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Auriol’s grip on my hand tightened, the crowd inhaling a breath at the same time. Expressions melted with wonder as she and every person looked towards the tree.
I had only ever watched the Choosing a handful of times from the perch of the sole window in our apartment, only a brief glance before I shut the heavy curtains and blissfully blocked out the events from my reality.
Being here was different— thrilling, yes, but that coiling of fear I had felt this entire time turned from a spark into an inferno.
Then Dameon spoke, his voice crystal clear over the completely silent town of Tithe. “People of Tithe, here they come.”
5
The elves swept out through the tree’s surface as though the bark were no more than water. It rippled around their frames, not shifting a single hair upon their heads. Not even the light breeze that coursed through Tithe dared touch these creatures; it left them alone. From fear or respect, I was unsure.
I held my breath the entire time, fearful that I would say something obscene from shock or disbelief at what I witnessed. I counted them to keep myself occupied, one by one, as they strode into Tithe from whatever realm lay beyond the strange, unnatural tree.
Like a row of ducklings, the elves stayed in a perfect line, each one moving with a grace that was not possible for humans. It was as if they floated. Everything about them was effortless and perfect. Four, I counted. Not five, as Dameon had suggested. I repeated my tally as though I had missed something.
The air still crackled with impending tension even after they all had left the confines of the tree. It was the movement of the four elves, each glancing over their shoulders with a shared expression of annoyance, that warned that someone was left to come through. The broad, red-haired man tapped a polished boot upon the cobbles with impatience.
Then he showed himself, much to the excitement of the crowd compared to the clear displeasure of his peers. The Elven man stumbled across the threshold; feet awkward as though they were heavy with ale. His sloppy entrance conjured giggles from the surrounding girls, which did not go unnoticed. I expected that he would have enjoyed their reaction, yet his frown remained.
I couldn’t focus on a single elf long enough to truly drink in their appearance. Even to blink would have been a crime for missing out on any details of the otherworldly creatures. At that moment, I forgot why I hated them; their aura of beauty blinded me from my preconceived emotions.
“I can’t believe it,” Auriol said, echoing my thoughts. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't look at her. “I can’t…” Her voice tapered off as she finally succumbed to the same spell I was frozen beneath.
The elves had entrapped us, rooted me to the spot as they lined themselves up before the crowd.
Somewhere behind them I was aware of Dameon who hovered upon the podium, out of place and almost displeased that the fey-kind had not paid him any mind.
“Welcome, all—”
“That is more than enough, Dameon. Please cease your tedious chatter so we can get this started.” It was the final elf who spoke. Hearing his deep voice rattle with the thickness of some powerful spirits confirmed that he certainly was drunk—that and the subtle sway of his tall frame and the deep-set shadows beneath his piercing gold eyes.
Beside him stood a woman, a lithe figure draped in a dress of emerald and jade. Her skin was a dark brown which glistened as though painted with the dusting of silver stars. She kept an expression of glee across her face. However, I noticed the subtle shift of her gaze, as though wincing in reaction to the elf that had belittled Dameon.
“Now, brother, that is no way to greet our dear host,” she said. Her voice was soft, like the tinkering of bells swaying in a gentle breeze. It sent a welcoming chill down my spine, the feeling not as unpleasant as I would have wished it to be. It pleased Dameon also, whose crimson cheeks dulled in tone. He bowed his head as the woman looked at him with an honest smile.
“It is no bother, my lady,” Dameon forced out, his smile the greatest of lies.
“Grand. Then, as Faenir so eloquently put it, shall we proceed?” she asked, removing her touch from the drunk elf and clasping her hands before her.
Faenir. His name settled over me like fresh snow. It melted upon my skin, sinking through, chilling my bones, making my body ache. Somewhere deep in my consciousness, I recognised the reaction as ridiculous, pathetic, as though I was pining for a person I had never met before. But that was soon smothered as my attention returned to the drunk.
“Would you not care for a walk around Tithe?” Dameon asked nervously, gesturing with a swollen hand at the surrounding crowd. “This being your family’s first year here, we thought you may wish to…”
“That would not be necessary,” the woman replied. “We are afraid that our visit to your realm must be kept short. Me and my siblings will pick our mate and leave with haste.”
I recognised an urgency buried beneath her words, emphasised by the flickering of the elf’s eyes and the slight quiver of her taut lips.
Before, I would have been thankful for the idea of them coming and going without their presence leaving much of a mark upon Tithe. Now, seeing them in the flesh only a few broad steps before me, I never wanted them to go.
Faenir ran a ringed hand through the length of his thick, obsidian hair. It was so long it fell in wisps to his waist. He pushed it back from his face, revealing the two elongated points of his ears and the sharp lines of his jaw and cheekbones. Until now it had fallen mostly over his face, concealing his otherworldly beauty, but the taut lines of his mouth and the endless wonder in his eyes had me fearing him more than those he stood alongside.
Regardless, I wanted his attention. I wished for him to look at me, to trail those golden eyes over me just to see if I was deemed worthy enough for his consideration. It was a haunting feeling, one I recognised to be nothing more than deliria conjured by his appearance. Was this how Auriol felt?
It seemed he settled his narrowed stare upon everyone but me. I hated it. When his eyes found that of Auriol’s, I almost jumped before her. It lasted only a moment before sweeping over me and continuing down the line.
I followed his trail of interest where it stopped on Tom. From my position, I caught his handsome profile, one I had enjoyed many times. But compared to the creature before me, Tom paled in comparison. But the elf’s attention lingered upon Tom longer than I cared to admit. And that coiling of jealousy made itself known within me once again. Then I remembered Auriol. If Tom was chosen, that would be one less chance for her to be taken from me.
I’d rather it be him.
