Page 151 of Fate Calls the Elf Queen

“He knows who we are, Valeen. You think he wouldn’t go directly to his family after this? You think they wouldn’t hunt us?” He jerked his sword free, and Caliban slid against the wall, and fell to the ground with a thud. “We don’t need another enemy right now.”

She watched the blood pool around him. He was so young. Honorable. He died to protect his family name. Even if he did trap them with the gargoyles, he changed his mind. He set them free. With tears burning, she looked up at Hel. “He didn’t deserve to die.”

“I told you once I’d kill who I needed to keep you alive, and I told you I’d do things that would break your heart.” Without waiting for her to respond, he grabbed her wrist and then Presco’s and they vanished. Leaving the youngest Drakonan dead in the back of his family’s treasury. His family, the city, likely the entire realm would be in an uproar, looking for his killer. They could no longer stay at Presco’s.

Chapter44

LAYALA

Layala sat next to a small fire, propped up on a pillow and blanket under the night sky. Rather than being inside the manor, her soul longed to be under the stars even if it was a chilly night. Since Hel knew the exact location of the manor they traveled with his magic. They’d grabbed their belongings from the apartment above the potion shop and told Presco and Ayva to keep the business running as usual. If they closed and left, it would look suspicious, and as it stood, no one should suspect Presco or his wife of anything. Hel was right. The only public interaction they’d had was guests being shown a “special” backroom.

Presco planned to meet up with them in a couple days in case anyone came and questioned him; he didn’t dare leave his wife to go through an interrogation alone.

Layala cracked open the first journal. They’d gotten home the day before, but she’d put this off. She knew it would change things between her and Hel and right now, she didn’t want that. He lay beside her with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed, humming a familiar tune, one she thought she knew from before.

To read through all these journals would take years so she picked something in the middle.

Entry 29973

Katana believes in true love. She believes there is one perfect match for us. I’ve been alive a long time and I don’t know if it’s true…

She looked down at Hel, admiring the curve of his jaw, the way his skin seemed to be luminescent under the moonlight. Her fingers twitched, aching to touch him. His long dark lashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes as if he sensed her gaze on him.

“What is it, love?”

“Nothing.”

He turned onto his side and propped up on his elbow. He plucked the book from her fingers. “Katana believes in true love,” he read. “She believes there is one perfect match for us.” He smiled, the dimple on his cheek deepened. He snapped the book shut and set it aside. “You didn’t think so then. Do you now?”

She took her lower lip between her teeth, and traced the outlines of her wedding ring. “Maybe.”

He sat up. “I’m going to do something selfish. It’s wrong but I’m going to do it anyway.”

Her eyes lifted to his face. “What?” She thought he might lean in, kiss her again, but he didn’t.

“Ask for your forgiveness. You’re going to read horrible things about me in those. Things I did.”

“Just tell me what you did.” She thought back to the dream she had sitting in at the table with War when he asked her what happened with Hel, and feeling like her entire world imploded and went dark, she never thought she’d see light again.

“Fuck, Valeen. What didn’t I do? For one, I joined against you and War with the council when they found out you had Soulender.” He looked away. “I was angry… it was more than that. I don’t know if there is even a word for what I felt.” He abruptly stood. “Just keep reading. I’m going to make us something to eat.”

“Alright, Hel.” She watched him walk back inside the manor and already wanted to forgive him. So, she read through her journals, sparking memories that made her laugh. Reading about times spent with her sister made her remember how much she loved her and then hours later getting to her sister’s murder brought it all back. Standing beside her lifeless body, holding her limp hand. Even in death Katana was the most radiant and beautiful of the goddesses.

She slammed the journal shut and broke down sobbing like it happened all over again. Tears poured down her face and she curled up on the blanket wishing she could go back and see her one more time. She remembered not crying or thinking about Katana for years and then one day something would remind her, and she’d be sobbing, like now. Hel appeared at her side. He didn’t ask. He just scooped her into his arms and carried her inside. He laid her on her bed and kissed her forehead.

“I miss her,” she whispered.

“I know,” he said.

He left a plate of fruit and his delicious scones and her chest of journals. She read about meeting Hel for the first time and the memory of it made her stomach flip. The first time seeing him was like the world stopped for a moment. Then she couldn’t figure out why. She’d seen many beautiful males, but there was something different about this one. Something more.

She read most of the night, and with each passage she felt a little more like the goddess inside.

The next three days she spent reading in her room, only stopping to train and eat meals with Hel. Presco showed up alone and said that he’d been questioned as had everyone who attended the opera and then cleared. Hel and Layala’s pictures went up all over the city onWanted for Questioningposters. The authorities didn’t know if they were involved but the Drakonans found it suspicious they came to town and left as soon as Caliban died.

It wouldn’t be too long before word traveled to the small town they resided in. Her heart ached thinking about how comfortable she’d gotten here and that they wouldn’t be able to stay much longer.

But neither of them rushed her to read faster, and they didn’t ask about what she remembered, even if every time she reemerged from her room Hel looked both hopeful and yet terrified. But all that she’d read only made her grow fonder of him. Made her heart long to be near him. She found herself wishing he was in bed beside her each night, but he stayed in his own room.

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