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Chapter 17
The town formed a ring that enclosed the palace, with the palace lands serving as a buffer that stretched over a mile deep. A vaguely medieval feel suffused the immaculately clean village, yet that wasn’t the accurate term at all. There wasn’t a precise way to describe the bustling town. The houses and shops, made of white- or cream-colored wood and stone, shouted out gracefulness. Their smooth lines continued the theme that ran throughout the palace and its grounds. Nothing appeared to be ugly in Eria.
When she said as much to Relian, he nodded. “We elves like beauty surrounding us. That would likely be our main vanity if one could be assigned to us as a whole.”
Cal furrowed her brow. “There are worse things to be vain about, I suppose. For such a seemingly perfect race, I’m surprised you would admit to any faults at all.”
“Ah, who says vanity is a fault?” he said seriously, though a teasing light gleamed in his eyes. As if he’d noticed her face darkening, he laughed but with no true humor. That mysterious light faded from his eyes, leaving her to wonder if it’d even been there. He held his hands out in a placating manner. “Who said we are perfect? I don’t believe any here would claim we are.”
“Oh.” She shook her head. What was up with his changes in mood and demeanor? He could switch with astonishing speed from complete reserve to gently teasing and then back again. She wasn’t used to such behavior from a man—one that seemed to dislike her one moment and more than tolerated her the next. Women’s purported mood swings certainly had nothing on his. Did elvin men suffer from PMS?
Confusion, it appeared, was going to be a normal state for her in Eria. As a straightforward person who considered herself even-tempered, Cal hated the mind-games so popular among her peers. This “what you see is what you get” philosophy had always served her well.
Here, everything seemed so foreign and distant to her, as if she viewed a distorted image through a camera lens she couldn’t bring into focus. The picture would become clearer only to blur again, taking any clarity she’d gained.
So now she walked alone with Relian. Well, not exactly alone. People—elves—surrounded them on all sides. She swam in a sea of elves, and there was even music. It floated on the air, beguiling and sweet. “That music. It’s beautiful.”
“Humans often do find our music beautiful. Or they did at one time.”
She wanted to question him. How did he know it affected humans so? However, the tune pulled at her, sapping her will to talk. She blinked, part of her breaking free and realizing just how crazy she was acting.
Again, as so many times since he’d come into her life and dreams, she fought down the manic giggling that wanted to break free from her throat. If she started laughing now, she’d sound demented. They didn’t need another reason to look askance at her. Her humanity seemed to be doing a perfect job of that on its own.
When virtually everyone in the town stopped to stare at her and Relian, any hope of her situation improving slipped away. Their gazes felt accusing, as if she’d no business being there, especially with their beloved prince. Could she blame them? She was the lone human in the area if one discounted Maggie.
How was her friend faring? Did Maggie feel as conspicuous? If Maggie had returned to their rooms, there was a distinct possibility she might be bored. If so, Cal wished she could switch places.
Being with a prince was a highly overrated occurrence.
***
“How did it go? Get any smooches?” Maggie asked, her cheeks unusually bright against the backdrop of her chamber.
“Maggie!” Cal narrowed her eyes and shot her friend a look.
“What? Come on. That’s the question burning in everyone’s mind, and you know it.”
Cal rolled her eyes and crossed her arms before throwing herself down on Maggie’s bed. “Yeah, I’m sure it’s preying on every elf here. I know it’s certainly not burning in my mind. I want none, especially from him. We may be stuck here for a year, but it doesn’t mean I intend to bond with him.”
Maggie grinned maniacally, color still staining her cheeks. “And since we’re stuck here, you might as well enjoy some kisses. Like you’d want them from any other elf.” A thoughtful look crossed her face. “Though you’d be hard-pressed to find a truly ugly guy here from what I’ve seen, so it couldn’t be all bad. But yeah, you find him so distasteful that you watch every smile and frown of his voraciously. Makes a lot of sense to me. You’re fooling no one, least of all me.”
Feeling like all the air had been stolen from her, Cal couldn’t come up with a good rebuttal. Her attraction to Relian was pathetically clear, and Maggie knew how strongly he drew her. After learning the truth, Maggie had been by her side, helping her cope with the dreams and their accompanying emotions.
Cal changed the subject to something safer—at least safer for her. “What are you flushed about?”
Maggie exploded from the bed and started to pace around. “That rat!”
Confusion hit Cal. “Kenhel? Or Relian because he didn’t kiss me?”
Maggie stopped in her tracks, and her shoulders shook. Now concern ran forefront in Cal’s mind. Just as she rose to offer Maggie comfort, her friend faced her. She was laughing, not crying.
Her friend must’ve noticed her bewilderment because she started guffawing. In between her snorts, she managed to get out, “Like I’m mad at Relian for not kissing you. Please! As for Kenhel, I haven’t even seen him since this morning. No, I’m talking about a truly insufferable rat bastard.”
At her bitter tone, Cal had more than a niggling idea of who the person might be. Who else could get Maggie riled up so? “Is it the person I think it is?”
“If you’re thinking it’s the...the thing your boyfriend calls a father, you’re right.”
Cal forced down a sigh. “What did you do now?”
