by Kristie Cook
“Did Alberico tell you the reason he left your mother when he did?” He asks me as he tucks a wayward strand of hair behind my ear.
“He only said that his father told him he had to, so he did for the good of the kingdom. But no, he didn’t elaborate.” I find myself getting a little upset that Alberico withheld information.
“Your father and I have been friends for a really long time, longer than you can even imagine. I really shouldn’t tell you anything. Alberico doesn’t want you to know yet. He doesn’t think it will do any good, but I disagree. I think not knowing would be worse. Don’t you think?”
I nod my head and feel my heart start to pound in my chest.
“Alberico did leave your mother because his father ordered him to, but there is more to it than the reason he gave you. He was fearful of a prophecy made shortly before the end of the Light and Dark war.”
Of course there has to be a prophecy thrown into the mix. Holy smokes. I pinch myself just to make sure I am not in some elaborate dream.
Ouch.
Yeah, definitely real life.
“The prophecy didn’t make much sense when it was first told, but after the DÖkkÁ lfar were cursed to the Underworld, the first few lines of the prophecy became quite ominous.” He pauses and then recites from memory:
“A Half-blood child of a Sovereign One
Hidden in the Shadows until the time is right
Can heal the Cursed of their Underground prison
Then once more they will walk among the Light.
“It had been frowned upon for many years for any elf to engage in intimate relations with a human. It’s hard to maintain our discretion if we get too close to one. This, of course, had consequences of its own. Several Light Elves in the last few centuries have left the kingdom to be with the humans they loved. We don’t usually hear from them again. Following the war though, it was most pertinent, especially for the elves of noble blood, to maintain the separation from the humans if we were going to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled. Dugan, of course, would love nothing better than to see it done.”
“But what does that have to do with the prophecy?”
“When the curse fell on the Dark Elves that imprisoned them in the Underworld, it made it impossible for a Dark Elf to be exposed to daylight. This curse supposedly causes the Dark Elves to suffer an extreme aversion to sunlight, which keeps them restricted to being creatures of the dark.”
Sounds more like vampires than elves to me.
You know, without the whole drinking blood part.
“Can they come above ground at night?” I ask fearfully.
“It is possible. However only during a new moon when the earth is the darkest.” He pauses thoughtfully.
Maybe all those horror stories about monsters of the night aren’t so far off after all.
“What exactly happens to them if they come above ground?”
“There are a few different theories, the most common being … ..Well, what can I compare it to that would make it easy to understand?” Grey asks himself. He contemplates for a moment. “It’s almost like they are allergic to it. It causes them to be so ill they can’t pull the magic from the elements and therefore, it makes them weak. While they are weak, they are vulnerable.”
“So the Dark Elves can’t come above ground during the day because it basically makes them sick?”
“Essentially.”
“And I have healing magic.”
“Yes.”
“Is this ’sun allergy’, by chance, something that I could heal?” The thought scares me.
“This ‘sun allergy’ is just a theory. We don’t know for sure what happens to them. But according to some translations of the prophecy, it would appear to be a possibility.” He sighs deeply before continuing, “Dugan and his followers have been hunting down Half-bloods for years, trying to find the one who is able to break the curse. Now that he has been informed that you are not only a Half-blood but the daughter of Alberico, he will increase his efforts to claim you. Especially now that he knows you are a healer, since many believe it will take a healer to cure the DÖkkÁ lfar of their curse. If they are allowed to roam freely again, that would not bode well for humankind.” He pauses for a moment to let it all sink in.
“Holy smokes.”
“Yes. Holy smokes,” he mimics me, and the words sound comical coming from his velvet voice. I crack a smile before it hits me that I should probably be frightened that a powerful Dark Elf is out to get me.
“So what does Dugan want with me?”
“You are a Half-blood child of a Sovereign one and you possess healing abilities,” he states the obvious.
.“But surely I am not the only Half-blood with healing magic?” I ask desperately. “Right?”
“You are the only one that we are currently aware of.”
“What? I’m the only one? How is that possible?” No wonder everyone was freaking out at breakfast. “Does that make me a freak or something?”
“Half-bloods are rare as it is. A Half-blood with the ability to heal, well, let’s just say that you are unique,” he tries to comfort me. “Healing magic is not unheard of. Just rare.”
“Apparently it’s unheard of right now. Except for me,” I mumble to myself.
I get the feeling there is more to it than that, but I’m already overwhelmed by what has become my new reality. I’m not sure how much more my brain can handle.
“Come on,” he says softly as he leads me out of the labyrinth and into the bright light. “Let me finish showing you around.”
Eventually the tour is over and now it’s time to get down to business. I’m anxious to see if I possessed any other freaky supernatural abilities that have been lying dormant up until now.
Greyson decides to start my training session in one of the many gardens. The one he chooses is more open and spread out than the others so there is plenty of room to move around.
“Why is it that my healing ability is just now surfacing? Why didn’t I know I was different earlier?” I ask Grey before we start. I have always been completely average. Sure, a little on the nerdy and introverted side, but completely ordinary. Finding out that I suddenly possess super cool elf powers is a little surreal.
“I don’t know. Perhaps you never have had a reason to heal anybody before, so the ability never manifested itself? Remember, we are pretty ignorant when it comes to Half-bloods. We are learning as we go just as much as you are,” he replies.
“Yeah. Right. Completely on the same page. Except, you know everything and I know nothing. But yeah, sure, definitely same playing field,” I say under my breath.
He laughs at that, and the sound of a real Grey laugh causes my heart to skip, and the warm fluttering feeling I have come to associate with him encompasses me. I feel the blush rising on my cheeks so I quickly look away in hopes that he doesn’t notice. He gently places one of his long fingers underneath my chin and turns my face up to meet his.
“Are you ready to begin?”
His velvet voice makes my knees weak, but I try to maintain my wits about me. I somehow manage a nod because truthfully, despite the fact that his beautiful voice renders me speechless, I’m eager to get started.
“First, I should explain that all elves possess the ability to manipulate elemental magic. We generally have a natural tendency toward one of the four basic elements: Fire, Earth, Water or Wind. I am an Earth user. Alberico is a Fire user.”
“Fire?” I ask remembering how he lit the fire in my room yesterday when he saw me shiver with just a wave of his hand. “That would be pretty cool. Will I be able to do that?”
“Possibly. But Fire is one of the most challenging elements to use. Let’s start with something a little easier. First let’s practice using your healing magic since we already know you are capable of that. Just to warm up,” Grey suggests as he sets down the backpack.
I didn’t fancy practicing my healing abilities on animals, considering we would have to in
flict some sort of injury on them first. So instead, Greyson uses his magic to constrict the earth around the roots of some nearby yellow roses, thereby cutting off their water supply and wilting their beautiful flowers.
“It is the same principal,” he nods towards the brown plants. “Heal them.”
I attempt to harness my own powers to restore them to their original bloom. It seems the tingling sensation I felt in my fingertips the day of the accident wasn’t nerve damage after all, but rather the healing magic.
Good to know.
He has me do this a few times and each time it becomes easier to bring the flowers back to life.
“Good, now that you are warmed up, let’s move on to the elements. Watch me.” He pushes his hands out forcefully, causing the ground to ripple and move in a wave-like fashion to demonstrate what an Earth user can do. He can literally produce earthquakes and completely uproot 100 year old oaks with just a wave of his hand. “Now, you try.”
“Try what?”
“To make the earth quake.”
“And how exactly am I supposed to do that?”
He reaches for my hand and stands beside me.
“Close your eyes and just concentrate on all the energy from the Earth around you.”
I close my eyes but the only thing I can concentrate on is the fact that Grey is holding my hand.
“Do you feel it?” he asks.
“Um, no. Not really.”
Fail.
He looks mildly disappointed, which annoys me. Surely he didn’t just expect me to come out here and snap my fingers and Ta-da! After 17-years of a completely ordinary existence I’m suddenly able to make the ground rumble at will. Yeah, probably not going to happen.
“Maybe we should start with something a little simpler. The easiest elemental magic to pull is Water since the kingdom is surrounded by so many waterfalls,” he tells me as he pulls out a glass from his backpack and sets it in front of me. “Try focusing on the moisture. Try to pull it from the air and fill the glass up.”
I try to concentrate, I really do, but the idea that I can just magically fill a glass up using only my mind is a little ridiculous to me.
Failure number two.
Unfortunately, my first training session, well, in a word, sucks.
I really don’t know what I was expecting...something more physical maybe? But there is nothing physical about this. My cheerleading practices didn’t wear me out like this training session is. Pretty much the only thing I seem to be capable of doing is healing. Which confuses me. Healing doesn’t seem to fit in with any of the elements, but I try not to be too disappointed by it.
“Are you sure you are concentrating?” Grey asks when I fail to make a breeze appear out of thin air.
“Yes, of course I’m trying. Maybe you are just a sucky teacher,” I snap at him.
I know that I shouldn’t lose my temper with him, but I’m getting so frustrated. I feel like he is expecting too much of me.
“Mia, listen. I know this is frustrating for you. It’s frustrating for me too. You are the first Half-blood I have known so this is all new to me too.”
“Yeah, well, I’m pretty sure you didn’t just find out that the jerk you thought abandoned your mother before you were even born is actually an elf. And not just any elf. The king of elves. I’m also pretty certain that you didn’t just discover that you have magical healing powers, but don’t seem to be able to use any of the other normal elements, if you can even consider having elemental magic normal. Then of course there is the fact that there isn’t a prophecy that predicts that your freaky powers will unleash the Dark Elves on the world. Yeah, pretty sure all that happened to me, so excuse me if I find it hard to believe that this is all frustrating for you.”
I walk away and remind myself to take deep breaths. I know I shouldn’t have lost my temper with him, but seriously, there is only so much a girl can take. My eyes are blurry with tears and I quickly wipe them away with the back of my hand and turn back towards where Grey is still standing. He is frowning at me.
“Look,” I start. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. I’m just so tired and I hate feeling so useless.”
He takes a tentative step towards me and brushes my hair out of my face.
“I know this is a lot, and believe me, you have every right to have a break down. You have earned it. I’ve been rather impressed that you haven’t cracked before now.” He offers me a small smile, which I return.
“I hate not knowing everything. I hate not being able to do what you are asking me to. I feel so helpless and I don’t like it.”
“I feel the same way. There are stories of other Half-bloods who are capable of pulling the magic from the elements so I know it is possible. But maybe you just aren’t ready yet. You’ve only just begun. Maybe we are trying too much too soon?”
“Maybe. Or maybe Earth, Water, and Air just aren’t my thing. Maybe I’m a Fire user like my—, I mean, like Alberico.”
“Do you want to try that next?”
“Yes.”
“Are you ready now? Or do you want to take a little break?”
“I think I’m ready now.”
Grey lights a candle. I stare at it for a moment, willing it to blow out. There was a moment when I thought that maybe I might have extinguished the flame with my mind, but it was just a well-timed breeze. After a few more tries, I give up. Apparently I can’t manipulate Fire either.
I suppose I should think it’s pretty cool that I can perform even a little magic. Healing is kind of cool after all. I’m sure it comes in handy sometimes, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I really wanted to discover I had all sorts of kick-ass super powers.
Alberico has a particularly strong aptitude in Fire, so I guess I was really hoping for some Fire action. But maybe Grey is right and I just need to practice more.
“How come I can heal already but nothing else? It seems like it’s such a random thing. And if elves get their power from nature, where does healing fit in anyway?” I ask Grey as we make our way back up to the castle for dinner.
“There is more to our magic than just manipulating the elements. For example, we can adjust or erase the memories of humans. Though we only do so in emergency circumstances. For the most part, we try to keep a distance between humans and elfish magic. And of course we can transport at will, but only to locations we have actually been before. If you have never been here, you couldn’t just transport here, you would have to be guided by someone who has.”
“Oh, is Brian an elf?” I ask remembering how he vanished after I healed him.
“No.”
“Is he a Half-blood?”
“No.”
“Then what happened? How did he just disappear like he did?”
“We suspect that he must have an amulet,” he said after a moment of thought.
“What’s that, like some sort of voodoo magic or something?”
“It’s usually a gemstone that has been infused with elfish magic that would allow someone with the right training to transport at will. Dugan would have wanted regular reports so it makes sense that he would gift Brian with such a thing. A gift like that is rare. Since we made the oath long ago to distance ourselves from the humans, it’s practically unheard of. But, of course, that only applies to the Light Elves. Dugan is obviously playing by his own set of rules.”
My stomach clenches in fear as I think about what that means for me. If Dugan is playing by his own rules then he will stop at nothing to get his hands on me.
Chapter Nine
Even though the training sessions don’t involve any actual physical activity, my body constantly aches all over. Maybe I’m just mentally fatigued and it’s manifesting as physical exhaustion, but all I know is that even my toes hurt by the end of the day. As soon as Grey calls it quits, I practically crawl back to my room. I don’t even bother showering until morning. Which is pretty gross, but honestly, I’m so tired that I don’t think I could e
ven stand long enough to undress myself, let alone actually shower. I collapse on my bed fully clothed, shoes and all.
The next few days are pretty much the same and by Thursday, I’m acclimated to the routine. My day begins by eating breakfast with my father, sometimes it’s just the two of us, sometimes we are joined by Greyson, or Finnegan and Isobel or other important people who I never remember. None of the other elves have even spoken to me since my first morning here. Isobel always smiles kindly, but the rest of the elves either openly stare and whisper loudly behind my back or completely ignore me. I’m not sure which I prefer.
After breakfast, I practice magic with Grey as he fills me in on bits and pieces of Á lfheimr history both before and after the war. He insists that these history lessons are an imperative part of my training regimen, even though I only seem to be receiving the watered down Cliff Notes version.
Today we are in the library. This has to be one of my favorite rooms. It is a circular room with floor to ceiling bookshelves that line the walls. Two plush chairs sit in front of a fireplace and a large desk is parked next to the only window in the room. Most of the books look hundreds of years old and just about all of them are in a different language, but the newer ones are written in English. I like to wander around the room, alternating between trying to pronounce the foreign titles and gazing out the window at the scenery. I bet Mom would love it here. She’d probably spend all day every day painting the beautiful landscape.
Grey is sitting at the desk skimming through the pile of books we’ve been looking through all week trying to pick out which information is most important for me to know.
Earlier he taught me about the elfish hierarchy, which isn’t that different from what I remember of the British Monarchy. At the very top is the King/Queen of course, then the Prince/Princess, Duke/Duchess, followed by the guards and then the common people. Grey is Alberico’s appointed Consul which basically is the most distinguished guard of the Kingdom, though he seems to get a little uncomfortable when I ask him about it. From what I can tell, Grey seems to be sort of like Alberico’s right-hand man. Because of their close friendship, Grey is well-respected among the other elves.
