by Abella Ward
Damien frowned at me. "I would not have enjoyed killing you. I have high respect for Victor. And Charlotte carries my child. I will do what I must to keep her safe. Even if in the end she doesn't choose me."
"But he was going to kill us," I said to Victor.
"He's not anymore."
I threw my hands into the air, shaking my head. "Elves!"
Chapter Seven
Elves and trolls were the only humanoids allowed to live in the national park outside of designated settlements. It had always seemed weird to me, but seeing the elf hideout, I understood why they were allowed.
If I had been a hiker, I wouldn't have even known the elves were there. Their dwellings – “houses” was the wrong word, but “shelters” were too primitive – blended into the trees above us perfectly. When Damien welcomed Victor and me up and gave us a room of our own, we found ourselves in a comfortable space, simple but elegant. There was nothing to sit on, but there was a bed. Not made from fur as I would have expected, but a full-on mattress with comfy looking blankets over them.
Suddenly, I felt exhausted. It felt like forever since I had last slept. I suppressed a yawn. I didn't want to hear any more 'dwarves and sleep' jokes from these guys.
I checked the bars on my phone while Victor and Damien went into another room, presumably to discuss politics or my upcoming wedding. I shook my head – how were we going to get out of that one, huh, Victor?
The cell had service, but I couldn't get a hold of Owen. When I activated my tracker, though, his location showed clearly. My stomach lurched. Maybe he was just in a situation where he couldn’t get to the phone. Or maybe he was hiding and couldn't make noise. I sent him a quick text, but there was no reply. At least we knew where his phone was. Tracking him there would be easy enough. I just hoped that we wouldn't find the worst-case scenario.
I headed out of the room, interrupting Victor and Damien as they were sharing a drink, and told them what I had found. Damien was equally interested and repulsed by my phone, and it took Victor and I both half an hour to convince him to look at the map to see where Owen was. Dude was hard-core traditional.
"Are you certain you lied about the trolls making threats?" he asked, bent over my phone but not touching it.
"Yes. Why? Do you think I'm lying—?"
"That's a troll camp. Where that little dot you say your friend is?" Damien glanced up. "Trolls."
My stomach cramped. There was severe unrest between the trolls and the rest of humanoids. Rumor had it they practiced murder-sacrifices. Maybe those missing hikers weren't just idiots who got lost in the backcountry. I shook my head, refusing to believe what this might mean for Owen. "No. Why would trolls want Charlotte?
Victor leaned against the table, face white. "Does it matter? Unless your Owen isn't with her."
I flinched. "He's with her."
"So we have to have a plan to retrieve them." Damien frowned. "A full attack will not be received well from the outside."
"Ya think?" I glared at him. "Killing people usually isn't received well. But, luckily for you, I'm trained for this sort of operation. I know what to do."
We spent the next hour discussing what to do. By the time we were done, it was late, and Damien decided that his men would sleep before we headed out. I wanted to argue, but Victor put an arm around me and pulled me back to 'our' room. I dragged my hands through my hair, wanting to scream.
"We can go after them ourselves," I said as soon as we were alone. "We could find that troll camp and—"
"Trolls are more active at night. You know that." Victor squeezed my hands. "And they're sluggish during the day. Elves are the opposite. We're not like dwarves, we can't go for three months without sleeping."
I knew by his tone that he was teasing, but I was in no mood for it. "I don't know how you expect me to sleep. I'm coiled tighter than a spring. I'd end up tossing and turning all night and just be exhausted still tomorrow. I can handle any trolls we run into tonight."
Victor sighed. "Eloise, even you have limits."
"Not tonight I don't. Except for sleep. I can't sleep. Not when Owen and Charlotte are out there in the hands of trolls. I know that nothing might be happening, but they took Charlotte for a reason. And they hired a human to do it? Or they ambushed the human. But him being hired to get Charlotte – that's what makes sense. They must have found out about Damien's attack and knew we'd be vulnerable, so they timed it for the human to come in and take Charlotte…" It sounded paranoid, but I couldn’t think of another explanation. "It has to be something big and important. So how can I sleep?"
"I know. I feel the same way." His hands slid to my hips and drew me in closer. "But we need to sleep. Perhaps if we burn off some excess energy…"
Was he really suggesting what I thought he was suggesting? I gaped, but I couldn’t deny the idea sounded pleasant. Guilt rose in me. "But… with Owen and Charlotte out there in danger—"
"It's an old custom among elves before the battle… to stay warm," Victor interrupted. "And yes, they are in danger, but we can't help them unless we can sleep. And I need the comfort right now."
His admitting that vulnerability melted me. I leaned against him, wanting to give him that comfort. Our lips were inches from each other. "But what about the rest of the elves? What will they think if they hear?"
"That you and I are to be married and we are comforting one another."
I didn't need any more prompting. The thought of comfort – any comfort – was appealing. And the thought of Victor needing this as much as I did, of no judgment or hesitation, was intoxicating. All my life I'd been surrounded by men who refused to admit they had emotion. Finding someone who so clearly cared and was willing to admit that… I threw my arms around his neck.
Victor met my fervor with intense passion of his own. His hands cupped my ass, pulling me up on him. I pulled one leg over his hip but kept the other planted, fearful that I was too heavy for him. The prince moaned as he moved to my neck. My skin tingled and tightened. My core heated, my head lolling back. He kept one arm around my waist and moved the other to my shoulders, allowing me to lean back and give him better access.
When he lifted me from the floor I yelped, but it was quickly swallowed by his kisses. He walked me to the mattress and laid me down, draping himself over me. The mattress was softer than I expected, with a slight woodsy scent that was quite pleasant.
"I have a confession," Victor murmured as he tugged my shirt up and off.
"What?" I panted, fumbling with the buttons on the robe-dress thing Damien had given him.
He buried his face in my neck again. The vibrations of him speaking against my throat made every feeling heighten. "When I asked for this at the motel, I was already planning on what position I would take you in while we were in the shower together."
I giggled, heat rushing to my face at that. "I thought about it, too."
Victor pulled away from me. He grinned and pressed one last kiss to my mouth before he sat back and removed my pants. His hands coasted my body, gaze drinking me in greedily. Despite the fact that I was still somewhat dirty from the mud pit, my hair was covered in tangles and full of twigs, and my now-stained undies weren't at all cute, I felt like the sexiest beast on the planet.
Well, maybe the second sexiest.
Victor's muscles pulled against his skin as he removed his robe and pants. I bit my lip, holding in a moan, as he eased his boxers off. He was everything I had imagined, and I reached for him. His hand ran through my hair, creating a pleasant tingling in my scalp.
When I took him into my mouth, he moaned. That moan had everything going haywire inside of me, but not as much as when laid down and tugged my leg over his chest so I straddled him. His wicked tongue lapped at me, making fireworks explode and knots twist tight in my core. I could hardly concentrate on what I was doing, but I was determined that he wasn't going to best me – I would last longer than him.
I trembled, clutching at the blankets beneath us as I conti
nued my work, using every trick I knew to get him at my mercy. It didn't work. With need aching inside of me, I grunted in frustration as I surrendered. Victor grinned up at me when I turned; he waited until I pushed myself down on him, letting him enter before his arms shot out. They wrapped around me and pulled me flat against his chest. He rolled, pinning me beneath him.
A kiss cut off my protest, and then he began thrusting. Softly at first, but with increasing speed. I dug my fingers into his back, arching my back to him. The tightness inside was going to strangle me. Victor's mouth kept coming back to mine; he groaned into me. I held in a scream, but it came out in bursts, with every thrust. My legs thrashed as I fought to maintain control of myself.
When Victor's face turned red and he dropped onto me, jerking his hips to mine, his face in my neck. I couldn’t last any longer. As he finished, everything in me came undone. I screamed with pleasure coursing through me, clawing into his back. My body jerked from side to side, my thighs clamping over his hips and pulling him even deeper.
The shockwaves still made me tremble even after Victor rolled off me. He panted and flashed me a grin as he covered us both with a blanket. I pressed myself into his side, resting my head on his shoulder. Our hands twined together and I couldn't help but laugh. There was clearly something my partners in the past had been missing… This was hands-down the best experience I had ever had.
I loved the way it felt, to lie beside Victor, fully sated, feeling closer to him than I had ever been to anybody else. I was safe here in his arms. It was a great thing to feel.
"I was only a little girl when I was sent to train at the guild," I told him softly. "I can't tell you how often I cried myself to sleep there. Even then, I knew that nobody thought I was good enough to do it. My mom didn't want me to go, but my father convinced her it was the best for my future. Sometimes I imagine what I'd be like if I had been immersed in human culture instead of dwarf."
Victor ran his fingers through my hair. "What would be different?"
"I wouldn't be so angry at my dad all the time," I admitted softly. "He sent me away. Like he was ashamed of me."
"My parents always acted like I was a disappointment, too," Victor said softly. "I was never interested in ruling Raindrop or being a prince. I prefer to let Charlotte do that sort of thing. I'm interested in building things. I made plans for an electricity-generating windmill, you know. It would have worked, and I brought it to my parents. They destroyed my plans even though it was something I could build with my own hands. That was the start of my questioning. Do we hold out because we can't make these things ourselves, or because we think ourselves better than the world?"
I giggled. "I always thought it was the latter."
Victor snorted. "My parents would disagree. They want Charlotte and me to be just like them."
"They say they only want what's best for us," I said softly. "But sometimes I just think they're afraid we'll change the world too much."
"Maybe. But all I know is after meeting you, I could never marry one of the women my parents want for me. Not that they aren't good people," he added. "I've often felt frustrated by the fact that I couldn’t fall for a traditional girl. But I'm not a traditional boy, and I need someone who can help me change the world."
I snorted. "I can change the world?"
Victor kissed me. "If you set your mind to it. I believe you can do anything."
Chapter Eight
Nerves made my fingers twitch, so I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and focused on the road ahead of me. The elves kept a close eye on the trolls, mostly to avoid contact, and Damien had told me that there was a road that went directly to their camp. Every day they got a delivery of bread, milk, and meat. So, we decided to Trojan Horse it. Get everybody into the camp via a seemingly innocent object.
The first step was hijacking the delivery van. I'd done that part on my own by getting into the town and giving the driver a sob story that had him thinking if he gave me a lift he'd get lucky. As soon as we were away from the city, however, I turned my gun on him and took him to where the elves were waiting.
Now I drove the rattling vehicle, wearing the clothes we'd taken from the driver. A ball cap was pulled low over my face, my hair tucked under it. I wore his jacket, the smell of which made me gag, and we hoped that would be enough to stop the trolls from recognizing something was up right away. Victor and the rest of the elves were in the back of the delivery van, probably having their teeth vibrated right out of their heads.
Nobody gave me a second glance as I drove into the troll camp. I was surprised by what I saw. I expected a bunch of grimy tents set up around a campfire, but instead there were camper vans and even an RV. The trolls – large, lanky creatures with green-blue skin – huddled in their doors and at their windows. I didn't see any children.
I checked my phone, heart pounding shallowly. Owen's cell phone was here. The tracking app was good up to a few dozen meters. I headed through the camp, praying nobody stopped us as we drove over the bumpy, holey path that the elves apparently thought qualified as a road.
We made it through the camp without incident. Rather than soothing my nerves, it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The whole place was quiet and tense. Did they know who we were, and were they planning an attack?
I parked the van behind the single permanent building that the delivery driver had told us about and climbed out. Still, no trolls confronted us. I waited a moment, glancing around. Something strange was definitely going on.
When I went back and opened the back door to the van, the elves tumbled out. Most of their faces were green, which would have been amusing at any other time. I rolled my eyes at them and grabbed the walkie-talkies I had stolen at the town and handed them out.
"Stay discreet," I ordered. "Our best chance is to just get Charlotte and Owen and get back here without being seen. If you are seen, try to be friendly. Ask to borrow a cup of sugar."
"What?" Damien's brow creased. "Why would we want—"
"Never mind. Radio in if you find anything." I turned from them and grasped Victor's hand. This plan was somewhat desperate, and we all knew it. I wasn't sure what to say to the prince, though, so I just kissed him. "Find Charlotte."
He kissed me back. "Find Owen."
We dispersed, the elves seemingly melting among the campers. Now that I was on foot in the midst of it, it seemed much bigger. I kept my cellphone in hand, watching for Owen's little dot while moving as quickly as I could between the vehicles. I peered into the window of one to find it empty. Trolls weren't active during the day; why weren't any of them here?
I shook my head and continued. Soon I was as close to Owen as my phone could tell me. I tried the first few campers, finding them empty before I found a locked door. Pay dirt. I yanked a couple bobby pins from my hair and picked the lock. My breathing was shallow, waiting for any noise to warn me about an approaching troll. Even the air was still.
Inside, I found Owen. He was tied to the wall by his shoulders, his legs strung up towards the ceiling. His shirt had been torn away, and bloody bandages covered his chest and stomach. His face was one giant bruise. My heart stuttered at the sight of him and I rushed in.
"Owen!"
He cracked open an eye and gave me a shaky smile. "Hey. I was about to bust loose."
I pulled a knife from my pocket and sawed at the ropes hoping his feet in place. "What happened? Where's Charlotte?"
"Charlotte…" Owen closed his eyes and shook his head. "I jumped off that truck just before we got here. I saw them take her into the RV. Heard them talking about using her to get her brother. They want to sacrifice them, to summon a demoness that will help them… I don’t know. But they're going to kill Charlotte and the prince."
My heart jumped into my throat and stayed there. "Victor? They wanted Victor here?"
Owen's eye cracked open. "Don't tell me—"
I shoved the knife into his hand. "Can you free yourself?"
"Yeah. Now
that I have this." He began cutting at the ropes. "Go."
"Delivery van behind the brick building. Go there after you free yourself."
"Kay. Go!"
I jumped out of the camper just as a cry rose up from somewhere deeper in the camp. The clash of metal against metal soon followed. I charged towards the sound.
I emerged from the maze of campers to find a battle. The elves were fighting the trolls. Dozens of them now stood in a circle, holding tight as the elves bobbed and weaved just beyond their long-armed reach. Damien had a half dozen trolls surrounding him alone. He stood like an ox, heaving his sword from one side to the other. Body bits and blood showered into the air all around him.
A scream sounded from beyond the wall of trolls; one of them darted out, grappling with an elf. Before they closed ranks again, I saw what they were guarding. Victor and Charlotte. More trolls were forcing them against a pole. Blood ran down Victor's face.
The trolls closed ranks again, shielding them from view. I didn't care. Yanking my gun out, I charged, firing rapidly at the wall of trolls. Several of them collapsed, others shouting and breaking formation as my bullets whizzed at them. The elves jumped into the break, knives flashing in the sun as they took on the trolls. I leaped over the dead, landing on the other side. A few of the guards turned to try to take me, but the elves were all over them now, and any that turned from the fight were soon dead.
"Eloise, no!" Victor shouted. "Go, save yourself."
"Don't be cliché!" I shouted back. Four trolls were tying him and Charlotte in place while a fifth dumped gasoline over them. I fired my last bullet at that one; its body jerked and fell, the gasoline pouring over its face.
"Eloise," Victor cried again.
I ignored him, going after the trolls tying him next. I chucked my gun at one of them, then dove in weaponless. My knuckles cracked as they collided with thick troll faces, but I managed to force one back. Victor threw his weight forward, making the ropes slip from the other trolls, and yanked his arm free. I jumped onto the back of the one still holding him; it was forced to release him as my arms wrapped around its neck.
