Page 13 of Condemned to Love

Raziel's lips twitch into a bitter smile. "But not this one." He shakes his head before clapping me on the shoulder. "It was hard for me to get the vrakken to care, too." He gestures around us. "But I got there. Look at us. Half the coven is above ground now. We will get there."

The weight of his words presses down on me, but it doesn't extinguish my anger. If anything, it fuels it further.

"We don't have time," I growl. "It's the one thing we can't afford."

"They need a reason," Raziel counters softly.

"A reason?" I repeat, incredulous. "Isn't survival reason enough?"

He shakes his head slowly. "They need more. We've survived before and it drove most of us insane or miserable." He sighs. "They don't want to go back to it. So they'll avoid repeating the war as much as they can — until they are forced not to."

"But we can't wait?—"

Raziel squeezes my shoulder. "I'm not saying wait. We will get there." And then he turns on his heel, walking to the blonde woman that I think must be his mate — I'd heard the famed Elder was mated to a little human — and tugs her along with him.

I turn back to the dispersing crowd and feel an overwhelming sense of futility wash over me. If we can't even rally ourselves to fight, how can we hope to stand against the dark elves?

I leave the courtyard, each step heavy with frustration. The apathy of the other vrakken weighs on me, a constant reminder of our dire situation. I find a quiet corner of the base, away from the disinterested eyes and indifferent faces. My body aches from the recent battles, but my mind is too restless for rest.

Leaning against a cool stone wall, I close my eyes, trying to block out the overwhelming sense of futility. I know I need to find a room and get settled, but right now, all I want is a moment of peace. Just one moment to gather my thoughts.

"Hey," a voice cuts through my solitude.

I open my eyes to see the beautiful human from before — Elowen, a gorgeous name that suits her perfectly — standing before me, her fiery red hair like a beacon in the dim light. Her forest green eyes are intense, filled with determination.

"I want to fight," she declares, her voice steady and unwavering.

I shake my head, feeling the weight of her words press down on me. "No."

Her eyes narrow. "Why not?"

"Because it's too dangerous," I reply, barely able to keep the frustration out of my voice. "I meant it. You should learn self defense. But you can't stand against the dark elves."

"Who are you to decide that?" she challenges, stepping closer.

"I'm a warrior," I snap back. "I've seen what they're capable of."

"And so have I!" Her voice rises, echoing off the stone walls. "They took everything from me. My family...my home." She takes another step forward, her face inches from mine. "I won't stand by and do nothing."

For a moment, I'm taken aback by her — her fiery spirit that matches her hair, the fierce determination in her eyes. There's an urge inside me to reach out, to taste that fire for myself. Fuck, just one bite. Though, I don't know if I could stop…

I slam that thought into the back of my mind and I shove it away, hard.

"This isn't about revenge," I say coldly. "It's about survival."

"And fighting is how we survive!" she retorts.

I shake my head again. "No." My tone is final.

Her face twists in anger and disappointment, but she doesn't back down. Instead, she glares at me with those piercing green eyes before turning on her heel and storming off.

As she leaves, I can't help but feel a pang of regret. Not just because I've denied her the chance to fight but because I've let my own frustrations cloud my judgment.

I lean back against the wall, closing my eyes once more. The base is quiet around me, but inside, I'm anything but calm.

The weight of frustration clings to me as I push through the underground tunnels, searching for solace. I decide to hunt, needing to feed and clear my mind. The familiar darkness wraps around me, a comforting shroud as I move silently through the rocky passages.

It doesn't take long to find my prey. A dripir snuffles through the dirt, oblivious to my presence. I strike quickly, sinking my fangs into its neck and drinking deeply. The animal's blood is a poor substitute for human blood, but it's enough to dull the gnawing hunger inside me.

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