“We know elves,” Elora said in her usual matter of fact tone.

Cassie coughed on her own saliva as she attempted to swallow. “Y-y-you know elves?” She stuttered out her question.

“Have you seen the products I carry in this store? Where do you think I get most of this stuff?” Lisa asked.

Cassie shook her head. “I need to sit down.”

“Yeah, you are definitely going to need to sit down before I tell you the really scary part.” Lisa walked around the counter and pulled out a chair for Cassie to sit in.

“The really scary part?” Cassie’s brow rose. “You’re telling me that elves being real isn’t scary enough?”

“Are you sure that the elf you met said that his name was Trik?” Lisa asked.

Cassie nodded.

“That’s not good.” Lisa tapped her lips with her forefinger, her eyes unfocused in thought.

“Why exactly is it not good?” Cassie was trying to grasp what Elora and her mother were saying, but it felt like they were making her drag the information out of them.

“Well, if it is the Trik, then you met the Dark Elf King’s most deadly assassin,” Lisa said.

Cassie’s head fell forward and landed on the counter with a thud. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Elora snorted. “Only you would meet the most dangerous elf out there and have him basically tell you that he wanted you to be his woman.”

“Thanks Elora, that is really helping,” Cassie thudded her head against the counter repeatedly hoping that if she knocked herself out she would wake up and all of this would have been a dream.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Lisa grabbed Cassie’s ponytail to keep her from hitting her head on the counter again. “We have a more serious concern. You said you saw the gentlemen in the conference room in all their Elfin glory. That’s not good, Cassie.”

Cassie raised a single brow at Lisa. “Really, because the death looks they gave me before chasing after me wasn’t a clue at all.”

“Well, don’t you want to know why they were chasing you,” asked Lisa.

“I guess that would be useful information to know.”

“It’s against Elfin law for a human to ever see an elf in its true form. My family has known of them for generations. I’ve known of the Elfin my whole life, and even have a close Elfin friend named Syndra. None of us—not one—has ever seen them in their natural form.

“What does that mean, exactly, that I’m not allowed to see them?” Cassie asked nervously.

“Unfortunately, Elfin law states that if a human has seen one in their true form, then the human is marked to die. Even the light elves, who are supposed to be the good guys by the way, stick to that rule. So essentially…”

“Your ass is grass,” Elora said absently as she nonchalantly flipped through a magazine as if they weren’t discussing her best friend’s imminent demise.

“Again, thank you, Elora, for the overflowing empathy,” Cassie said matching her friend’s dry tone. “Okay so let’s say that I believe you, what do I do?”

“I will speak with Syndra and see if there is some loophole that I don’t know about. Maybe there is a way to petition the Light Elf King.”

“So we are going to basically beg for them to let me live even though I know their little secret?”

“Pretty much,” Lisa said nodding her head.

“You two are just little rainbows of positivity, you know it?” Cassie said sarcastically.

Lisa laughed. “Meanwhile, you need to see what Trik wants with you. He is a dark elf, Cassie. No, no, he is the dark elf. He isn’t one to be trifled with.”

“Yes because I make it a habit to trifle with dark elves,” Cassie snorted. “Sorry, Lisa. I’m not trying to be a butthead; I’m just a little overwhelmed.”

“Understandable,” Lisa said as she patted Cassie’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, alright?”

“Did you know my dad’s company was owned by the elves?” Cassie asked Lisa.

“Yes, but we aren’t allowed to reveal that we know about the Elfin, which is why Elora has never told you that she knew about them.”

“Are you going to be in trouble?” Cassie asked her.

Lisa shook her head. “I don’t think so. After all, we didn’t reveal them to you; it was Tamsin’s fault.”

“Who is Tamsin?” Cassie asked apprehensively, not sure if she really wanted to know.

“He’s the Light Elf King. I imagine he was probably one of the one’s you saw in the conference room.”

Cassie stood as she blew out a deep breath. “I think I need to head home and stick my head in the ground. Hopefully when I finally emerge maybe the elves will have forgotten about me.”

“If you are on Trik or Tamsin’s radars, I imagine they aren’t likely to forget about you,” Elora told her friend.

“Okay, you are not allowed to speak anymore,” Cassie pointed a finger at Elora. “Take me home please and keep your happy thoughts to yourself.”

Chapter 4

“I’m scared, I won’t lie about that. But I can’t deny that a part of me—a part way, way, way, waaaayyyy deep down inside is slightly excited about the elves. Okay, and about Trik. Excited about some elves that want to wipe my existence from the face of the earth? Apparently, I’m a glutton for tragic endings. Who knew?” ~ Diary of Cassie Tate