The Queen of Elysium

Chapter 89 - Bound in gold

A giggle bubbles from Elissa's throat. I really shouldn't have finished that second glass of wine.

The mirth bounces around the room and the heavy dark green bottle slips from Tabbi's slack fingers. Talia is laid rakishly across a chaise, Ianthe has a rosy tint to her silvery cheeks and the two Dragonites, Dawn and Seraphina are grinning like hyenas. The only one not affected is Juliet, who wisely chose to forgo the fortified sparkling wine due to her advancing pregnancy.

As Elissa reaches over to retrieve the empty vessel, a memory of her past life comes to the fore and she blurts out without thinking. "I know a game that we can play! Whoever the bottle points at has to answer a question.

"That sounds amusing." Seraphina shares a dangerous look with Dawn.

Worried that they might be entering dangerous territory, Elissa adds a caveat, "Yes, but what is said in the room stays in the room, and whoever asks the question also has to answer it."

As the least likely to last out the game, she suggests that Talia goes first. After a fumbled first attempt, the Elemental manages to set the bottle in motion and it comes to rest with its neck pointing towards Dawn.

Talia props herself on her elbow and considers before asking, "Are you in love with your hunky twins?"

Dawn grabs her drink, staring into the effervescent contents before taking a large mouthful. She licks her lips and slowly puts the glass back down in an unusual display of nerves. They all stare at her, waiting for an answer.

"I never thought that I would say this, but yes I think they are my first love. I saw myself as being someone who would never be tied to another and who could pick and chose as the whim took me. However, now all I want is Cade and Cain."

Elissa's heart warms for her friend. So far, the only one in their circle tonight not to have found love is Seraphina.

"It makes no sense to ask you if you love my men." Dawn wags a warning, yet playful finger at Talia and regains her confidence. "Instead I want to know, who was your first love?"

Talia flushes and her gaze roves around the room looking for an escape before conceding defeat. "It was one of our gardeners." Her expression takes on a dreamy, far away look. "He was so good with his hands."

"Oh, I bet he was." Dawn smirks.

"I meant with flowers, in the garden," Talia hastily adds though that just sends both Dragonites into bawdy peals of laughter.

Possibly taking pity on the girl, Dawn sends the bottle into a dizzying spin and moves the focus onto the next victim. This turns out to be Elissa herself. The wicked smile is first indication that she might not like the question, and she gulps.

"I am curious, of the men you have kissed, which one is the most accomplished?"

Part of Elissa wants to call Dawn a witch and then she is beset with a wave of homesickness because it is just the kind of question that her old best friend Kate would have asked. Burying her face in her hands, she considers her response.

Fixing them all with a stern look, she insists, "Remember this is not to be repeated outside our circle." Only once they have all nodded does she say a single name, dropped like a bomb. "Morpheus."

"You kissed Morpheus!" Tabbi shouts, echoing the shock rippling through the others and leading to a barrage of questions.

Elissa waves them off, for now at least and vainly tries to deflect attention to Dawn. "Your turn to answer."

"Hmmm." Dawn presses a finger to her lips before responding, "While Dragonites are passionate and have a lot of stamina, I have not yet found another with Lucifer's eloquence, if you get what I mean." She emphasises her point with a saucy wink.