Page 10 of Condemned to Love

Raziel’s expression hardens further, if that’s even possible. “What happened?” he demands.

I look around as more vrakken and humans come outside, clearly seeing their base leader look concerned. I take a deep breath, delivering the news to the last base as I have with the others.

“The dark elves came in numbers we couldn’t match,” I explain, recounting the battle with as much detail as I can muster. “I barely escaped.” I shake my head. "No one else survived. The other vrakken were either kidnapped or reduced to nearly nothing between the magic and the sun."

Raziel listens intently, his eyes never leaving mine. When I finish, he rocks back, his wings shifting behind him.

“And now?” he asks just as a little blonde human comes up next to him, staring at me with worry.

“There has been no more word of where the dark elves have gone." Murmurs start up at that, but I stay focused on Raziel. "I intend to stay here for a while,” I say firmly. “To assist you and plan our next moves. I have no base to return to.”

Raziel nods slowly, absorbing my words. “We need every capable warrior we can get,” he admits grudgingly. “Your presence will be valuable here.”

His acceptance lifts a weight off my shoulders. I nod as Raziel turns to the human, talking to her as the crowd's volume rises.

We need to start training immediately, but I give myself this moment of reprieve. Raziel will direct his base and my task has been completed. Now, I will train. Raziel knows of my strengths, and I am certain together, we can crush these dark elves.

I step back, my eyes scanning the crowd that has gathered. As I take in the sea of faces, one pair of eyes captures my attention, holding me in place like a snare. Forest green, fierce and unwavering, they cut through the chaos around us and lock onto mine.

Her fiery red hair, wild and untamed, frames her face, contrasting starkly with her fair skin and the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. She stands out even among our kind.

For a moment, everything else fades away—the noise, the worry, the fatigue. All I can see is her. There’s something about the way she holds herself, a raw, almost primal energy that calls to me. It’s like recognizing a kindred spirit in a world full of shadows.

She doesn’t flinch under my gaze; instead, she meets it head-on, her eyes filled with an intensity that matches my own. It’s as if she can see right through me, peeling back the layers to glimpse the turmoil and resolve beneath.

My heart beats faster, a rush of emotions flooding through me—curiosity, admiration, something deeper that I can’t quite name. My body seems drawn to her, eager for her. My fangs tease my bottom lip like they want a taste, and I can't help but wonder…

Who is this little human?

6

ELOWEN

Aldric, as Raziel addressed him, stands in the middle of the courtyard, his presence magnetic, demanding attention. His ghostly white skin seems to glow under the rising sun, contrasting sharply with the dark, tight clothing that clings to his powerful frame.

His dark hair is mussed in short, uneven strands, almost like it was hastily sheared, giving him a wild, untamed look. Those dark eyes—deep and almost black—pierce through the air with an intensity that I can’t shake. His lips are a bright red, a clear sign of recent feeding.

I can't tear my gaze away from him. Never have I felt such an immediate and intense attraction to anyone. My heart pounds in my chest as if trying to break free.

But then his words hit me again, like a cold slap to the face.

Dark elves attacked, he'd said.No one survived.

My stomach churns, and my vision blurs with the images of my past—my family, their faces twisted in agony as dark elves slaughtered them. I ball up my fists so tightly that my nails dig into my palms. The pain is grounding, a reminder that I'm here, now.

"I can't believe they've found us," I whisper, the words barely audible. I didn't even mean to speak to them. "How did they find us?"

Aldric's eyes meet mine, and for a brief second, it feels as if my soul is being sucked from my body. His eyes draw me in, and my body is already yearning for him despite my brain's protests. I can't even make sense of the effect he has over me, and I have to rip my gaze away just to get a breath.

I should be focusing on the matter at hand. Not this vrakken. As I lift my head, I turn toward Selene and Raziel to gauge their reaction, pointedly avoiding looking in Aldric's direction. And I see the pair bent together, talking when Raziel nods and steps back.

Selene turns from Raziel, placing a hand on his shoulder, as she looks around the crowd. "We need to prepare," she says.

Some murmurs start up, but I'm still frozen, still reeling from Aldric's news and his very presence. How can someone so beautiful bring such horror with him?

"We'll need everyone," Raziel states with authority.

Murmurs start up then, but I'm still focused on the horrors. They are moving on to the future as if there's nothing to be done, but I can't stop myself as my body moves of its own violation.

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