“We did,” I agreed. “That is the scout’s code. Duty first.”
He blinked, and I could see his inner frustration that he had fallen into his scout training even though he had stepped away from them.
There was an awkward pause as neither of us spoke, unsure of how to mend our friendship and wondering if we could. I chose the elven way of ending our conversation abruptly. I stepped into my assigned room and closed the door behind me.
I leaned my head against the door and waited for the sound of his footfalls as he left. I didn’t hear any, which for an elf didn’t mean anything. He was probably long gone.
My room was simple. The beautiful knotwood bed had a soft green coverlet, and a single candlestick holder on the bedside table. There were no personal effects because I didn’t own any other than the spare clothes in my satchel. I laid Rumple against the wall by the only wooden chair and dropped my bag on the floor. Sprawling out across the bed, I stared out the window that had been opened to let in the night air. It was never cold nor windy in the elven realm. It didn’t snow or rain unless the elves wished for it, for they controlled the elements.
During the affinity celebration, I would watch with hundreds of others as the youngest elves presented themselves and the magic chose their new vessels and recognized the elves' gifts.
Gazing through the glass pane, I stared up at the stars. They weren’t real; instead, they were a shimmer of veil that reflected the constellations. For this world existed within the seven kingdoms and was virtually undetected. After all my years of training with Lorn, I had never once been asked to watch the affinity celebration. This would be my first time being invited, and I prayed to the stars I wouldn’t mess it up.
CHAPTER SIX
“I want to come,” Rumple whined from his spot, leaning against the wall, while I pulled on my leather boots.
“There’s no need for you to be with me. Plus, you’ll just pick a fight with every elf you see.” I stood and adjusted the strap, tying it around my calf.
“Not every elf. I was on my best behavior yesterday,” he said demurely.
“I’m not lugging you around. This is supposed to be a holiday.” I sighed in exasperation and gave myself a final look in the mirror. My hair looked almost black, as it was still wet from the bathing pools. It was slicked back into a braid, and my cheeks were flushed pink with excitement. I turned, opened my door, and was surprised to see Percy there with his hand raised as if to knock.
“Good morning, Honor.” He leaned in and glanced at the axe. “Rumple,” he addressed the axe, which surprised me.
“Hey, longface. Tell her I want to party too. She’s too lazy to carry me.”
I ground my teeth in irritation at the insult.
Percy’s eyebrows raised for only a split second. “I’d be happy to lug you around.”
“See? Longface is willing to—wait, did you say lug . . . why, I ought to—”
“Rumple!” I snapped. “Behave.”
I was trapped between Percy—who seemed to be trying to get on my good side—and a petulant dwarf who was determined to poke the bear, and by bear I meant elf. “Fine, you can go, but the first time you insult someone, you are banished back to the room.” I glared at the immobile axe.
“I’ll swear. I’ll even pinky promise.”
“You don’t have pinkies,” I countered.
“Caught that, did you?” Rumple chuckled. “I was lying anyway.”
“Rumple!” I growled out his name in warning.
He fell silent, and I just waved Percy into my room as he picked up the leather holster and adjusted it to fit his wide shoulders.
I looked up at Percy and his unreadable face. “You’re in charge of babysitting him. I’m not in the mood to deal with his antics today.”
Neither one of them said anything. As I left the tree room, I headed down the path to the main courtyards where the eternal banquet of never-ending food was laid out.
Long tables made with living wood, sprigs of fresh green popping up around a plethora of plates filled with food. The eternal banquet was a feast that would go on without stopping, another aspect of their magic. Food was always available for anyone anytime of the day, and it would never spoil.
This was one of my favorite treats about the elven realm. Although it was eternal food, it was usually the same dishes over and over, but I didn’t care as I took a roasted pear, fresh bread, and honey butter. Simple fare. Lorn taught me to eat light, never overindulging because it would slow my fighting and I never knew when a battle would be upon me.
Percy picked up the same items as I made my way over to a large root in a hidden alcove. It made a perfect bench, and it was my favorite spot to eat growing up. I hopped up and Percy casually took the spot next to me. Without asking, he reached for my pear and began slicing it up as I took his bread and spread honey butter over both of our pieces. When he sliced one pear, he handed it to me, and I placed it on the warm butter and waited until he was done with the second. In perfect accord, we made breakfast and when he’d cleaned and put away his knife, I handed him his bread.
I took a bite and savored the juices of the fresh fruit mixed with the sweet honey spread. This had been my favorite breakfast ever since I was a child.
Percy watched me eat, holding his own bread in his hand. He was studying my exuberant expressions. He always did it—watched me with fascination—and would frequently ask about what a certain expression meant. He was curious about my humanity, just as I was curious about his own race.
I elbowed him. “It’s rude to stare,” I said with a mouthful of food.
“It’s rude to talk with your mouth full,” he retorted.
I rolled my eyes.
“That one.” He pointed toward my face.
“What?”
“That thing you did with your eyes. Which one is that?”
“It means exaggerated annoyance. My sisters do it all the time.”
Percy then spent the next few minutes trying to roll his eyes in the same manner, but it only looked like he was having a seizure.
“Stop it,” I laughed. “Maybe leave it for the human.”
He gave up, and his shoulders slumped a bit in an imitation of me. There it was again. Just like the day he’d found me in the woods, Percy looked broken.
I finished my breakfast and licked the honey butter off my fingers.
“Wait,” he said as I was about to stand up. Percy reached out his hand very gently toward my face.
I froze as his thumb brushed softly across my bottom lips. I inhaled and looked into his green eyes, my hand reaching up to grasp his hand to stop him. His lips parted, and I quickly pulled away.
“Honor,” he said. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I replied, backing away, trying to put as much distance as I could between us. Internally, I was screaming.
Everything.
Everything was wrong. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. We were supposed to stay friends. I had to keep my heart under control and not be swayed by emotions. I had a duty. A duty to myself.
And I couldn’t tell Percy, or he would spend his whole life trying to help me because that’s the kind of friend he was, and I would not burden my friend with my problems.