Elora looked at the offending hand pressed firmly to Tony’s chest and quickly jerked it back. “Seriously?” she asked incredulously. “You were bothered by that?”
“Wait,” Tony suddenly spoke up, “are you his Chosen?”
“I don’t like you touching other males,” Cush told her simply without acknowledging Tony’s question.
“It’s not like I was copping a feel,” Elora argued.
“I told you I was possessive,” Cush countered.
“That’s putting it mildly don’t you think?” Tony spoke up again, this time to Elora. “If you’re his Chosen, then you would do well not to breathe the same air as other males.”
“You’re mine,” Cush added.
“Yes, we’ve established that. So when you finally meet your Chosen do you suddenly devolve and revert back to caveman mentality? Do you suddenly feel the need to drag me around by my hair?”
“I wouldn’t give him any ideas,” Tony muttered.
“And you,” Elora said sharply as she turned and pointed at him, “nobody is asking for a side commentary on the This is Elora’s Life show, so keep your helpful hints to yourself.”
“You’ve got your hands full.” Tony looked passed her to Cush.
Elora jerked around when she heard a soft huff of laughter, but Cush’s face was still as stone in his unwavering glare. “She’s worth it,” he said as his eyes met hers.
Elora rolled her eyes. “You know what, whateve. You two want to kill each other then have at it. Those of us who want to save the world will just wait until you’re done.”
“You’re being dramatic again,” Oakley said from behind her.
“Nobody asked you, Bro,” Elora said, not taking her eyes off the men still glaring at each other.
“I am not a dark elf and I have no desire to see the humans enslaved, nor do any of my people,” Cush told Tony.
Tony folded his arms across his chest—his very broad chest, Elora admitted to herself—and looked from Rin to Cush. “You don’t get it. You’re an elf. I don’t care if you’re light, dark, or somewhere in the middle. You are only concerned with your own people. I’ve been dealing with your kind for far too long; I know exactly what you are capable of and what kind of power you wield. Those who have power always wind up wanting more.”
“You have been dealing with the wrong kind of elves if those have been your only experiences with my race. Do you not have evil humans? Do you not have people who have killed their own? Would you condemn the entire human race because of those black sheep?” Cush spoke calmly, his words measured and even.
Tony rubbed his face, clearly exhausted, before finally responding. “Look, why don’t we just talk about why you are here. Who sent you?”
“Triktapic, King of the Elves,” Cush told him.
“Sort of,” Elora added as she stepped closer to Cush.
Tony’s brow rose at her words. “What do you mean sort of?”
“He actually thought we would be meeting back up with him and his woman at the light-elf castle, but that plan got jacked up.”
“Is Trik alright?” Tony asked, the alarm in his voice also evident on his face.
Cush cocked his head to the side and eyed the human. “How do you know Trik?”
“He’s a friend,” Tony said vaguely.
“How good a friend?” Elora asked as she stepped up beside Cush. She took his hand in hers and his warmth seeped into her immediately.
“A very good friend,” Tony bit out.
Elora smiled. “You’re that friend Cassie told me about.”
“You know Trik’s Chosen?” Tony asked.
“You could say that,” Elora said coolly.
“Are you alright?” Cush asked her as she squeezed his hand.
“Yes, just feeling a little restless. Touching you helps.” Elora looked up at him and hated that she was causing him to be concerned, but the energy rushing through her was getting worse. She shifted from foot to foot and bit her bottom lip. She imagined she probably looked like someone who badly needed to use the restroom. She froze in mid–shift as she realized that everyone was staring at her.
“What?” she asked looking from face to face.
“Is your Chosen human?” Tony asked Cush.
Elora snorted. “Dude, I’m right here. You can ask me.”
“Why do you ask?” Cush asked, his voice deep and low. No one missed the threat it contained.
“Because she’s twitching like a dark elf who hasn’t nurtured their dark side in a while.”
Chapter 8
“I can’t even begin to describe how old I am, how much I have seen and done and experienced. And yet with all of that, still she amazes me. She is as pure as freshly fallen snow, as hopeful as new life in the spring, and she loves me. How can I ever be worthy of that?” ~Trik
“It’s sort of creepy to wake up and have silver, glowing eyes staring so intently at me,” Cassie said as she yawned and stretched her stiff limbs. Trik sat in a chair next to her bed. His arms were resting on his legs as he leaned towards her.
A small smile played on his lips. “Get used to it, Beautiful, because I plan to watch you sleep whenever I can.”
“Your comment just upped the creepy factor several points,” she told him as she sat up and swung her legs over to dangle off the side of the bed. Trik eased out of the chair until he was kneeling before her with his hands on her waist and their faces level with each other, a rare occurrence since he was so much taller than she.
“You knew I was creepy when you took me as your own, Cassie,” he pointed out as he ran his nose along her jaw.
Cassie let her head fall to the side giving him access to her neck and she grinned when his deep chuckled sent a warm puff of air across her flesh.
“I suppose that is true,” she conceded, her voice taking on a dreamy quality as she let herself surrender to his touch. His hands ran up her back until one was holding her neck and the other buried in her blonde locks. Trik maneuvered his body between her thighs and pulled her against
him. Cassie felt the lips that had been at her ear press firmly against her own and she was suddenly ravenous for him. She deepened the kiss, grabbing a hold of his powerful shoulders and pulling him closer. She felt her soul rising from deep inside of her, as if it was bubbling up from the tips of her toes. She felt it reach up to meet his and just when she thought the emotions inside of her couldn’t grow any more powerful they seemed to explode inside of her.