Chapter 6
T he assassin didn’t seem to mind that Aelrie wanted to kill him and, judging by his countenance, was quite comfortable with himself around her.
“We sleep here tonight and get rest while we can. I won’t lie to you; I do not know what awaits us past the gloom.” The way he spoke so casually to her now miffed her, but for some odd reason, also cooled the rage in her heart.
She peered beyond the cavern they were in, with the light-giving tree and waterfall.
Anxiety tugged at her, loath she was to leave such beauty behind and venture deeper into this dark underworld.
But their only way out was through a path on the other side, which had an ominous look to it, and was darker than any other place she’d seen so far in the Evergloom.
Traipsing through there only brought ill tidings to mind.
She dared not brave such a place, not without rest first. The assassin was right on that, at least.
“There’s no night and day,” she said, looking up at the golden leaves still giving off a glorious light. “How do you know when it’s time for sleep?”
“When you’re tired,” he answered and sat down at the base of the tree, resting his head against the trunk .
She sat down next to him. He turned his head over to her. “Warming up to me, I see.”
“No,” she answered flatly. “I’m watching you.”
“If I wanted to kill you, I could have done it three times already. Twice without you even noticing me there.”
“Is that supposed to make me trust you?”
“Does it not?”
Not killing her was the best she could hope for, all things considered. She couldn’t counter that, so she glared at him and said the first thing that came to her mind this close to him. “Touch me in my sleep and I will end your life.”
“What? I already told you I wouldn’t kill you; you have my word.”
As if his word meant anything to her. She made a sound to show her annoyance. Was he purposefully being obtuse? “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about … as a male would a female.” She inwardly cringed at having to say it out loud.
“Oh, come off it!” He snapped. “I’m not that type. I prefer my conquests willing.”
So, it seemed like he did have some standards, but how far did those go?
And “Conquests.” What an interesting choice of words. It told her a lot about who he was.
“How are you so sure they are willing?” she asked, but did not know why she’d asked that once the words left her lips.
He placed his hand on the ground beside her to lean closer, dangerously so.
Red eyes as dark as dried blood, common for the Dark Elves but so foreign for her.
They trailed across her face and down her body, pausing for a moment at her heaving chest, which she tried her best to quiet.
Those crimson blood-colored eyes then rested comfortably on her clear blue-gray eyes.
She stared back at him, showing him that he was not affecting her, even though her heart raced, and her bottom lip quivered.
She feared that if she did say something now, her voice would crack and all that show of strength and pride would falter.
But she refused to lie on her back and show him her belly like a scared little pup.
Her eyes searched his, trying to find something in them.
Was he elf the same as she? Did he have feelings and thoughts beyond his own self-interests?
Did his evilness come from his Dark Elf nature?
Even though that was the common perception of Dark Elves from Light Elves, she disliked that way of thinking.
Being Dark Elf didn’t make him any less of an elf than she was as a Light Elf, or at least it shouldn’t.
That kind of thinking was for the Elven Council, who thought themselves superior to all other races.
It was something Lindana was trying to change.
But as her eyes searched his, his eyes searched hers, and neither refused to give in first. Her body heated up, and it made her feel uncomfortable.
Strands of his long white hair fell from his shoulder.
She focused on that instead. The way they glinted in the light, as if they were veins of silver through rock.
He smelled clean, like fresh cotton clothes hanging in the sun, and something else, a spice she could not place.
The clean smell was probably from his bathing from earlier, which reminded her that she had to do the same, as her scent was probably not as fresh.
But what was that other smell? It wasn’t a bad smell, quite the opposite.
“Oh, they are willing,” he finally spoke, and his voice was deep and seductive again.
He smiled in a self-satisfied way as an elf does when they know they are right or hold the upper hand.
His red eyes gave her a knowing look, even though she wasn’t sure she should know what he meant. “They beg me for it.”
She gulped. “Why would anyone do that?”
“Wouldn’t you like to find out, little flower?” He brought his hand up to her face.
She jerked back, but the tree prevented her from moving much. “Little flower?”
He retracted his hand, not touching her as she thought he would, and she was grateful for it, but he had the audacity to look surprised at her display of disgust at his closeness.
Were all Dark Elf males so forward toward females? Approaching a Light Elf female to begin relations as a male was unheard of unless he went through the lengthy process of properly courting her.
“The incense from the temple. I can still smell it all over you. It’s what gave you away back in the forest.” He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in, then opened his eyes once more and withdrew the breath he held. “What flower is that?”
“Jasmine,” she answered, thinking of Lindana and lowering her voice. “And ylang ylang.”
He took notice of her change in mood by shrinking back to his spot against the tree. Finally, left alone! Let’s hope he said nothing more for the rest of their sleep.
A whiff of that scent again forced her attention back on him. He was taking something out of his pocket. That was where that smell came from. Spiced dried meat!
She tumbled over to his side, forgetting her Light Elf decorum as she hovered over him. He chuckled at her. “Is there something you want from me, little flower? You should ask for it first, politely.”
“Don’t make me beg for it or I’ll gut you right here!” Hunger burned in her belly, and she was in no mood for games.
He erupted in laughter, and she growled at him. “Hold on, little flower, or should I call you little gremlin for all the growling?”
She cast him an evil glare, the hunger making her even more irritable.
“See, I am a good elf,” he said, ripping off a chunk of the dried meat and giving her the largest piece. She grabbed it and went back to sit at her place at the base of the tree.
The meat was tender even though it was dried, and the spices so fragrant they melted smoothly in her mouth.
“Little flower likes Dark Elf cooking,” he said, thoroughly entertained by watching her eat.
She chewed it, savoring the flavors. Was this Dark Elf cooking? It was divine. The way the spices blended together made perfect harmony. “What is this spice?” she asked as if it were nothing and not one of the best things she’d ever tasted.
“It’s a spice blend,” he answered. “For Dark Elf food—meats and stews. We even fry it in bread.” He then sighed, “What I wouldn’t do for some malaas bread now.”
“What’s malaas ?”
“The name of the spice mixture.”
“Oh,” she sighed, finishing the last of the dried meat, sad that there was no more.
But her stomach still thanked her for the gift by stopping its growling.
She’d been hungry for a while but tried to suffer through it.
Her mind had been on other things, like killing this assassin who was now seated next to her.
She glanced over at him, still eating his dried meat. He ripped off small strips and leisurely placed them into his mouth as he stared at the waterfall in front of them, seemingly lost in thought as he chewed his meal slowly.
Should she have killed him? Thinking of this failure made her frown, remembering her attempts earlier that day. Gods, it had only been one day. Why did it seem much longer than that? Things had happened so fast.
This morning, she hadn’t a care in the world and started it like she always did, greeting Lindana after her mid-morning prayers. Now, she was lost in the Evergloom with Lindana’s killer resting on a hope that he would help her.
She continued watching him eat his meal, oblivious to her silent observations .
If she tried to kill him, he would fight back. Any elf with even an inkling of self-preservation would do the same. But then, how would she find out who ordered Lindana’s assassination?
Sticking to him was her best bet in getting the information she needed and her best bet in making it out of here alive. But could she live with it? Letting Lindana’s killer go…
When she found the elf who ordered Lindana’s assassination, she would bring justice down upon them, but that was not all. She could trick this Dark Elf assassin. Get him to lower his guard. Trap him somehow. But before she could do that, she had to have him trust her.
Did he trust her?
He said he wouldn’t kill her and had proven it to her twice by saving her life. And he’d sized her up. Knew she couldn’t kill him.
But that didn’t mean she wasn’t planning other ways of revenge.
Light Elves had courts, and the guilty had to be proven so, which was decided after a deliberation by the Elven Council in what they called a “trial.”
He had committed a crime, and he would pay for it, the right way.
How would she get him back to Alfheim, though? With a lie? A ruse?