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A week later Cal gazed out over the breathtaking vista spread before her. The mountains would never fail to enthrall her. “Sometimes I still can’t believe this place.”
She and Relian were perched on a high hill, which gave an unobstructed view of what looked like miles. They’d craved solitude and privacy. Though the royal wing offered more of those than most other places within Eriannon, they’d wanted to leave the palace and town behind for a few hours. Relian certainly knew the best spots. This time, he’d brought guards, but they were at quite a distance from them.
Relian shifted behind her on the blanket they were lounging on, settling her back comfortably against him. “The mountains or Eria itself?” His breath played over her cheek, stirring the tendrils that lay there. “I would say Eria, but you haven’t seen much of it outside of Eriannon.”
“Both, truthfully. Everything has a natural air of beauty about it here.”
“Is there not beauty in your land?”
Cal mulled over how to answer that question. “Of course there is, but it’s not so...concentrated as it is here.”
“So there are places of beauty but also places of...” He trailed off, apparently waiting for her to finish the thought.
“Ugliness. No, that isn’t quite right. While there are places that are ugly, the more accurate description would be ‘lacking in beauty.’ My world, while it has its own beauty, has a cold sterility in some areas.”
Relian rested his chin on the top of her head. He was so touchy-feely with her. Caution and reserve usually seemed to rule over him, but with her he was different. She doubted he’d shown this level of affection to any other female. At least she hoped not.
As she drank in this newest revelation, he spoke again. “It sounds as if nature has been removed from the equation.”
“In many cases, it has.”
“That’s a sad thing.” His voice reverberated against her head and back, sending a chill through her.
“Yes, it is.” And Cal found it was.
Until coming to Eria, she’d never thought of herself as a nature lover. Like many Americans, she knew the importance of recycling and taking better care of the environment, but those facts were mixed in with cars, electricity, and all the other modern amenities missing here. Those very conveniences often led to half-hearted attempts at negating the errors of a consumer-driven lifestyle. Though she always recycled her empty cups when possible, she’d tended to overlook the three-mile drive, one-way, to get the precious liquid that came in those cups.
But it wasn’t that simple. She couldn’t be naïve and look down on her world overmuch, though improvements would certainly be beneficial. Eria and Earth were two very different places, and she couldn’t hold them to the same standards. It really was like comparing apples to oranges. Modern society couldn’t function under the same auspices found in Eria.
Cal shook off her thoughts, not wanting to think too deeply. Her mind turned to something that had nagged at her for the last couple of days, but Relian spoke before she could inquire.
“In Eria, hot and arid areas exist—not the kind of beauty you see here but still with a loveliness of their own. We also have the luxury of time that most mortals don’t have. We can perfect techniques to an art and have done so. What you see here wasn’t constructed in its entirety for many, many years—far more years than a single mortal has.” He said this with no hint of bragging, just with a strong conviction of knowledge long held.
“That stands to reason, though I never thought about it in such detail.” The perfect segue for acquiring other information had arrived. A thrill of gratification shimmied down her spine. “The land is that diverse? Now that you’ve mentioned Eria, I have a few questions.”
“Yes?” His voice sounded a little wary.
“Eria is the country your father rules, the home of the eivans or the elves, as I call you?”
He moved his lips over her hair. “Mmm, that’s correct.”
Cal took a deep breath and then released her flood of questions. “Is it the name of this world, this dimension? What other countries and peoples are there? Are they elves or from another race? From what I’ve gathered, there are few humans in Eria. And they’re only here because they bonded to an elf thousands of years ago before you guys removed yourselves from Earth.”
Relian remained silent until he chuckled. “So many questions, my lady! Did you even stop to breathe?”
She elbowed him lightly in the ribs. “Are you saying I talk too much?”
“I would never tell a lady any such thing.”
“No, just think it.”
He shrugged. “Possibly. But I find that you, as of yet, do not speak overmuch.”
Cal frowned. “Thanks, I think. Do females here ‘speak overmuch?’”
“Don’t females of any race?”
“I won’t dignify that with an answer.” She scooted around to straddle him and glared, pulling on one thin braid that hung from his temple.
He took that opportunity to capture her lips with his. She leaned into his touch and slid her hands over his back. The muscles rippled under her fingertips. A pleasurable hum spread through her, and she shivered. He moaned into her mouth. Her hands fisted in his hair, the strands caressing her skin.
She pressed her breasts against the solid wall of his chest, their tips stiffening. His arousal jutted proudly against her lower stomach. She shifted, and his hands spanned her waist to move her up and forward. His sex pressed against hers. Oh, God. Heat flooded her lower regions. He thrust against her. Oh, God. Oh, God. She grew slick with need, and her hips moved in rhythm with his. His hands came up to cup her breasts, and she groaned as he flicked his thumbs over her nipples. Some part of her mind screamed they needed to stop, but the other part wanted to tear his clothes off and throw him down onto the blanket. If they kept going, she’d do exactly that.
He seemed to read her mind because he pulled away with a moan. His pupils were dilated, and his hoarse voice revealed his acute discomfort as he spoke. “Enough, or I’ll take you right here. My restraint is perilously close to snapping. I don’t want our first time to be a hasty, unplanned coupling. I want to do this right, with the proper ceremonies. When we make love, it will be as a bonded couple.”
She suppressed a tremor. He sounded so authoritative. Dear Lord, why’d she find that so sexy? All she could manage was a nod. She didn’t point out that they hadn’t agreed to bond. They sat in silence, their harsh and ragged breathing the only sound roaring in her ears.
Once air returned to her lungs and her pulse slowed, she cleared her throat to control the huskiness of her voice. “You still haven’t addressed any of my questions.” She nearly laughed at the comical surprise that flitted across his face. So he’d expected her to forget what they were talking about? Not going to happen.
He appeared to choose his words carefully. “There are other fae species and countries. But if there’s no complaint, I would like you to first focus on Eria, and its culture and history. That’s quite an undertaking in and of itself. After you develop a comfortable foundation there, other countries and their peoples will be addressed.”
“Fae peoples!” She smirked, giddy with new knowledge and a sense of achievement.
Relian framed her face with his hands and planted a kiss on her forehead. “There are quite a few of them, each similar and different in their own right.”
Not so different from Earth, then. The thought of her old home cast a sadness over her. It came and went, some days worse than others.
“Tell me about your home life, if you will?” Relian must’ve sensed her pensive mood, as he often did, since he changed the subject. It was a tactic he’d used more than once, and though she was aware of it, she allowed it most of the time.
“Only if you reciprocate.” She turned sideways in his embrace, so she could lean her shoulder against him.
“Of course.” Relian dipped his head, hair spilling over his velvet-clad shoulders. Her fingers itched to play in that fall of hair. Why shouldn’t she? He often had his fingers in hers. She and Relian had practically humped each other, so that made most caresses seem innocent. They didn’t have to be locked in a passionate moment for her to touch him. Her hands relaxed involuntarily, and she reached up to run a hand through the beckoning strands.
“I love your hair.” Her fingers glided through the black curtain, her skin a splash of paleness against the inkiness of his hair. He leaned into her touch, practically purring with a look of...utter bliss on his face? She faltered a bit. Could he really like that simple act so much?
He looked down at her, smiling unabashedly. “I love your touch.”
Her hands stilled. Well, that cleared up any lingering question she had.
“What you do is a very relaxing, yet intimate act for my kind.”
She nearly dropped the strands her fingers had frozen on. What, this was a form of foreplay to them?
Relian’s shoulders shook. “Oh, Cal, how you make me laugh. Though it’s true this is an intimacy shared between lovers, it’s also one shared by family and close friends. There’s not necessarily anything sexual about it. It all depends on the people involved.”
“So it’s kind of like the socialization that monkeys undergo when grooming each other for bugs?” Her free hand flew to her mouth.
Instead of being offended as she feared, he broke into peals of laughter. “I’ve never heard it quite phrased that way, but I guess it’s as close a description as any. That is if we were monkeys—which I have only a vague idea as to what they might be—and carried around insects on our person.”
Her face heated. Great, he was teasing her. She’d probably never live it down. What if he told his father or Kenhel? Or worse, Maggie?
“Don’t fret. I won’t tell a soul.”
She relaxed.
“Except for maybe my father and Kenhel.”
She stiffened and started to remove her hand from his hair. He stopped her. “Nay, I tease. I won’t tell if you promise to remain as you are and speak of your life. However, I can’t guarantee I won’t tease you, whether in public or private. But I won’t release the details without your permission.”
“That trade is acceptable: story and finger-combing for semi-silence.”
A smile lit his face. “Good, my lady. Please proceed at your earliest convenience.”
She rolled her eyes upward. Now he was just being a goof. “Where to start?” Her hand started its movement again.
Relian gave a sound of contentment before he answered. “Your typical day would be sufficient. What endeavor would you usually be engaged in at this moment?”
She glanced at her hand wryly before looking at him. “Definitely not this.”
“I would hope not.”
Jealous, was he? Consider it payback for Cianve. She smirked internally before tackling his question. “Hmm, here it’s early afternoon. Probably studying or in a practice.”
“Practice?”
Cal realized how little they’d actually talked since the language barrier had been overcome. She still didn’t know much about his life and vice versa. Since she was on his home turf, she had the benefit of inference. She could watch him interact with his people and surroundings to gain a better understanding of his life. Relian didn’t have that luxury, as everything was new to her. He might learn about how she handled new stressors in her life, but that didn’t tell specifically about what had come before.
She shot him a smile. “Rehearsals and recitals.” Her smile faded. “I attend...attended college to study music. Well, music education.” Lines formed between his brows, so she hastened to explain. “Music education is for those who want to teach music to children.”
“College? This is an English word?”
“I don’t know if there’s an equivalent term for it in Elvish. It’s basically a place of higher learning.”
“Ah, like studying with the masters of an art?” He closed his eyes and sighed.
Cal looked at her hand, wondering how it could bring the often-austere male to such a state. He popped open an eyelid quizzically and looked at her before glancing down at her hand, which rested on his shoulder.
Oh, she’d forgotten to respond. “Sort of. A college or university is a place where people can choose from many different careers or arts, as you call them. Music education was one of many available majors at the college I attended.”
His eyelids came down to cover that too perceptive gaze from her sight. The feeling of his hair between her fingers created a hypnotic effect and had a mesmerizing pull on her eyes. His state of relaxation was starting to reel her in. Did she even want to escape?
When he turned his head and nuzzled her hand, he startled her out of her complacent stupor. Why was he being so affectionate? Not that she was complaining. Maybe heavy-duty elvin courtship consisted of demonstrations such as these. Elves seemed, as a culture, quite gallant in their everyday mannerisms with the opposite sex, and finding a spouse was a high priority to many. So was it any surprise he acted this way? If he didn’t, that’d probably give her more cause for concern.
Back home, a guy usually only showed such affection when wanting more—that something “more” meaning sex. The preprogrammed glasses she’d used to view other men often didn’t apply here, though.
“So tell me more about this music education major you undertook.”
As she told him, she found herself referring to everything in the past tense, and her heart sank. If he noticed her phrasing, he didn’t comment on it. But then, what could he say? Her future was anything but settled.
“You like to sing? You shall have to perform for us.” Even though it came out in the form of a command, he sounded hopeful. “Music is a favored pastime here.”
Cal froze, balking at the idea. She didn’t have to ask whom he meant by “us.” The music of the elves was in a class of its own. His people often gathered in the great hall for performances that comprised musicians, singers, and dancers. Some of the musicians could draw out one’s emotions and desires as if they were painting a masterpiece of great beauty and agony. She could become lost in it if she wasn’t careful. While she’d performed in front of large audiences, it’d been for human ears, not elvin ones. So how would she feel standing before a crowd of elves who had time to perfect everything through time and magic?
She decided not to respond with an offer. Maybe he’d forget if she answered only part of his query. “I have a passable voice.” As she shrugged, she fidgeted with his hair. “It’s better than some, worse than others.”
“If I ever have cause to hear your voice raised in song, I’m sure I would find it lovely, like the rest of you.” He opened his eyes to a slit and gave her a heated glance.
Cal swallowed. “Umm...right.”
He chuckled. Was it her imagination, or was he always laughing at her? Well, Relian did say she made him laugh. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. Did he find her enchanting or just amusing, like a simple child? Maybe both?
“You’re shy now?” He lifted a brow. “One moment you’re demonstrative and the next you’re hiding away.”
He didn’t sound judgmental, so she didn’t think he criticized her. She managed to give a small smile in return. “I can’t help it. That’s the way I am, especially around you.” Her mind screamed for her to close her blubbering mouth. He already knew he made her flustered. Confirmation wasn’t needed to make it all the more glaring.
“I find it charming, and it’s somewhat expected. I sometimes forget how young you are and how new you are to this world.”
There was that word “young” again. Dread rose up. Did he think of her as barely out of childhood? “You’re always referring to how young I am. Everyone here does, in some form or another. You don’t treat me as a child, but I don’t feel as if I’m viewed like a full-grown adult, either. Yet if I stay, I’ll soon look older than every elf here.” Which was a major problem she didn’t know how they were going to tackle.
Relian sobered. “You are young in years compared to an adult elf. Elf children grow very slowly. If I remember my studies correctly, the years you’ve lived would equate roughly to that of a two-year-old elfling.”
“A two-year-old?” Her voice squeaked. She was nothing but a two-year-old to them? It was a wonder they didn’t coddle her more. He also hadn’t answered her observation about aging. She’d all too soon look older than the whole land of Eria put together. Her mind couldn’t continue to shy away from that fact.
Relian took one of her hands in his. “Yes, two. For every year that a human child grows, it takes elvin children ten to match that same growth, physically and mentally. Our years don’t hold true to yours or yours to ours. You are human, so we have to judge you by those standards. I’ll admit, though, this presents a conundrum of sorts for us. We’ve long been removed from your kindred and have forgotten how to view you. I don’t see you as a child and doubt many here see you as one. But everyone does keep the youth of your years in mind, a youth that seems both young and old to us.”
He added a teasing smile. “No two-year elf could handle what you and Maggie are facing with such fortitude. Your years are young but still beyond what any elf could hope to achieve without a few centuries standing behind him or her. However, you’re new to this world and don’t have the knowledge a child would’ve gained by living here.”
She frowned. “I feel distinctly juvenile, and here I thought I’d left those years behind me.”
“You aren’t juvenile, but I realize our actions toward you and your friend may reflect otherwise at times. Still—”
“Sorry to interrupt but let me guess. Once we are more accustomed to this world, that’ll change. Right?”
“It seems you know me too well.” He drifted his lips over her neck, creating a pleasurable tickle that spread throughout her body. “Now tell me more about your life. Your family, were they supportive of your endeavors?”
***
“Do you have to go?” Cal rumpled the fabric of her skirt between tense hands. She knew she was grasping at grains that would slip through her fingers, but she had to try. Though he often left on short patrols, this one would be longer. She’d dearly miss him. They’d only grown closer since Eamon’s attack on her two months ago.
Relian took her by the arm and guided her toward a settee in the sitting room connected to his bedchamber. He pulled her fingers away from the mangled material of her skirt before laying an affectionate hand against her cheek. “Yes. There are renewed attacks on some of our more remote settlements. They called for aid, so we must go to them.”
She turned to him and wound her arms around his neck. When she spoke, his shoulder muffled her voice. “I know you have to go, but my heart doesn’t seem to understand that.” She cringed at how plaintive her voice sounded. “So tell me about these darkindred people. You promised me you would.”
Relian sighed. “The darkindred started from exiles, a kind of bandit group, if you will.”
“I can hardly believe you have people like that here.”
He chuckled. “We’re not paragons of morality. We may have a greater fortitude against the vices of mankind, as we have long years to perfect this stance. Indeed, we need this, for conversely it’s our long years that would allow complete lawlessness to spread.” His voice grew progressively darker. “There would be no controlling our excesses if we didn’t take the proper means to contain them. Humans in your world can be anarchic and evil, but their time is finite and measurable. Though humans can do much damage, elves can do irreparably worse. Our laws, once you learn of them, might seem harsh and inflexible. But they are that way for good reason.”
Alarm bubbled up. She didn’t like the sinister overtone the whole conversation had taken. Though it sounded like there were scary creatures in Eria, there seemed to be even scarier laws that governed the country. The utopia she’d pictured vanished before her eyes. “Strict policing of the people reigns here?”
Even though dread clogged her throat, she tamped it down. She hadn’t seen any evidence of such tactics employed in the day-to-day life of those around her. For the most part, everyone seemed content, with no fear or disgruntlement apparent in their demeanor.
“I didn’t intend to give that impression. It’s simply not so. Our laws aren’t so cruel and unreasonable. But there are offenses that are deemed unforgivable and call for banishment or death.”
Cal joked weakly, “So no three strikes and you’re out? No second chances?”
“If you mean someone gets a chance at clemency two times before the repercussions set in for a serious crime, then no. For crimes of a lesser nature, it depends on motivation. For instance, theft will not necessarily lead to banishment. Those overseeing the trial will carefully scrutinize the circumstances. In fact, if real need existed, the perpetrator will likely face minimal punishment. However, the lord or lady who governs the thief’s town or province will face disciplinary action. Everyone in Eria is to have sufficient food and shelter. There can be no excuse if even one person doesn’t have that. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen often, as only those who seek to better their people remain in positions of power.” A wolfish grin came to his lips. “My father sees to that quite effectively.”
The blood drained from her face. “He kills them?”
Relian released a bark of laughter. “No, not unless the crime truly calls for it. In these instances, being removed from a position of power is usually recompense enough for the wrongdoing. Now, murder and rape—we won’t suffer those who seek to commit such atrocities.”
“So an instant death sentence for those who are guilty of such crimes?”
Relian picked up a strand of her hair and ran his fingers over it. “For the most part, either banishment or death is the penalty.”
“Only for the most part? So those in power can pay their way out?” She couldn’t keep the disappointment from her voice. Was their society no different from hers in that respect?
“Wealth and standing bear little importance in such cases. If anything, with their position of power, they’re held to a higher level of accountability. Our leaders should be above reproach. What I meant is that extenuating circumstances do happen but rarely.”
Cal snorted, relieved. “I somehow believe extenuating circumstances are hardly allowed to exist.” That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It ensured people didn’t get off when they shouldn’t. “So those in power can’t make mistakes?”
He shook his head. “Elves aren’t perfect. Like humans, we make mistakes. We just tend to remember them longer than humans do, individually and collectively as a society. My father allows his lords and ladies much leeway in governing their settlements. All he expects in return is loyalty and good stewardship of his lands and people. As I said, everyone should have food and shelter. Work should be distributed and denied to none if they are capable of it. Everyone is to have a part in our society.”
“That seems like a nearly perfect system. Even in some places on Earth, we have such rules. On paper, they sound good, but the practical application is anything but. Especially when one takes into consideration infirmity and mental illness.”
“We don’t have many cases of either, at least not for long. We can overcome many instances of infirmity with modification, even if we can’t heal the original problem. As for mental illness, we don’t like to kill our own kind, but if insanity lurks, we’ll respond appropriately.” Apparently seeing her wince, he assured her, “Not always with death, but elves with those disorders invariably turn violent in their long lives. Mayhap that isn’t so with humans and their short lives. Nevertheless, our system, as a whole, works well for us.”
Not wanting to think on such somber matters, Cal turned so she straddled him. She threaded her hands through his hair, stopping to trace the outline of his ears.
He groaned. “Stop that, or I won’t be able to talk.”
“You like this, do you?”
“I like it so much we won’t finish this conversation if you keep doing it.”
“I thought we were done.” She kept trailing her finger along his ear.
He scowled at her. “We haven’t finished discussing the darkindred because we got off tangent.”
“Oh yeah, with the social discourse.” She gave a pout, moving her hands to fold them before her. “Better?”
He grimaced. “I would much rather that your hands were on me than off, but it’s much easier to concentrate this way. That is, if you hold still. Your squirming is having the same effect.”
She froze. It did appear her fidgeting was causing a big problem that she wished he’d sate with her. They said they’d wait, though, so she wouldn’t push him.
“Thank you,” he said dryly. “Now to return to the problem of the darkindred. They are getting more powerful, cunning, and harder to stop.”
The light seeping into the room appeared more muted than it had half an hour ago. She shivered as his words cast a shadow across her heart. Relian was looking at her and probably expected some kind of response. “That’s not good.”
“I don’t say these things to scare you. The fight is far from over, and the people of Eria are strong and will not admit defeat. It’s not an option.” His eyes gleamed with a steely light that made the room brighter.
“When you say it that way, I somehow believe it.”
“Good. So you believe everything will be fine when I leave tomorrow?” He gave a mischievous grin as he reached out to tug on a wavy tendril that hung in front of her ear before letting his hand trail down her back. She quivered under his touch, and a satisfied smile spread over his face. “After all, I have seen battle for untold centuries. Any skirmish I face should be no different. We’ll go and come back as quickly as possible. Though I’ve never sought out war, I seek it even less now.”
The burning sincerity in his eyes shot through her body like a dose of pure sugar. Her veins suddenly seemed too small to handle her coursing blood and overwhelmed her already beleaguered senses. “Why?”
“You—I find it hard to leave you,” he admitted huskily. “The loss of your presence pulls at me most painfully.”
As his words flooded through her, she pushed him back on the settee. Somehow, she felt his sincerity as if it were her own. She didn’t want to think anymore, though. If he was leaving tomorrow, she was determined to spend their remaining hours together in more pleasurable pursuits. A make-out session was just what she needed.
After they traded several minutes of steamy kisses, she drew back and stared at him. They were both breathing hard. She was tempted to bond with him just so she could get into his leggings. A giggle bubbled up. That the word leggings described a man’s article of clothing seemed pretty hilarious, but they looked fabulous on Relian. It’d be delightful to peel them off him one day.
She sobered. If they bonded, that was.
***
Relian watched his sword as it flashed in the sunlight. It was tainted with the red of blood, as it had been so many times before, and no doubt would be so again in a matter of months. The thought was ironic. He received no pleasure from it but nevertheless would have to stain the blade with the blood of many others before he could return home.
To Cal.
They’d been apart for two weeks already. Their growing bond would continue to take a toll if he didn’t return to her soon. Even now, he felt the link tugging at him, urging him to go to her. Thoughts of her consumed him. In battle, that could lead to his death if he wasn’t careful. He was nearing the point of no return. They would either have to bond soon, or he’d start to wither. Though it probably wouldn’t kill him, he’d likely wish it would.
As he dispatched another darkindred by plunging his sword through its heart, a tingling awareness came over him. He swung around and slashed the enemy cleanly across the neck. The darkindred collapsed to the ground, clutching at its throat, though that did nothing to stem the blood flooding from the wound. Relian grimaced as the life left yellow eyes that’d been returning to their original brown. The creature looked so Elvish. Over the years, he should’ve found it easier to kill darkindred.
He didn’t.
It was still disturbing to see enemies he might’ve once called brother or sister. He had to remind himself there wasn’t much left of who or what they used to be. At least that was what he told himself.
Surveying the area during a brief respite, he took in the casualties suffered. Other than a few minor injuries, the elves were in good shape. The darkindred hadn’t fared so well. Those still standing would be quickly subdued, a few kept alive for the information they may carry.
Once every enemy was in hand, Relian wiped the blade of his sword on the grass to remove the worst of the gore. A few scouts would check the rest of the area for any lingering bands of darkindred while those soldiers on cleanup detail would remain behind to dispose of the bodies properly. Even amidst the carnage, his heart lightened with the knowledge that in a few days he would hopefully be home with Cal again.
The air stirred, and he froze. As he whirled to the side, an arrow thudded into the ground no more than a foot away. His gaze traveled from the yellow fletched arrow to the area from where it’d been shot. The figure standing near a tree was a sight that chilled him.
Andrian, his yellow eyes shining malevolently, gave a cocky wave before turning and leaping into the low branches of the nearest tree. Relian cursed. A horse would most likely be waiting under the coverage provided by the trees to spirit Andrian away. To give chase would be futile and probably deadly. No doubt a reserve of darkindred were waiting in ambush should he or any other elf give chase.
For more than one reason, his father wouldn’t be pleased that the darkindred leader was straying so close to Eriannon. Relian couldn’t say he was much happier.