The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)

Chapter Eighteen pt 4

When the demon woke, the darkness his vision saw took him for a surprise, causing his heart to jolt. But within the movement, he felt something against his chest. The object hummed and drifted away, and as the demon's vision adjusted, his eyes met with the sweet elf's, glowing by the moonlight that permeated the space.

The elf softly smiled and patted the demons chest. "How are you feeling?" he chimed gently.

Being asked, the demon finally noticed his body, the excruciating soreness he had denied to himself was not present anymore. Just light tightness in places. He pushed his body up, stretching his shoulders, tilting his neck one side and the other, and then leaning on one arm, looked down to face the elf.

"How long have I been asleep?" Drokn asked, his mind slightly fuzzy and catching up to the present.

"Hmm... a couple days or so," answered Eial, positioning himself to sit up.

Drokn was stunned. Had he wasted away two full days? He had to get back up. Now that he was feeling better, he had to move and-

As if Eial could sense the demon's intentions, he grabbed the demon by the shoulders and pushed him down, positioning himself on top. "No," he said defiantly, "you still need to recover."

And that's when the memories poured into the demon. The elf laying on top of him, kissing him, pushing the sleeping medicine inside and forcing him to sleep. He has almost doubted it as a dream, but the sensations his memories made him feel on his lips proved to him the reality.

He was in a bit of a conundrum. He was excited, to say it simply, that the elf had kissed him. Perhaps he could kiss him more now? But on the other hand, Drokn's mind fixated on the missed days of training, the frustration he felt not quite because of the elf's actions, but the reminder of himself.

"I feel better now. I have to train again. I've missed too much time." Although still insistent in his ways, the demon, now with a mind of clarity from the well needed rest, sounded less demanding and moreso pitiful, his eyes scrunching, almost defeated.

"Why are you pushing yourself to this extent, Drokn? I don't understand." Concern drew the elf's brows close.

Taking a contemplative breath in, Drokn looked away to the right, avoiding the elf's gaze. "I just..." he started, biting his lip and closing his eyes briefly for another breath, remembering the memories that pushed him with pain. "Both you and the wi- Vrona. Watching you two, I keep feeling so helpless and weak. I don't know a fucks worth of combat fighting. And my magic is shit. If I don't at least put in this much work, I feel like I'm never going to catch up. I want to be stronger, but I keep feeling far away."

Silence filled the room at the demon's rare admittance, and Eial's heart clenched. Taking a hand to gently smooth the demon's hair, Eial began to speak. "I don't think you need to push yourself like you are to be stronger."

"Easy to say when you're already powerful," Drokn said, but as soon as the words left his lips, he was filled with immediate regret. "Sorry. It's hard not to envy you when your powers are everything I've wanted."

"Drokn, I think you're mistaken about my powers. I am not strong just because I have them. If mother had not taught me how to use my powers, I most likely would not have known how to use them, and would have not seemed as powerful to you. Mother had taught me how to use my strengths. She taught me how to teleport. When I learned I was shorter than most elves, I realized I could be more nimble. We work with what we have."

Eial smiled as Drokn's face turned to him again and continued, "You may envy my powers, but you have dark magic, and that's something I'll never have. Your magic is special, and I wish you would love your powers as much as I love them."