Page 45 of A Serenade To The Elf Queen
He slowly shakes his head. “No, Rhianelle.”
I meet his gaze in the dark.
“You mustn’t go.”He tenderly touches my cheek.
“Hurry up, kiddo!”
I freeze at that sound. Aerin?
Svenn tugs me back against him, his arms tense around me.
But it’s my uncle and my sister, I want to tell him. He holds me tighter. I struggle against him like a cat trying to get out of its bath.
“Stay with me, Nel,”he whispers.“Don’t believe his lies.”
The pieces slowly click in my head. There is no way that voice belongs to Aerin. She is no longer in this world. This is the Ashmedai’s doing, luring me to come out.
“We can go home together.” The demon imitates my sister’s voice to perfection. “Let me comb your hair. I’ll teach you how to do the fish tail braid.”
Grief seizes my heart like a savage monster at the lilt in that bright, cheerful tone. I try to simmer the feelings deep inside. I can’t fall apart now. A whimper rises in my throat. The sound might give us away. Svenn suddenly places his knuckle in between my teeth.
“Bite hard,”he instructs. I do as he bids.“Good girl.”
I feel his hand stroking my back. The movement is stiff, as if he hasn’t done this for quite some time. He continues to comfort me that way until the demon is bored with his taunts.
The bleak sense of desolation barrages into me again. I know I’m supposed to be brave and strong. But what if the only way to escape this labyrinth is through death?
“I’m scared,” I admit to him.
“It’s going to be alright,”he murmurs softly.“I won’t let anything hurt you.”
I believe him.
His strong arms wrap around me protectively. I feel safe, like a bird in its cozy, warm nest. Every fear and sorrow slowly ebbs away. We have each other’s back, me and him.
I lay my head on the hard ridges of his chest. His scent washes over me in waves. His heartbeat is strong and firm, just like the rest of him. Gods, he smells so intoxicatingly amazing. It’s like the ocean breeze in Völundr, like home.
He traces the stag symbol on my breastplate curiously.
“That’s my house sigil,” I tell him.
“Adorable,”he says.
I stifle a little laugh. I‘d like to see the look on Rainer’s face if someone called our emblem cute.
I take off my boot to massage my left leg, the deep ache surfacing again after all that running. I feel his hand smoothing over the faint marking.
“How did you get this?”His brows furrow with concern.
“It’s old. Don’t worry about it.” My voice comes out in a haunted whisper. The scar is a reminder that I’m a fighter. I’ve survived far worse hell than this.
“Why were you locked up here?” I dare ask. It’s probably stupid to question that now, since I’m sitting on top of him. “Are you a bad person?”
I’m too blunt for my own good sometimes.
A low laughter escapes him.“That’s not how the world works, Nel. The wicked never get their due.”
He is quiet for several seconds. It’s too dim to read whatever it is in his gaze.
