“It was a dark and stormy night,” Elora started. Oakley glared at her but she heard a snort come from Cush’s direction and that made her smile. Great, I’m smiling because I made my fantasy elf crush laugh. I’m lame, she thought.
Two hours later Oakley was once again up and pacing as Elora finished her explanation.
“So that’s how I ended up at your door. I guess this is where I wanted to be,” she said. “Mom followed me with,” she pointed to Cush and Rin, “those two. The sexy brooding one is Cush and the sexy non-brooding one is Rin.”
Cush didn’t acknowledge Oakley. He just continued to stare at Elora who gave him a wink and blew him a kiss. His lips twitched and she knew he was trying to hold back a smile.
“And Cassie is in the Elf realm?” he asked.
“Yes, with her mate, Trik,” Lisa answered.
“So what now?” Oakley stopped pacing and looked over to Cush and Rin.
“We need to get to the light-elf castle and see what the king has planned,” Cush said as he pushed away from the wall he was leaning on. He walked over to the large front window and then looked back over his shoulder at Elora. “We must go.”
Elora nodded and then stood. She looked back at Oakley and smiled. “Got to save the world.”
Oakley laughed. “If anybody can, it’s you and Cassie.”
Lisa hugged him and kissed his cheek. “We’ll be back. You stay safe.”
Oakley nodded and then watched as the group walked up to where Cush stood in front of the window.
“Picture the throne room in your mind. Lisa. You hold Elora’s hand and follow with her,” Cush instructed and then stepped into the window. His foot and head hit the glass at the same time. He probably wouldn’t have cracked it except that Elora ran into his back followed by her mother, which created a very painful Elora sandwich.
“What the…,” Elora said as she tried to right herself and back away from Cush, tripping over Lisa in the process.
Cush stared hard at the now cracked glass. His hand reached out slowly as if the glass would bite him.
“Something is wrong,” he said absently.
“What was your first clue? The inability to walk through the glass or the inability to walk through the glass?” Elora asked dryly. Lisa smacked her arm and glared at her. “What?” Elora growled. “I’m sorry, but I tend to get pissy when things don’t go the way they’re supposed to.”
“When are you not pissy?” Rin asked, breaking his long silence.
Elora gave him the single eyebrow stare. “Finally come out to play?”
Rin chuckled at her and then looked past her to the elf behind her. He shook his head. “I don’t have a death wish.”
Elora looked over her shoulder and saw that Cush was glaring daggers at her and Rin. She shrugged her shoulders. “Whateve.”
“So what, you can’t get back to your realm?” Oakley asked.
“The portals have been closed,” Cush answered grimly.
“Bloody hell,” Elora suddenly breathed out as the realization hit her. “That means Cassie can’t get back here.” She looked over to her mom. “You know her parents are probably freaking out.”
“You’re right, Elora, we need to go check on them and let them know that Cassie is okay.”
Elora threw her arms up in the air. “What are we going to say? Hey your daughter is fine but you can’t see her because she’s with her quiver carrying boy toy in the elf realm, and oh yeah, she’s trapped there.”
“Quiver carrying?” Cush’s deep voice rumbled from behind her and she heard the amusement in it without seeing his face. She turned on him and pinned him with her eyes. “Are you trying to tell me you don’t carry a quiver?”
Cush took a step towards her and his huge frame towered over her. She watched him warily as a slow smile formed on his sensual lips. He leaned down next to her ear and whispered, “No, Little Raven, I don’t carry a quiver. I wield a sword.”
Caught off guard by his statement, she let out a bark of laughter and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. He stood back to his full height and looked at her. Elora felt her face growing warm. She cleared her throat and attempted to compose herself. “Well, by all means, wield away.” Their eyes met as she punctuated her flirtatious statement with a wink.
“Elora.”
“Yes, Lisa?” Elora answered, finally turning away from the intense stare of Cush.
“Oakley’s going to drive us home.”
“I am?” he interrupted.
“You are,” Lisa confirmed. “And then we will go over to Cassie’s and speak with her mother. Cush and Rin, you guys are just going to have to stay with us until this is all sorted out.”
The elves looked at each other and shrugged. With no better plan presenting itself, they clambered into Oakley’s van, a vehicle which, while certainly roomy enough, was not designed for beings as large as Cush and Rin.
“Oakley, when did you get a van?” Elora asked as she started to climb in behind Rin but was pulled back by Cush, who made sure she didn’t end up on the bench seat next to the other elf. She wanted to be annoyed by it, but there was a part of her, way, way, way, WAY deep down that liked how possessive he was. Mother of pearl, I’m a freak, she thought to herself as Cush sat down in the seat next to her. Maybe so, but if that is what I get to be freaky with, really who am I to complain? Elora nearly laughed out loud at her inner monologue.
“I won it,” Oakley answered vaguely.
“Uh-uh, right,” Elora responded just as vaguely.
Twenty minutes into their drive, Lisa suddenly turned around and looked at Elora. Her face held one of those looks that said she had just remembered something that shocked her the first time she’d heard it, and it still continued to do so.
“Chosen?” Her eyes narrowed at her daughter and then shifted to Cush. “While you are welcome to stay in my house, and I understand what a Chosen is and just how strong the connection is, there will be no sword wielding under my roof!”
Elora’s eyes widened at her mother’s words and her mouth dropped open, but nothing would come out. Cush didn’t seem to have the same problem because the words that came out of his mouth flowed as smooth as butter.
“I’m honored to be allowed in your home, Lisa, and I understand that Elora and I will have to practice our swordplay off of the premises.”