Chapter 14
S hikra’s expression shifted to something unreadable once he noticed her reaction. He knelt by the boat, inspecting it for their voyage across the subterranean lake, and pushed it into the water.
Why was he pulling away now, when just moments ago he’d burned for her?
“Shikra?” she asked with hesitation. “What’s…”
“We should leave now.” He cut her question off.
She nodded her head, giving up on questioning him further, even though he was acting strange just now.
He jumped in the boat first and then went to help her. She took his outstretched hand and stepped onboard. It rocked slightly with her weight. She sat down to steady it. Shikra then shoved them off the gray sandy shore.
She cast her gaze up at the rock ceiling as he rowed the boat at a steady, gentle rhythm toward the center of the lake.
High above, massive stalactites hung down like the open maw of a dragon.
She envisioned them falling on them, either on top of their heads—that would kill them instantly—or piercing through the boat so they would drown in this open water, and she shuddered.
She didn’t know why she thought of the worst scenarios for everything. Maybe because she was practical, if anything. She liked this part of herself, even though it only led to more anxiety for her, especially on a day that had started off so troublesomely.
To get her mind off the impending doom dangling so precariously above them, she traced her eyes to the center of the lake, where there was a cave opening, illuminating everything below in brilliant white light, allowing them to see while in the cavern.
She was relieved it was day and not night. The inky black water would have been even more eerie then, especially now peering into the water at her side. A shiver went up her spine. So dark, so unfathomable. She knew not its depths or what stirred beneath.
Taking a deep breath, she drew her gaze away from the water, thinking that if she could not see it, that meant it would not worry her.
Shikra was sitting across from her, rowing the boat in silence.
They went at a fast, even pace, but there was no sound of disturbance to the water as their oars cut through.
Everything he did had stealth. Much of him reminded her of a cat.
They sat facing each other. He had been watching her while she took in their surroundings, and his gaze lingered a little too long. She had to turn away.
The lake transitioned from black to a deep, rich sapphire. They were underneath the cave opening now. Relief washed over her, not just for the comforting light but also for not being under the dragon’s maw, giving her a brief respite from her worries, never mind how irrational they may be.
Daylight surrounded them, the same as if they were back in her world. A smile surfaced, and she had to turn to Shikra, wanting to share this joy, unable to contain her excitement.
“Happy?” he asked.
“It feels good to be in the sunlight again after all that dark.” She sighed and closed her eyes, tilting her head up to soak up the sun’s rays better. How she’d missed it so.
“You were made for the sun.”
“Hm?” She opened her eyes and looked back at him. The sincerity in his voice struck her. There was a tenderness to him that she had never noticed before, or maybe he was only showing it to her now.
“I am Light Elf,” she responded, looking away at some imaginary thing beyond their boat. His supposed compliment left her with nothing to say. She could tell he was sweet on her, but this … their conversation had taken a strange turn into unknown territory for her.
Normally, by now, she would have left the conversation or ignored the remark if it had come from an overtly flirtatious male—not as easy to do in a boat, though.
He continued to look at her as he rowed them quietly to the other shore. He had been admiring her while she was admiring the sun. But he hadn’t said anything else after that.
Trapped together in the small boat, with no escape from his gaze, the silence grew awkward.
“Light Elves made from the light, and Dark Elves made from its shadow. Wood Elves born of the trees above, and orcs born of the rocks below.” It was a nursery rhyme all elves knew. “Are Dark Elves made for the dark?”
They passed the barrier of light and were back into the murk of the Evergloom once more. “The dark can be comforting,” he then answered.
“For hiding in shadows?”
“That too,” he acknowledged. “The shadows have served me well. But what I was referring to was more of the finality darkness brings. Things settle in the dark.”
“True,” she sighed. “Nighttime brings rest and reflection.”
He frowned, and his countenance changed.
“But things are different down here. There is no sun to plunge the world into light once more at the turning of dawn. The dark is not a time of rest, for there is no day to break it. Things fester and grow malevolent far more in the Evergloom than on the surface, but knowing this forces one to become observant, and even take some of that malevolence for oneself. It is the only way we were able to survive in this dark world.”
“You mean the Dark Elves.”
He paused, but just for a moment, rowing in silence before he spoke what was on his mind.
“You will see things here that will confuse you as a child of the sun. You may find them heartless, and you may think us evil. I will not lie to you, life in the Evergloom is cruel. Anything precious is stomped on and trampled in this unforgiving world. Innocence is lost at a young age to prepare children to survive their harsh realities. Beauty is a commodity to be bought and sold and kept in chains by its jealous owners.”
“You paint Dark Elves in the worst light possible.” He was almost doing as good a job at that as the Elven Council.
“I do not say this to pass judgment on my culture. I say it as a truth that you should know. Ignorance will only get you killed down here.”
Her mouth closed shut. She felt embarrassed for some reason. “What are you trying to tell me exactly?”
His eyes narrowed in on her, his voice lowered. “That you should heed my warnings.”
He continued his lecture. “The moment you are seen, you will be taken. Your innocence and beauty, and your race as Light Elf, will only set the price on you higher.”
“Land ahead.” She pointed behind him, gracious for this moment of reprieve. The conversation had taken a turn and made her feel uncomfortable.
He steered the boat to shore, beaching it on the gray sand.
She accepted his hand as he helped her onto dry land.
The dark water lapped lazily at the shore, like a lullaby.
The fatigue from earlier reappeared as the sound lulled her to sleepiness.
With all the excitement the labyrinth brought, she had nearly forgotten that she had not slept well the night before.
The light was dimming from the cave ahead. That meant the sun would set soon on the surface world. The air already felt colder. She shivered, and her teeth chattered, only wearing a linen shirt and thin pants. These were the clothes she would normally wear under her tunic.
But then a warmth enveloped her. He had placed his cloak over her and tied the strings for her at the neck. The cloak was large and nearly scraped the ground on her, but the warmth it brought comforted her in more ways than one.
Why was he so kind to her? Where did that danger go?
“We should make camp here and leave our search for a town or village for tomorrow.” He was watching the fast-dimming light from the cave entrance above.
She was glad he did not notice as she drew the cape closer and sniffed the thick fabric. It smelled like him, that comforting mixture of leather and spice.
He started gathering a strange-looking plant that grew abundantly around the shore.
It looked like a mass of exposed tree roots but was an orange-red color and more plant-like in texture.
“This is red root. It grows in the Evergloom in cold places near water. It is thick and fibrous, much like mushroom tree stalk, and it can burn for a long time.”
He placed a pile of the red root on the ground and called his fire spell. The red root took to the fire almost immediately and held the flames at a steady pace.
She sat first by the fire, pulling the cloak tighter around her shoulders, and he sat next to her.
“Unfortunately, we cannot eat red root,” he said as he threw some more into the fire. He had placed another pile of red root by the fire for them to refuel it throughout the night .
Her stomach caved in. Like sleep, they also had not eaten since the morning.
The last thing they had was roasted mushrooms. The water they put into a skin that they’d retrieved from the cavern with the waterfall was empty as well.
They would have to find water and food tomorrow, or they would be in trouble.
The lake was too dark to be fresh, and it was unwise to chance a drink.
Being this hungry was severely uncomfortable, especially with all the demanding physical activity from the day.
She knew how to make do and survive mainly because she grew up in the forest, and her soldier training had taught her survival skills.
But this was for her world on the surface, not the Evergloom.
The world went dark in an instant. The sun was gone for the day.
She was glad to have this fire in front of her as the temperature also dropped.
There was a sudden chill in the air, even with the cloak on.
She glanced at Shikra. The cold didn’t seem to bother him the same.
He sat with one arm draped over his knee, eyes fixed on the fire.
“If we cannot eat,” she said, stifling a low yawn. “We must sleep as much as we can to regain our strength.”
The sand was hard-packed and cold, but her exhaustion did not care about the discomfort. She curled into a ball by the fire and drifted off.
In her dreams, Shikra held her in his arms, and she snuggled up close to him. Her cold nose sought warmth in the bend of his neck, and he planted light kisses on her forehead. A joy spread through her that was a mixture of warmth, comfort, and belonging.
Nothing could harm her. Here, she was wanted, cherished, and loved.