Elora grinned and walked over to her best friend. “I’m so not happy with you,” she told her.

“I love you too.” Cassie smiled and pulled her into a hug.

Lisa pushed past the elves in her way and wrapped Cassie in a hug as soon as Elora released her.

“I’m so glad you are alright,” she whispered.

Cassie nodded. “Me too.”

“Alright beautiful,” Trik spoke up. “We need to get going before Lorsan realizes what’s going on.”

Cassie nodded and took Trik’s outstretched hand.

Elora watched as Cush, Sid, Rin, and Bel—she had given them nicknames because their names were just too freaking much—all stepped in front of Trik and walked out into the hall. Apparently, they would be going first. She glanced back at Tamsin.

“Shouldn’t the all-powerful Trik be going first?” she asked.

“We will protect the king at all cost,” he told her.

She rolled her eyes. “Dumbest thing I’ve ever heard,” she grumbled under her breath.

“All the elves will be fine, Elora,” Tamsin told her, implication thick in his tone as he nudged her forward to follow the others.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He chuckled behind her. “Just keep telling yourself that if you must.”

Elora glanced around her mother’s shoulder as she made her way into the dim hallway. She caught sight of Cush and felt herself breathe a tad easier.

Holy crap, she thought to herself. I have a crush on an elf. That’s not something a girl admits to everyday. She didn’t know when it had happened, but she knew that it was not good, not good at all.

Lorsan paced his study as he waited for Melda, the she elf that had at one time been in charge of Cassie’s care, to arrive. He knew that she had grown fond of the human and had even helped Trik get her back. She would be punished for that. He smiled to himself, and what better way to punish her than to have her betray her new friend, he thought smugly.

He heard a knock at the door and readied himself for the performance he was about to give.

“ Enter,” he called so she would hear him through the thick door.

Melda walked in with her head down and he could see the slight tremble of her hands as she clasped them in front of her. It was obvious that she thought he was going to punish her. He tried not to chuckle at her pathetic demeanor. After all, he knew it was really an act. Anyone bold enough to defy him and assist his enemy was not really so docile.

“Melda,” he purred her name. Her head snapped up and her eyes widened, obviously surprised at the sound of his voice, “I’ve been watching you.”

“ My liege,” she said with a convincing amount of apprehension.

“ You did a good job taking care of Cassandra, and even though I amdisappointed that you let her get away, I find myself fascinated with your tenacity and willfulness.”

Her eyes grew even wider.

Lorsan stalked towards her, slowly looking her over, his interest as plain-as-day on his face. She wasn’t an ugly she-elf, but he had a Chosen with incomparable beauty. So convincing Melda of his interest in order to get the compliance he wanted might be tricky. But he was sure he was up to the task. What woman wouldn’t want to be with a king?

“I find myself in need of a distraction during these trying times, with war knocking on my door and my Chosen constantly nagging me about this and that. I need a woman who will just listen to me and meet certain needs. You see a man of my status has needs, Melda, and well a woman like you…,” he motioned to her feminine form with desire dancing in his eyes, “could definitely meet those needs.”

She swallowed and he could see it was with great difficulty. Her hands we now clasped so tight that her knuckles had gone white and her eyes were the size of saucers.

“Now, what I think is important for you to know is that there is a war coming, and there will be many deaths, but those who are closest to me, those,” he paused dramatically, “who help me, will have the full weight of my protection. Who knows what kind of horrible death Triktapic has planned for the dark elves. Even though you helped him, you are still a dark elf, my dear, and will be subject to his wrath if he should make it this far.” He could tell that she was really beginning to think about what he was saying, beginning to understand that he could keep her alive. If Lorsan knew anything about his dark elves it was that above all else, survival was their instinct. They would do what they had to to survive.

“What would you have me do, my king?” she finally asked after several minutes of silence.

He smiled as he stepped up in front of her and ran a thumb across her lips. “I’m glad you’re seeing things my way.”

Chapter 1

“Have you ever noticed that something as smooth as milk slides down your throat easily but can cause lots of backups on the opposite end? Yeah, well think of our escape as milk. It started out smooth but then the exit got very backed up.”

~Elora

Elora crept up silently to stand beside Cassie. The light-elf warriors were scouting out ahead of them in the murky tunnels of the dungeon, ensuring the way was clear. Elora was amazed at how silently they moved, especially as large and as muscular as they were. She found herself feeling like a sloppy toddler floundering around in the dark by comparison.

“So how’d you get to us so quickly?” she asked her best friend.

Cassie cast her a quick glance. “Quickly?” she asked with a snort. “It took us three days. How can you possibly think that was quick?”