Chapter 11

      “I am not. How dare you accuse me of such atrocity?” I gasped theatrically and backed away from his grasp. Alarms sounded off in my head. I needed to leave. Now. I started to search for somewhere to go. This land was completely foreign to me, but I had to get away from this drow.

       Could this complete stranger truly know that about me? I found that immensely hard to believe. Surely, he's joking.

       “Oh, spare me the denial, please,” he said with a wave of his hand, sounding bored.

       “I don't know what you are talking about.” I spoke firmly without blinking. I maintained eye contact without glancing away. Lie. Deny. Do whatever it takes. “You don't know anything about me.” I started to laugh, glancing up at this tall stranger as if I were questioning his sanity.

       “You are the High Elf Princess,” he pressed further, plum colored eyes narrowing in my direction. “Princess Aurelia. The youngest daughter of King Darion and Queen Elda of Azrain.” He announced my families' titles with a booming voice. His expression suddenly turned mocking as his thoughts went in another direction. “Then of course, there was your sister, Princess Iris. Who tragically died in a freak accident,” he said mournfully with a hint of a smug expression.

       “Stop,” I said loudly. Hot white anger immediately pulsed through my body at his words and irritatingly smug face. He actually smiled when he brought up Iris' death. How dare he?

       “How did she die, Aurelia?” He asked me, raising knowing eyebrows towards his hair line. “You were the last one seen with the late princess,” he mused, rubbing his chin with his index finger.

       “Enough.” I spoke between my teeth. There were very few things that could trigger this kind of violent reaction from me. Speaking about my older sister's death with such flippancy and lack of respect was one of them.

       My anger towards this complete stranger was threatening to consume me. My vision seemed to be tinged in red. I began to shake violently, fighting the tremors of rage.

       “They said her body was so mangled, they couldn't even identify her--”

      “I said, enough!” I roared at the tops of my lungs, shooting my hands toward him, palms first.

       The stranger slid backwards away from me as if a giant unseen boulder crashed into him. He hunched over in pain, curling his arms around his stomach as he groaned. Good. He was in pain.

       I inhaled through my nose and attempted to calm down. My vision seemed to lose its red tint, and I was no longer shaking. It took me several moments to realize that I had just sent this stranger flying backwards without even touching him. I had exposed myself to this arrogant fool without even meaning to.

       “That was a hell of a shot,” he said in approval. He stood up and ran his fingers through his white hair. He started to head towards me. “Raw and completely out of control of course, but I see potential in you.”

       “Stay away from me,” I growled, fighting tears. What had I done? How could years of control and experience suddenly break through the surface and slip out?

       “You need me,” he said, suddenly grabbing my arms and pinning them to my side. His joking attitude completely dissolved as determination replaced it. I thought I could see a hint of fearful desperation in his eyes as well. “You won't survive this world. You've already drawn too much attention to yourself,” he whispered, gesturing around us.

       I was suddenly aware of the watching humans. Humans paused in their path to glance my way, forming a small circle around me. A few shook their heads in disbelief and continued their passage. No one seemed too terribly alarmed. After all, magic wasn't supposed to exist in the Human World, right? Well clearly, it hasn't had the time to affect me yet. I still seem to be perfectly capable of conjuring the restless, dark powers within me.

       “I can handle myself,” I muttered, breaking away from his hold.

       “You can't. That's the problem,” he insisted. “You crossed over dimensions to try to get rid of your magic. You have no idea what you're doing or what you're asking. I can help you. You need someone like me. Someone who knows the area and rules of this place. You've been here only minutes and you nearly got arrested.”

       I huffed in exasperation, hating the truth in his words. He was right. I didn't know what I was doing in this world. This stranger has the answers I've been looking for. How did I keep ending up in these situations where I have to fully rely on darklings? Where were all of the high elves when I needed them?

       “Let's try this again, shall we?” He asked with a smile. It wasn't smug or mocking. He seemed genuinely earnest and kind. He held his hand out for me to shake. “I am Rethar.”

       “You clearly already know who I am,” I muttered, taking his hand and shaking it. “I'm not saying it's a pleasure meeting you, Rethar. Because it's not.”

       “Ouch,” he muttered, shaking his head. “You'll grow to tolerate me. I'm sure of it. I'm actually a very likeable person.”

       “I doubt that,” I muttered underneath my breath.

      He chuckled as he started to walk away from me. “Come. You need human clothes. Take a look around, Aurelia. Humans dress a lot more modest than you,” he paused, considering. “Well most humans anyway.”

       I pulled my cloak closer to my body, aware of my clothing differences from the humans for the first time. He was right. Most of the females that I saw had clothing that completely covered their torso and chest. Most of the humans' thighs were concealed as well, unlike mine. A few were wearing shorts that stopped far above the knees, but not many.

       “And while I find those tall brown boots and leather shorts incredibly sexy on you, I'm not the only male who has an appreciation for long legs. It's dangerous in Atlanta for girls who dress like you. Don't make it a habit,” he warned in a low voice.

       “Atlanta?” I asked, struggling to keep up with his quick pace.

      “Welcome to the ATL, baby,” he said loudly, stretching his arms out. “Atlanta, Georgia to be exact.”

       I nodded, processing this new piece of information. “Where are we going now?”

      “My apartment. It's way too bright out here,” he said, shielding his eyes from the sun. It was bright, but it was nothing that I couldn't handle. It didn't make me uncomfortable the way Rethar looked.

       Rethar suddenly turned a corner and led me to a large, dark blue motorcycle. He stroked the sides of the creature with fondness. Rethar reached around and opened the side of the animal like a door.

       “Does that not hurt the motorcycle when you do that?” I asked him, staring at the blue creature with pity.

       “Let me just stop you right there. This is a '96 Bronco, not a motorcycle,” he said, looking offended that I called it by the wrong name. He rolled his eyes. “And it's a vehicle, Aurelia. It's not alive.”

       “How can it move if it's not alive?” I argued, crossing my arms across my chest.

       “Oh, my God. Get in the car.” He exhaled sharply, gesturing for me to get in.

      “Okay, let me see if I can get it right this time,” I said with determination as I crawled out of Rethar's nonliving Bronco. He was already several paces in front of me, and I practically had to jog to keep up with his long strides. It seemed to take quite a long time to get to our destination, and my legs felt stiff from the ride.

       “Go for it,” Rethar said, amused.

      “Cars are machines built by humans to make traveling quicker. And they aren't alive. Humans live in apartments or houses if they can afford it. Money determines how much power a human has. Never talk about elves to a human. Always drink liquor before beer. Brown humans are called black. Beige humans are called white. Never walk alone at night. And the Braves are better than the Yankees.”

       “See how much you've already learned?” Rethar said approvingly as he opened a black door attached to a rather tall looking building. He gestured for me to walk in. I was abruptly assaulted with a cool, spicy scent. It wasn't an unpleasant smell, but it was far too strong.

       “You live here?” I took a look around, noticing the dull red walls that were made out of some kind of clay. The floor was dark gray and completely smooth. Lights encased in elegantly sculpted glass hung from the ceiling. There were several black pieces of leather furniture facing a giant window overlooking tall buildings. The window took up nearly the entire length of the wall, illuminating the room with the light from outside. There were two doors on the wall to the right.

       “My own cozy studio apartment,” he said, casually leaning up against a counter. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. The couch will be your bed for the time being. I'm assuming you will be staying here a while. No job and all.” The right side of his lips curled up into a smile.

       It was fascinating to think that a few green papers were responsible for all of this. In Azrain, our land was claimed by all. Outside of the castle, Azrainians built their own cottages with stones or clay. Everyone had a place to return to for the night. We didn't need a certain amount of paper for permission to do that. We were loyal to one another and shared the land equally.

       I walked over to the large window and sat down on one of the larger couches. The leather seemed to mold around my body, pressing on all sides in a pleasant, comfy way. It reminded me of my bed back home. Something I haven't had the luxury to sleep in for quite some time now.

       “Want an apple?” Rethar asked, handing me a bright red object. “It's the closest thing to ormans humans have, but without the kick.” He winked as I took the apple from him.

       I studied the shiny object moments before I bit into the side, feeling juices and a surprising crisp texture in my mouth. He was right. This tiny red fruit definitely tasted a lot like ormans, maybe even better. Nostalgia filled me as I remembered picking the shiny orange fruit with my mother from our orman tree. She'd never let me eat more than one because of the undesirable side effects of the fruit. Not that I knew from experience, but I've seen proper, prestigious high elves soon become incapable of having a rational conversation, and simple tasks such as walking proved to be suddenly challenging for that elf.

       “Help yourself to anything in the refrigerator. I'm sure you're hungry. I've got to make a call,” Rethar said, pointing to a tall, black object in the far corner behind him. My eyes narrowed at the refrigerator, wondering why that word seemed familiar to me.

       Rethar slipped his hand in his pocket and brought a curious silver instrument out in his palm. He started pressing various keys on it with his index finger. He held it to his ear for a while. “Dani, baby! How are you?” He asked in a booming voice. Rethar began walking around the room, chatting to the silver object.

       I left the leather couch and headed towards the far corner of the room. I approached the refrigerator and studied it for several moments.

       “Good. Good. Hey, listen. I have a favor to ask you.” Rethar continued his conversation behind me. He cleared his throat. “Aurelia, you open it,” he said to me.

       I placed my hand on the tall, black frame, feeling a familiar silent vibration across my palm. Why did this seem so familiar?

      “I know, I know. You love me. I need you to go purchase a couple of things for me. Women's clothes.” Rethar suddenly started to laugh. “It's too early for me. You know I'll pay you back. I have my ways,” he said somewhat seductively. “She's probably around your size. Only slightly taller and ultra thin.”

       I yanked on the door, suddenly feeling cool air whirling around my face. I shivered involuntarily.

       It all clicked right then and there. “The refrigerator! It's the portal.” I gasped.

     “What?” Rethar paused in his conversation with the silver item. “Oh yeah. No, babe. That refrigerator is for food. The portal is safely hidden in the forest.”

       He abruptly dismissed me and turned around, returning to his conversation. The forest? No that wasn't right. When I entered this world, the portal was moving. I remember landing on the hot, black ground. Something very far from the comforting canopy of the woods. The more I thought about it, the more I thought Rethar was wrong. There was no forgetting that terrifying moment when I tumbled out of the portal and into the unknown.

       “The portal I came through wasn't in the forest. It was on the back of a motorcy�"I mean a truck,” I told him, testing the unfamiliar word.

       Rethar's back suddenly stiffened. His tall frame froze, and he seemed to be holding his breath. He slowly turned to face me, color drained from his dark face. “Danielle, I'm going to have to call you back,” he muttered in a strained voice. He shoved the silver object back in his pocket. He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling slowly through his nose. He pinched the bridge above his nose between his index finger and thumb.

       “Are you positive you remember that correctly?” He spoke through his clenched teeth, not opening his eyes.

       “Yes, I'm sure of it. I remember bouncing around inside of the portal before we tipped over and landed on that really hot, black ground,” I said confidently.

       It didn't take very long for the explosion. Rethar opened his eyes. Eyes that were blazing violet. The pooling lavender seemed to heighten, glowing right before my eyes. His entire body was shaking with fury. “So you are telling me, that my portal, my portal! The only link connecting Earth to Elfin has somehow managed to change locations without my knowledge.”

       “I don't know, I mean I guess,” I said, taking several steps away from him. He looked so angry.

       “You guess?” He roared. His demonic purple eyes narrowed in my direction. He stared at me for several moments without blinking. I flinched under his harsh, unwavering gaze. He seemed to solely focus on me, not bothering to pay attention to anything else in the room.

       He suddenly huffed in exasperation, clenching his fists down by his side. He seemed convinced that I was telling the truth. “Come, we're going to get it back. Hopefully it's still there.”

       He pulled a silken, black coat over top of his shirt and straightened the edges. He ran his fingers through his spiked white hair, trying to collect himself I guess.

       “I don't remember where it is exactly,” I admitted sheepishly, afraid that he would take all of his anger out on me.

       “That doesn't matter. I've seen enough to know,” he snapped.

     I was about to ask what he meant by that, but he suddenly doubled over in pain. A painful hiss escaped his mouth. “Damn it. Not now,” he groaned. Without warning, Rethar ran to one of the doors on the side of the room. “Wait here,” he ordered in a deep voice, slamming the door shut behind him.

       Silence surrounded me, and I was left wondering what in the world was going on. “Are you okay?” I asked in a loud voice. I hesitantly started to walk towards the closed door after I heard no response from him. “Rethar, are you hurt?” I gently knocked on the door.

       Nothing.

      I debated whether or not I wanted to invade his privacy and check on him. He seemed like he was in a lot of pain. I grasped the cold metal of the door knob and tried to pull it open.

        It was locked.

     I tried calling out to him several more times, but he never answered me. Feeling defeated, I left the door and headed back towards the couch.

       Time seemed to pass slowly, and eventually I forgot all about Rethar and his troubles. He was gone so long, I decided to take a quick nap.

       It was distinctively darker outside when Rethar finally decided to make his presence known again and emerged from his room. I blinked several times, trying to wake myself up. I was about to ask him if he was alright, but his expression told me all that I needed to know. His smug, almost relieved face stretched out into a grin when he glanced in my direction.

       “Ah, Zamyrla. Always cleaning up my messes.” He shook his head fondly.

       “What?”

      “Zame's going to return the portal back to its original place. We're good,” he said happily. He knows who Zame is? “You know, she seemed really pissed about something. More pissed than usual,” he said thoughtfully.

       “Zame's here? In the Human World?” I squeaked.

       No. She can't be here. I barely escaped her the last time. She knows I'm a magi elf, and nothing will stop her from driving that black dagger through my heart the first chance she gets.

       “Well, not yet. She will be soon, though,” Rethar said with an eager smile. “You know, I'm actually surprised that you two weren't together when you crossed over. Zame knows her way around Atlanta pretty well.”

      “I have to leave,” I said, suddenly panicking. “She can't know I'm here.” Why did it feel like I was already dying? My heart was pounding at a frantic pace against my chest. The need to escape was so demanding, I could hardly think straight.

       “It's too late for that. She knows you're here,” he said calmly with a shrug. He clearly didn't understand the situation.

       “She wants to kill me,” I said, staring at the floor while trying to get a grip on myself. I took in startled pants, feeling nauseated.

       “Zame wants to kill a lot of people. She rarely goes through with it.”

       “No. You don't understand.” I hopped off the couch, staring at Rethar in terror. “I'm a ... Zame knows. She knows what I am,” I whispered. Why oh why did those stupid rocks have to float up into the trees while I was asleep?

       Rethar's eyes widened infinitesimally. “Well, that explains some things,” he mused to himself. He started to stroke his chin, deep in thought.

       Something suddenly occurred to me at that moment. Something I should have noticed far earlier than at this moment. “Rethar, you know I'm a ... you know what I am,” I stuttered.

       “Say it. Magi elf. It's not that hard,” he said, sounding bored.

      “Whatever. That,” I said, taking several deep breaths. “How did you know that about me? We've never met before, but you somehow knew anyway. You haven't done anything about it. You haven't killed me.”

       A sickly, cold feeling started to creep down my back. Aurelia, what have you done? This drow knows you are a magi elf, and you're sitting comfortably in his house! This may be the Human World where magic is nonexistent, but those from Elfin surely have not forgotten the unspeakable crime of the existence of magi elves. Muntor's terrible death toll all those years ago will never be pardoned. Magic is too powerful and unpredictable to be controlled. The more I use my restless powers, the more I could attest to that statement.

       Rethar's face became a mask of seriousness. He tilted his head to the side and cracked his neck with an awful popping noise. He brought his attention back to me, folding his fingers in the process.

       “I make it my business to know who my enemies are,” he said darkly, never leaving his face from mine.

       Before I could respond to that statement, three loud knocks pounded against the door frame, effectively ending our conversation. I jumped in my seat, terrified of what surely lies just on the other side of the door.

       Zame was here to kill me.

Reviews

[InsanityWriter]

:D I love this!!!!

100 zillion/100

[Strigoikillerr]

Hahaha... thank you!!! x3