C: Def.

E: Come there?

C: Nope, I need out of here. I’m coming to you. Meet you at the coffee shop.

E: See you there. Bye

Cassie stared at her phone in shock. Elora had said bye. That was completely out of charact er. For a heartbeat she paused, her gut telling her that something wasn’t right, but then what was right? Cassie was living in a castle in a world not of her own. Things were stressful and maybe Elora was feeling sentimental; yeah and that man in hell who wanted ice water had finally gotten it. Cassie pushed the apprehension from her mind and went in search of a mirror to take her back to her own realm, her own life.

Cassie smiled at the chime as she walked into the coffee shop. She took in a deep breath of the rich aroma and closed her eyes. Familiar, that’s what she was feeling, and it was a pleasant break from all the unfamiliar things in her life. She opened her eyes and looked around for Elora. She found her sitting at the back of the coffee shop. Once again, Cassie was assaulted with the apprehension that something wasn’t right. She pushed it away again and headed towards her best friend.

“Hey,” she smiled as she pulled out a chair across from her.

“Hey,” Elora mimicked.

“It feels so good to be back in the land of the humans,” Cassie joked lightly. She felt a familiar wave of pain pulsing through her veins and took slow breaths , attempting to get through it without cringing.

“How are things at school?” She asked trying to distract herself from the pain.

Elora shrugged. “You know, same old, same old.”

Cassie noticed that Elora seemed uncharacteristically restless. Usually her friend was unflappable, steady , and completely subdued.

“Everything okay?” She asked her.

Elora shrugged again. “I don’t know. Let’s get out of here.”

“Oh, um, okay.” Cassie’s eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Elora stand and begin to walk off, not bothering to wait for her. That was more like her friend so she followed, deciding that maybe she was just having an off day. Everyone had off days…right?

“Elora, where are you going?” Cassie hollered as she watched Elora disappear around the corner of the shop. She quickened her pace and just as she rounded the edge of the building she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck and then blackness engulfed her.

~

Trik knew that Tamsin was doing something to slow his progress as he made his way across the light elf realm. He had been running for weeks, which didn’t really surprise him. Their land was vast and you could run for miles about miles without seeing a single elf. He stopped at the top of a hill and in a loud voice he yelled.

“Tamsin! I come in peace. I need to see my Chosen please stop hindering me.”

He waited and the silence was deafening. Finally, after several minutes, hegot his response.

“She needs to heal, let her be Triktapic.” Tamsin’s voice traveled on the wind and seemed to surround him.

“You know that I can’t do that. I need her and she needs me. Even now I can feel her pain.”

“And whose fault is that?” Tamsin asked.

Trik growled a completely inhuman sound. “We all make mistakes, King. You know this.”

“Some greater than others,” the Light Elf King mocked.

“Do not test my patience, Tamsin. I do not want to force your submission but I will. If you do not let me see my Chosen, my Queen, I will make you bow before me, before your true King.”

Trik felt the surprise and the momentary fear that quickly morphed into hope and suddenly Tamsin was standing before him.

“You spoke with the Forest Lords?”

Trik smiled weakly. “They found me.”

Tamsin laughed. “They have a way of getting your attention when you refuse them an audience.”

Trik nodded. “Yeah, well they definitely got my attention.” Trik’s eyes narrowed and he cocked his head to the side. “You knew?”

“I’ve been doing some research. I wasn’t supposed to tell you. The Forest Lords were adamant that it all must be your choice. Even now you have many choices before you.”

Trik crouched down as he let out a deep breath. More pain, more agony at the separation.

“I have to see her Tamsin,” Trik confessed with heart breaking honesty. “I’m dying without her and I know she has to be hurting. I need her to know how I feel. I need her to know that,” he tried to finish but the words choked up in his throat. He loved her. He loved her so much that he was drowning in the emotions that were so unfamiliar to him. He couldn’t remember if he had ever loved this deeply before. His mother, a friend? He didn’t think so and he understood why he hadn’t. There was no one else in his life who had ever met the need that Cassie did. She made him a better man. She brought out the good in him and without her he was lost. Without her life was meaningless and the world might as well burn up because Trik would give in to the darkness. He would rip the world apart one piece at a time if he lost his Chosen.

“I have work to do Tamsin, and I cannot do it without her. She is my everything and she will restore me.”

Tamsin knelt slowly and his eyes met Trik’s.

“She is already restoring you. I pledge my fealty to you King Triktapic of the elven race.” Tamsin placed his hand across his heart and bowed his head.

Trik stood and for the first time in a long time he felt right, like he was where he belonged.

“Stand King Tamsin, you will not bow to me. You, who never turned from your people, can teach me much.”