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When a zagfer came for me, reporting that Ihokha urgently requested my presence in his room, I became fueled with a rush of adrenaline. Now as I reach the hall where his room is, I pray the news is fortunate.
I swing the door open, finding a wonderful sight. Sitting up in bed is a conscious Ellie, her hands being held by Ihokha who greets me with a warm smile.
“Ellie!” I call out, causing her to turn and notice me. “You’re awake!”
Her skin is vibrant and restored to its natural color. Without any marks to show she’s been hurt, it looks as though she was never tortured at all in the first place.
“Brilyk!” she exclaims, her voice sounding like a beautiful song as she smiles.
At that moment, my knees almost buckle under my body weight from the shock. I stumble over to her as she extends her arms out. We envelope each other in a grip as I hold her like never before.
I move to her lips, planting a kiss on them, tasting what I thought I would never taste again. Suddenly, I remember the presence of Ihokha. I pull back and look at him with wide eyes.
Ellie glances nervously between the two of us as Ihokha’s gaze meets mine. Unexpectedly, his smile only widens as he begins chuckling.
“Well,” he says. “It seems as though I am not the only one who is happy to see you awake, Ellie.”
“You don’t know how long Ihokha and I have been waiting for you to come back to us,” I explain to a confused Ellie. “We took turns watching over you for the past seven days.”
“We both have a lot to say to you, Ellie, I know you have just awoken but neither of us can wait,” says Ihokha before turning to me. “May I go first?”
“Please,” I reply.
Ellie looks on in confusion as Ihokha takes hold of one of her hands as I take the other.
“I always knew there was something special about you. Of course, I wish we had met under different circumstances but nothing could ever have gotten in the way of me falling in love with you,” says Ihokha. “I’ve never felt more right in my feelings, so if you’ll have me then I will be a happy elf for the rest of my life.”
“Ellie,” I say, grabbing her attention. “I came here years ago on a mission to free Infnore. Even though I have accomplished that goal, nothing greater has come of my time here than meeting you and being able to get close to you. All I have ever known is fighting but you showed me the way of love, and it is a path I want to embark down on forever.”
Ellie’s face contorts as she closes her eyes, a sight that catches me off guard. I panic as a tear drops from them, staining the sheets below her.
Have we upset her?
“Ellie,” I say calmly. “I don’t want you to choose between us.”
“Me too,” says Ihokha. “Both of us are happy with the way things are between us all. All we want is for you to be happy.”
“No,” she mutters, catching her breath. “I’m not crying because I have to choose, I’m crying because this is the best way things could have turned out for us. I love both of you so much and can’t imagine having to choose between two of the greatest elves I have ever known.”
“This is how I want things to be,” exclaims Ihokha. “To have a mate in you, and a friend in Brilyk,” he continues, smiling at me.
“This way, you are always protected, and loved just as fiercely as you deserve to be.”
“Oh, you guys,” cries Ellie. “Come here.”
29
ELLIE
In my wildest dreams I never thought I could be this happy, that such a thing was possible and that I would get to love not one man, but two at the same time. And yet here we are, the three of us sat together on the bed talking about being together—all of us.
“Are you okay, Ellie?” Brilyk asks as I start to cry tears of joy.
“Of course I am,” I reply. “I get to be with the people I care most for in the world. We can be happy, right?”
He leans over and kisses the top of my head. “We can be happy as we chose to be,” he replies. “And I know that I have never been happier than I am at this moment. Knowing that you’re now safe and well, hearing your voice again.”
“Ihokha?” I ask, looking up into his beautiful golden eyes.
