by Quinn Loftis
What if Lorsan had realized who she was and snatched her while he’d been helping break up the fights between the drunk humans? What if some human male had decided she was an easy target and somehow managed to drag her off to some dark corner to—he cut that thought off before it could go any further. Picturing the horrid things that could be happening to her would not help him; it would only serve to increase his anger and fear, which would hinder clear thought and purposeful action. He would be of no use to her if he flew off in a blind rage. So he stopped and took several deep breaths. But before he could take another step, a hand landed on his shoulder. He so desperately wanted it to be Elora, but he knew immediately that it was not.
“Why are you on your own?” Syndra asked as she stepped around him into his line of sight. “Where is your little troublemaker?”
Cush’s chest tightened painfully as he looked down at the light elf queen. “She’s gone.”
“Gone?” Syndra’s eyes did a quick sweep around the room. “How did she get separated from you?”
“A fight broke out among the humans and it was escalating.”
“And you, being the light elf warrior that you are, intervened,” she interrupted.
“I told her to stay put. She knows how dangerous the situation is. I don’t think she would have wandered off of her own accord.”
Syndra’s lips tightened as her gaze met his. “Perhaps, that would be true if she didn’t have dark elf blood running through her veins.”
He took a step toward her. “What do you mean?”
“You know how she was affected the first time that we came to Las Vegas. She isn’t fully dark elf, Cush, but she is half, and that part of her DNA will have an influence over her unless she is paying very close attention especially in a place such as this where the darkness rules even in the light of day.”
Cush didn’t want to believe what she was saying, but he knew the light elf queen was right. It didn’t bother him that his Chosen had dark elf blood; he honestly couldn’t care less. Her heritage didn’t have to determine her future, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be something she would have to force into submission. He should have considered how difficult it would be for her to be surrounded by the pleasures of the flesh in a place saturated with self-indulgence. But he’d been too focused on finding Lorsan, the book, and dealing with the Rapture situation.
“Can you feel her?” Syndra asked. “I’m assuming that your souls have connected seeing as how you can’t keep your hands off each other. Can your soul reach out to hers?”
Cush closed his eyes and let his soul search for its other half. It was as though he was looking for a light only he could see. He grew more frustrated as the minutes ticked by and still he felt nothing.
He growled, “Nothing. I can’t feel a damn thing.”
Syndra tapped her lips with a long slender finger as she stared at him. “I wonder if—perhaps because of what she is—that maybe you have to connect with her in another way as well.”
Cush’s jaw clenched. “You mean by mating?” He did not particularly want to discuss something so private with Syndra.
She shook her head. “No, at least I don’t think so. I mean with her other half. You’ve connected with her human soul, the part of her that isn’t tainted by her father’s blood, but I bet you haven’t connected with the dark elf in her.”
His brow drew together as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I don’t understand what you are saying. How would I connect with her dark elf?”
“Honestly, I have no clue.”
Cush wanted to snarl at her, why the hell bring up something that you don’t have an answer to, but he kept the thought to himself. He knew that if Elora had been with him that she wouldn’t have approved of him snapping at the light elf queen. His gut clenched as he realized just how much of an influence she’d had on him in the short time they’d been together. When he’d first met her, he’d been shocked, but that had quickly morphed into defiance because he’d never thought he’d find his Chosen. He was a warrior; it was all he knew. How in all the realms could he possibly be a mate? But he had realized very quickly that now that he’d found her, there was no way he could let her go. She was his and he was hers, that was all there was to it. There was no Cush without Elora, and yet his biggest fear had already come to pass. He’d feared not being able to take care of her the way she would need. Now here in Sin City, he’d foolishly gone and lost her.
“Not to be a mom or anything, but where is my daughter?”
Lisa’s voice broke through the turmoil raging in Cush’s mind and his eyes met hers. How was he supposed to tell the mother of the woman he loved that he’d lost her? He’d rather face an army of dark elves.
“Don’t freak out, Lisa,” Syndra spoke up before he had a chance.
“I don’t like it when someone starts a sentence with ‘don’t freak out, Lisa,’ ” she retorted turning to look at Syndra. “Usually that implies that freaking out is definitely the best course of action.”
“I stepped away from her for a few minutes.” Cush’s voice was strained as he fought to hold his emotions in check. “I was assisting with an altercation and when I returned she was gone.”
Lisa pursed her lips briefly before nodding. “Okay, so we need to find her.”
Her response was not what he was expecting. Cush was sure Elora’s mother was going to rip him from one end to the other, but like her daughter did so often, she surprised him.
“Lisa,” he began but she held up her hand to stop him.
“I don’t blame you, warrior. Elora is a big girl and you don’t have eyes in the back of your head. We’ll find her.”
“Did you guys call a meeting and forget to invite me?” Oakley quipped as he walked up to their small circle.
“Your sister has wandered off and we have to find her,” Lisa told him without preamble.
Oakley blew out a breath and rubbed his face. “Why does this not surprise me?”
“Like you said, Lisa, Elora is a big girl. She can handle herself,” Syndra said confidently.
Cush agreed that Elora could handle herself, but she was still a female in a city full of hungry males that would be more than happy to make her their snack. Not to mention the fact, Lorsan was lurking somewhere like a slinking wolf waiting to devour them.
“Syndra, you and Lisa search this side of the strip. The Casinos all connect so you can walk straight through without having to leave the building. Oakley and I will go across the street and canvas that side.” Cush reverted into the familiar role of leader. He was used to commanding soldiers. Now taking charge helped ease his worry for his Chosen. “We’ll meet at the fountains of the Bellagio in an hour.” Cush motioned for Oakley to follow him, leaving Syndra and Lisa who were already moving toward the exit. He knew that Syndra was more than capable of taking care of herself as well as anyone in her care.
He moved with confidence through the crowded casino, not bothering to walk around people because they just seemed to move out of his way. Elora had mentioned that to him once and he’d admitted that he’d never noticed it. But now as he headed for the front doors he realized she was right, and it was a good thing because he had no doubt that if they didn’t get out of his way he would plow right through them.
“I don’t think anyone took her,” Oakley spoke up as he lengthened his stride to keep up with Cush.
“Why,” Cush asked without looking at the boy.
“Because Elora wouldn’t have gone quietly. If she disappeared without you realizing it, it was of her own free will.”
Cush would have agreed with him except he’d told her not to move, and he knew that she understood how important it was that she obey his order. Elora could be defiant, but she wasn’t stupid.
“She probably saw some chick in an awesome Goth get up and went to ask her where she got her skull tights or something.”
“If she did walk away on her own, it had better be for a reason a whole hell of a lot be
tter than wanting to know about some lady’s clothes,” Cush rumbled. As they crossed the lobby and stepped out into the strip, the lights of the Casinos lit up the night sky of the city like a beacon calling out for all to come and revel with her. Cush could see how humans got caught up in the false security of the bright beams because they couldn’t see the shadows that hid behind them—shadows that wanted to devour them piece by piece as they gave themselves over to the self-gratification of every whim the city offered. By the time they left, they wouldn’t even realize they’d given up a part of themselves, desensitized by the glamour of Sin City.
They crossed the street, dodging around taxis and other pedestrians. Cush didn’t bother to check and see if Oakley was keeping up. The sound of the boy’s voice was confirmation enough. “Well, don’t be too surprised if that’s all it was,” Oakley placated. “Elora can be a tad impulsive and I imagine the influence that our dark elf nature is having on her is only making her even more impulsive.”
Cush had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from yelling out in frustration at his Chosen’s brother. He felt as though he’d failed her and Oakley’s words were only rubbing his face in the fact that he hadn’t noticed her reaction to her environment.
“Look on the bright side,” Oakley continued.
“There is no bright side,” Cush said cutting him off as he pulled the door open to the first casino they’d come to. They were again bombarded with the ringing of slot machines, boisterous laughter, and the occasional booing from disgruntled gamblers. Cush’s eyes scanned the room. Mounting frustration continued to grow inside of him as he realized just how difficult it would be to find Elora among the mass of bodies that seemed as numerous and similar as grains of sand.
I beg of you, Cush silently prayed to the Forest Lords, please let me find her and let her be unharmed. With the prayer offered up, he and Oakley moved purposefully into the room, both scanning face after face in hopes that she would somehow suddenly appear. Cush vowed silently to himself and to Elora that he would tear the city to the ground if that’s what it took to find her.
Chapter 6
“When my mom told me that I was half dark elf, I thought, okay, so I have a little bit of a naughty side. Perhaps, it might have been more accurate of her to say, ‘you are half dark elf and if you ever give into that nature, you won’t just sort of dip your toe in it. No, if you give into that nature, you will plunge headfirst and then begin to swim deeper because you don’t even realize you’re drowning.’ ” ~ Elora
Time seemed to be flying by in a whirlwind of lights, music, and laughter as Elora dove even deeper into the bowels of the city. The group she’d been tagging along with, because it just seemed like the best idea she’d ever had, lead her into an alley. It was amazing how quickly the sights and sounds faded just a few steps off of the strip. They walked up to a wall that didn’t appear to be anything more than a wall until a tall guy—she didn’t know his name—knocked on it twice, then again and again, in a repeating pattern that reminded Elora of a heart beating. Suddenly with an ominous grinding, the wall slid open sideways.
Elora’s eyes widened as she leaned forward to look past the tall, slender man who stood between them and whatever fun was going on behind him.
“We are keepers of the secret,” the guy who knocked told the doorman.
To Elora’s surprise the slender man bowed and stepped aside to allow them entry. It wasn’t until she had stepped through the doorway and turned to look at the man full on that she realized he was not a man at all, well, at least not of the human variety.
A wide smile stretched across his beautiful face as long dark hair flowed around his shoulders. Like all elves she’d seen so far, he was lean, stunning, and beautiful in a way that was in no way feminine. Elora compared them, especially the dark ones, to felines―panthers maybe. They moved with a fluid like grace, confident in their own form to an extent she’d never seen in anyone else.
Chills ran up her spine as he held his hand out to her and she obediently placed her own into his. What the crap am I doing, she thought to herself, but the worry was pushed aside the moment the dark elf spoke.
“Welcome, little sister.” The voice was a purring to her eardrums.
Oh my, Elora inwardly thought, he’s got a voice as smooth as butter and as rich as dark chocolate.
“I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing you here before.” His hand was still wrapped around her own and he had somehow taken a step closer without her even noticing.
“That’s because I’ve never graced you with my presence before,” Elora responded in a voice that didn’t sound like her own. It was sultry and flirty in an I want to devour you kind of way.
“What is your name?” he asked as he took her hand and wrapped it around his arm leading her further into the room which she now saw was a club, though not like the other’s she’d been to that night. This club was for those in the know. It was classy, sexy, and full of dark elves. Elora felt as if she’d just stepped into the Matrix and a small voice in the back of her mind was screaming you should have taken the blue pill!
He was still waiting for her answer and she nearly blurted it out but something stayed her tongue. Somewhere, she’d heard that names held power and to be careful who she gave hers out to. Elora looked up at the elf who was gliding her through the dark room and tried to figure out if he was one to whom she should trust with her name. The haze that had settled over her mind was growing thicker, and she was finding it very difficult to think beyond her immediate wants.
Finally she spoke but Elora wasn’t the name she gave him. “I’m Raven.”
“Just Raven?” he asked with a sly smile. She wagered that many a she-elf had fallen victim to that smile.
“Yep,” she responded, popping the last letter with her lips. He seemed satisfied with her answer and continued to walk with her in silence. Elora took the chance to glance over the room. She saw a stage where there were women dancing in cages, and they were dressed in some whacked outfits that she figured were supposed to be animals, but they were missing most of the pelts. It was more like they’d taken the animal hair and only covered the essentials. At the back there was a bar with huge mirrors. Nope, she took that back, they weren’t mirrors; they were glass. She could see a room that looked similar to the room she was walking in, but it seemed darker, more sinister.
“What’s in there?” Elora pointed toward the glass.
“That is for those who don’t just want to watch the show, but instead be a part of it.”
His words seemed cryptic, which she thought should annoy her, but she seemed to just let it go as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
“What show?”
He had led her to a table where her group was already seated. Once she was seated in her own chair the dark elf slipped a finger under her chin and tilted her head back to look at her. “Do not worry, Little Raven, you will enjoy it.” She blinked and he was already gone. His voice echoed in her mind. Little Raven, he’d called her and it sounded so wrong on his lips. She’d been called that before but she couldn’t remember by who. Each time she thought she’d nearly figured it out, it just slipped away like water through her fingers. Her attention was drawn away from her thoughts as the room seemed to grow dimmer. A spotlight zeroed in on the stage and, like everyone else in the room, Elora leaned forward, scarcely breathing as she waited for the curtain to part.
The music began first. It was a haunting melody. Elora could feel the lyrics imprinting themselves on her mind and burrowing deep into her soul.
Close your eyes, let your worries be.
Open your mind, then you will really see.
There is a world, there is a place,
Beyond your imagining, right in front of your face.
And you feel it, and you know it.
Can you believe it, will you receive it?
Shut out the voices, silence the cries,
There is the truth, just past the lies.
Is this the end, or is it the start?
Close your eyes, let your worries be,
Hear my voice, all you know is me.
You’re in my world, you’re in my space,
Near my soul, gone without a trace.
And you feel it, and you know it.
Can you believe it, will you receive it?
As the song continued to fill the room, ensnaring the audience, the curtain slowly opened. Elora felt the pull, something telling her to keep her eyes on the stage. Like a whisper against her ear it enticed her not to move. She was aware that a spell was being cast over her, over everyone, and yet she could do nothing to stop it. Her eyes were glued to the stage as a tall, slender woman, beautiful even among her elvish kind, walked out. She was magnificent and terrifying at the same time. Her long hair was pitch black and shimmered as it swayed around her slender frame. It hung nearly to her waist in a cascading waterfall down her back. Her eyes were silver, large, and framed in dark, long lashes. But even her looks could not compare with the beauty of the voice that emerged from her as she sang. Elora felt as if she were floating on a sea of euphoria. She had no worries, no cares, and though she knew it wasn’t reasonable, she felt as if she could just sit there in that dark room and listen to the woman on the stage sing forever.
A sudden bump to her elbow by the person sitting next to her had Elora’s eyes leaving the stage. The fog in her mind cleared and she blinked several times, but the clarity only lasted a few moments. The fog was replaced by an unexplainable urge to leave, but she didn’t know where she was going. Elora stood and moved through the dark room, ignoring any who tried to stop her. She pushed her way through the crowd that was gathering around the entry to the room and followed the path to the door through which she’d originally entered.
