed as a Chosen, even if she were meant to be one. She has to have undergone her maturing.”

Trik
looked up, his eyes narrowed. “What do you mean maturing?”

“I’m not totally sure what it means for humans
, but for our kind she has to be matured to the point of being able to bear a child and be free from the shelter of her sire and mother.”

“She still lives with her parents, but I swear by the King
that there was nothing childlike about her, other than a certain innocence,” Trik added the last as an afterthought.

“You are sure
that she is your Chosen?” Myrin asked.

“She saw my
natural form while I was in my human guise,” Trik answered.

“Have you told Lorsan?”

“No, I needed confirmation,” Trik stood and looked down at the elder. “Speak of this to no one.”

Myrin nodded and watched as
the impenetrable assassin left his apartment.

~

“I need an audience with you,” Trik bowed low before his King.

Lorsan lounged in his personal suite. He knew
that something must be seriously wrong as Trik had sought him out in his private quarters. Lorsan motioned for Trik to sit, and since it was the King doing the motioning, Trik obeyed.

“Tell me,” Lorsan said without
preamble.

Trik let out a slow breath before he met the eyes of his King.

“I’ve met my Chosen.” The words were an ominous declaration in the silence of the room.

Trik waited as he watched Lorsan process the information.

“Triktapic I swear, if this is your way of telling me you are resigning…” Lorsan growled.

“She is human,” Trik interrupted the beginning of what he knew was sure to be a grand tirade.

Lorsan snapped his mouth shut as his eyes narrowed. He stared at his assassin intently before he spoke again.

“You are sure?” He asked.

“She saw through my glamour. She saw my true form.” Trik went on to explain all that he had told Myrin and watched as Lorsan’s eyes widened in surprise and concern.

“She sounds so young.”

Trik nodded. “Yes, but it’s so hard to tell with humans. As Tony has said, some that are under the human adult age look to be in their twenties, and others that are older look like teens.”

Lorsan seemed to
ponder Trik’s words. After several minutes of silence
, he finally spoke again.

“Not that I don’t find it very significant that you have found your Chosen, but I still need to know what Tamsin and his elves are up to.”

Trik
visibly relaxed at being asked a question he felt confident in answering, as it related to a topic with which he was comfortable. “You aren’t going to like what I have to say.”

Lorsan snorted.
“Since when do I ever like what you have to say
, and since when do you worry about what I like?”

“Good point,” Trik agreed. “Tamsin know
s of your new venture.”

Lorsan’s
eyebrows rose and his lips tightened into a thin straight line. “How is it that he came by this knowledge?”

“If you are asking if we have a mole or a traitor, then my answer at this time is
, I have no clue .” Trik held up a hand to hold Lorsan off as he continued. “However, based on what Tamsin said, I would guess that he has made some sort of deal with one of ours.”

“Just tell me exactly what was said in this little meeting.”

“He said that he wanted his people to look into buying the land that you have had your eye on. He mentioned that he would simply use the excuse of looking for oil in that land if human investors began to ask questions.”

“So you
believe he knows of Rapture?” Lorsan asked referring to the drink that he had developed.

Trik nodded
. “I can think of no other reason that he would have to buy the land where you are planning on putting the store houses.”

Lorsan stood and began to pace. “We need to move things forward. If Tamsin is dealing with your human,”

“—Chosen,” Trik growled. “My Chosen.”

Lorsan waved him off.
“Yes, yes, your
Chosen , then. If he is dealing with that little issue, then he won’t have had to time to move forward with the land purchase, which means that we should have time to contact Leon and tell him to get it done.”

Leon was the human
realtor that the dark elves had hired to help them find the land. Trik didn’t care for the sleazy little man, but it wasn’t up to him who Lorsan employed.

“I’ll go see him.” Trik stood to go.

“What are you going to do about your Chosen?” Lorsan asked.

“You aren’t going to
tell
me what to do?” Trik raised his eyebrows at his King.

“Would you obey me?”

Trik’s face spread into a callous smile. “Not when it comes to her.”

Lorsan rolled his eyes.
“Not when it comes to anything is what you really mean. Do what you must, but at some point you will have to tell her who and what you are. Will she be able to handle it, I wonder?”

Trik
shook his head with a low chuckle, “I’m
the assassin and spy for the Dark Elf King. I kill without remorse. I live for myself and my own pleasure. I come from a dark people with dark hearts. What do you think?”

~

Cassie spent the next twenty-four hours going through the motions of her day, but her mind was only on Trik. She went from class to class, nodded at the appropriate times , and attempted to look interested when Elora spoke to her.

“You’re thinking about him again aren’t you?” Elora asked as she nibbled on the carrot she
had pulled out of her lunch bag. They sat in their usual spot in the far corner of the cafeteria , giving them a full view of the room. She and Elora were experienced people watchers. They amused themselves by imagining things that people were saying or thinking while they went about their lunch period, unaware of the two girls humoring themselves.

“I can’t get him out of my mind. It’s like he put a spell on me or something.”

“I don’t know what sort of magic elves hold,” Elora replied.

“Are you still going on about that?” Cassie
interrupted exasperatedly.

“What other explanation is there
, Cassie?” Elora asked indignantly. “You said that the dude’s appearance changed right before your eyes.”

“A
synapse
in my brain must have misfired.”

Elora raised an
eyebrow at her. “A misfired brain synapse? That’s really what you want to go with?”

“As opposed to
,
Elves with Magic Abilities for $200, Alex? Then yes I’m going to go with misfired brain synapse,” Cassie smarted off .

“We’re going to Lisa’
s store after school,” Elora told her as she took a drink of her soda all the while ignoring Cassie’s scowling face. “We can talk to her and see what she thinks.”

~

“Lisa!” Elora hollered as the little bell over the door of Enigma, her mother’s store, jingled. Cassie followed her into the new age shop, her eyes never ceasing to widen at the many interesting things that decorated Lisa’s store. They walked to the back of the store where the cash register sat and waited for Elora’s mom to come up from the backroom.

“What are you girls doing here?” Lisa asked as
she drug a large box from the storeroom. Cassie walked around the counter to help her and Lisa smiled. Cassie once again noted to herself that Lisa had one of those disarming smiles that made her feel like everything was going to be okay.

“Cassie saw some
elves and then met one who has pretty much put a claim on her,” Elora said nonchalantly.

Cassie’s mouth dropped open as she listened to her best friend explain
the situation to her mom as if she were talking about the weather and not about some mythical species.

Lisa froze and looked from Elora to Cassie, her eyes wide, with disbelief or surprise
, Cassie couldn’t tell.

Elora shrugged.
“I didn’t tell her anything, I just gave her an explanation for what she saw.”

Lisa took a step towards Cassie. “What exactly did you see?”

Cassie was surprised that Lisa wasn’t laughing or telling them that they were absolutely crazy for even considering such an idea.

“Well…
” Cassie started. She explained everything she had told Elora and waited for Lisa to finally tell her that she needed some sort of medication for her hallucinations.

Lisa stepped back and leaned against the counter, her arms crossed in front of her chest and a thoughtful look on her face. A face that was nearly identical to her daughter ’s. Her hair, a dark brown, could have been the same color as Elora’s. But Elora had kept hers dyed since before Cassie could remember, so there was no way to be totally certain.

“So what do you think about
Elora’s ideas about this?” Lisa asked Cassie carefully.

Cassie cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean
,
what do I think ? Are you telling me that you believe her?”

Lisa nodded slowly. “I believe her because I know
that it’s true, as does Elora.”

“How?”
Cassie practically shrieked.

“We know
elves,” Elora said in her usual matter of fact tone.

Cassie coughed on her own
saliva as she attempted to swallow. “Y-y-you know elves?” She stuttered out her question.

“
Have you seen the products I carry in this store? Where do you think I get most of this stuff?” Lisa asked.

Cassie shook her head. “I need to sit down.”

“Yeah, you are definitely going to need to sit down before I tell you the really scary part.” Lisa walked around the counter and pulled out a chair for Cassie to sit in.

“The
really
scary part?” Cassie’s brow rose. “You’re telling me that elves being real isn’t scary enough?”

“Are you sure that the e
lf you met said that his name was Trik?” Lisa asked.

Cassie nodded.

“That’s not good.” Lisa tapped her lips with her forefinger, her eyes unfocused in thought.

“Why exactly is it not good?” Cassie
was trying to grasp what Elora and her mother were saying, but it felt like they were making her drag the information out of them.

“
Well, if it is
the Trik, then you met the Dark Elf King’s most deadly assassin,” Lisa said.

Cassie’s head fell forward and landed on the counter with a thud. “You have
got to be kidding me.”

Elora snorted
. “Only you would meet the most dangerous elf out there and have him basically tell you that he wanted you to be his woman.”

“Thanks Elora, that is really helping,” Cassie thudded her head against the counter repeatedly
hoping that if she knocked herself out she would wake up and all of this would have been a dream.

“Okay,
that’s enough,” Lisa grabbed Cassie’s ponytail to keep her from hitting her head on the counter again. “We have a more serious concern. You said you saw the gentlemen in the conference room in all their Elfin glory. That’s not good, Cassie.”

Cass
ie raised a single brow at Lisa. “Really, because the death looks they gave me before chasing after me wasn’t a clue at all.”