Page 127 of A Serenade To The Elf Queen
Svenn is right behind me on the Noctral.
“What are you doing?” I ask in a fluster of panic.
“Calm down,” he says, steadying me.
I must have dozed off on the horse at some point.
How he ever climbed on a traveling Noctral is beyond me. Then I remember the creature is a part of him, along with hundreds of different beasts.
He lowers his head to look at me. “Does the offer from this morning still stand?”
My invitation was to ride side by side. But this is much better. I quickly nod.
“How long have I been asleep?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.
“A while.”
“Long enough for me to finish my story,” Garrett interrupts, striding his Noctral beside ours. “And so, they lived happily ever after in the forest, for the rest of their immortal lives. The end.”
I can feel Svenn’s rising annoyance from behind me. I bite back my smile.
“Would you like to hear the tale of the Wailing Mary next, my sweet queen?” The blonde-haired knight asks. “It’s a ghost that haunts the Ash Tree. Classic horror.”
Svenn pays Garrett no heed but his grip on me tightens. I hope he doesn’t hear the rapid beating of my heart.
“Only if it has a happy ending,” I say softly. Nothing in the In Between seems scary to me anymore. Perhaps it is because I have the most dangerous beast at my side. It scares off other predators completely.
“It doesn’t… Shall I tell you about the terrifying Lokard who lives in Astefar instead?” My knight considers for a moment. “You might not be able to sleep tonight though.”
“Stop scaring her,” Svenn snarls low, giving him a scathing glare. I feel the stiffness of his chest against my back. But he doesn’t have to worry about Garrett making me nervous. Karl the Lokard is one of the nicest friends I met along with Lulu.
“I’m just trying to give you a heads-up. The land beyond the Veil is not a wondrous place like the fairytale humans told their children.” Garrett says, meeting the vampire’s stare with an easy smile.
The wood around us stands still as if it’s listening to each one of our whispered secrets.
“We’re almost at the Ash Tree,” Aelfric’s calm, even voice accosts from behind us. He canters his Noctral to flank ours carefully. His hawk-like gaze shoots a glance at Svenn before turning away.
A glimmer of sunlight dances through the heavy canopy of leaves above us. Its glory doesn’t last long when the heavy mist in the forest robs its warmth. With several beats of the Noctrals’ hooves against the moss and ferns, we finally reach the ancient sequoia tree and the tunnel to our realm.
The sight of the giant tree never ceases to amaze me. Its peak reaches the open expanse of the sky, far taller than the Atlas wallin the capital. Gnarled roots cover its base, running deep into the earth to make sure that not even time, war, and chaos can erase all traces of its existence.
Humans call the Veil between worlds the ‘Ash Tree’ because they had once tried to burn it to the ground. But no weapons or magic can close this small rift into our realm.
I steal a glance at Svenn as he stares at the colossal figure beyond us.
“Have you ever crossed the Veil before?” I ask.
“No.”
“Are you afraid?” I ask again. He seems amused by my question.
“Humans may find it a bit intimidating to cross,” I say quickly.
“I am no human,” Svenn says curtly. There is a faraway look in his dark eyes. I might have missed that flicker of sorrow had I not felt the same way.
It’s a longing for something you can never have, for a place you can never find. Emotions gather in my heart, and I touch the vows on my right wrist. It makes me more determined to help him.
“Last chance to reconsider this, Nightwalker,” Aelfric suddenly says, interrupting my thoughts. “During the war, the elves were victorious because no vampire can pass through the Veil. The Ash Tree is unlikely to fall for the tricks of a wolf wrapped in some pretty sheepskin.”
