Standing in the middle of the woods after some scouts spotted someone shambling by. They were too close to our tribe's sacred land. The alpha sent us to make sure it wasn't one of Silas' men.
Following the crushed grasses, broken branches, and their general tracks. it wasn't long until we found them. They were in a clearing, Eli and I were on the other side of some bushes. I stopped short in front of Eli and he also ran into me. I heard him inhale, surely to tell me off.
"Hush," I wrapped my hand around Eli's dumb face. A figure was skulking around in the woods in front of us. A faint and fleeting heartbeat reaches my ears. I signal to Eli that there's someone in front of us.
The air around him vibrates with his growl. I know that growl is a warning to me. I give him a are you serious look. Whipping my head back to the figure I see it pick up its head and look towards us.
Gods damn it. I pop up, giving up on being sneaky. The new view doesn't offer me much. Being the stubborn mule that I am, I charge into the clearing where the figure's huddled up. The leaves crunch under my feet, I hear Eli scramble behind me. He huffs a few times but he remained in the bushes.
A copper-like scent is heavy in the air. It grows heavier with each step I take. I put my hand up behind me, to communicate to Eli to stay back. I felt the ghost of his fingertips grasp at my arms but I push forward.
As I near the tree I see that the figure is a bloody mess. The copper smell is radiating off of him. I see his elvish features and know that he's the one the castle is looking for. Opportunities present themselves to those who are looking.
"If you're here to kill me, then get it over with." A pained male voice greeted me.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I'm not my father," I say. The being adjusts so that we are face to face. The puffy and bruised eyes strained to look at my face.
"Ah, the disgraced Princess," he says.
"The rumors are true then, you stay with the wolves." It wasn't a question it was more of a statement. A passing observation.
"Yes, and I want you to come with me. Their medicine woman can heal you. I need your help." I say. I can hear Eli growling from the bushes in which I left him.
"Let me carry you, what is your name?" I ask, I knew how prideful elves are but there's no way he can walk back to the Hollow. It took some convincing to get him to trust me enough to allow me to help, but he gave in.
He was heavy and Eli refused to help me carry him, but slowly we made it back to the village.
By the time we got him back to our village he was unconscious, the pain must have been too much for him. I took him to the medicine woman, the smell of spices burning filled her home. She told me to lay him down on a mat on her floor. I sat down and watched as she gathered bowls and herbs.
***
I stayed at his side, the whole time he was in the medicine woman's hut. There wasn't much to do beside wait for him to wake up. Eli checked in every so often. With each visit, he grew more frustrated. I knew part of it was he had grown used to me being at his side all the time. Guilt chews on my heart. I missed him too but everyone's future rested on this elf.
The other part was he didn't trust the elf. Misconceived notions weren't only in the vampire communities.
On the fourth night he woke up. I must have dozed off for a few, I woke with a start and a stiff neck. The elf was sitting right up, most of their wounds had healed over by now. His mossy eyes studied my face and the tent around us. Most likely he was looking for guards or a way out.
Suddenly, my palms are sweating and I have a lump in my throat.
"I gave you my word I am not like Silas and no harm would come to you." I offer as a comfort, his eyes turn to slits as he continues to watch me. A swallow, trying to get down the lump in my throat.
"Look, I hate him as much as you do. I need your help, it's why I saved you." I say in hopes to sway him. Again, I fail. Silence grows between us as I figure out a way to persuade him.
"I'm going out on a limb by trusting you, but I'm desperate. I need a fae to help me rally the other fae. Then I need them to join me and the wolves. Together we can take Silas down." I say, my voice was full of conviction as I said that last part.
"What do you plan to do with Silas?" he spoke in a slow measured tone.
"Burn him, for the heinous way he's treated his people," I say, matter-of-factly.
"And after you burn him? What then? How will you be any different?" he prompted. These are questions no else has asked me before and I have to think for a moment.
The fae watches me his face full of doubt, I rack my brain for the truth. I feel like thats the only way I'm going to win him over.
"I will lead them into a better time, I will end the senseless bloodshed. I will free the wolves and the fae. I will pick equals to lead their kind under me." I say. Hopefully I say confident but I'm really winging it here. I know what I want I just can't put it into words.
"But," I add when I see he's about to speak again.
"They would be kings, or queens of their fractions, to govern their domain as they see fit. If they were to become like Silas I would remove them too." I say, sure I covered all the bases.
"Make me King of the Fae and I will help you," he says.
"It seems you were able to convince him after all. Just know fae if you cross us, you will wish we left you for dead in that clearing." Eli says from the tent doorway. Surprising the elf and I.
"Looks like we're overthrowing a King, but before we do that we need to know your name," I say in an attempt to be passive ask. Faes were finicky about their names.
"Eldron," he mutters. Seeing the looks on our faces, he repeated but louder this time.
"My name is Eldron."
"Well welcome to the Hollow, Eldron the Lucky," Eli says.
Eli places his hand on my shoulder, I turn to look at him. I almost groan out loud from the way my neck protests.
"I need to speak to you." He says, my eyes met his. Not waiting for my answer, he grabs my hand and just about throws me over his shoulder, and runs out of the hut.
It isn't long before he has us at his door. He turns us so I'm in-between the door and him. He looks around, the pathways are empty seeing as it's dark and most likely close to early morning.
Wolves got to sleep sometime.
"Eli? What's-" I don't much further than that before his lips are roughly capturing mine and he's pushing us through the door.
His hands are in my hair, on my face, on my neck, my waist, just roaming and I'm letting him. Burning me and leaving heat trails where he touches.
Okay who am I kidding, I'm enjoying it and matching his energy.
"I missed you" he spoke against my lips and that just sets me ablaze.
YOU ARE READING
Queen of Ashes
VampireThey call her "The Ash Queen". She who won her throne by burning bodies and leaving nothing but ashes behind. Her father's, to be exact. She had to end his cruel reign, his enslaving or eradicating any race that wasn't vampiric. That was many years...
