The Elf Girl (47 page)

It was July seventh, one month after my sixteenth birthday, one month after I rescued Zora, and the date of Stellan’s eighteenth birthday. Was this a coincidence? By now I believed there were no such things as coincidences when it came to magic. I didn’t think Stellan’s birthday being exactly one month after mine had extreme importance. It was just a cool thing to think about.

Walking the short distance from my home to Aaliyah’s, and clutching Stellan’s present in my hands, I took time to reflect on just how far I had come in the last several weeks. I went from being an awkward human girl with weird ears to an elfen with a magical ability, a big secret, and a great-looking boyfriend to boot. I
had
come a long way.

However, I knew I still had a long way to go before I truly found myself, the deep inside self. That couldn’t happen until I knew my secret. For now, I was finally enjoying my new life, and that was enough.

I knocked on Aaliyah’s front door, though I knew I didn’t have to; I still hadn’t broken the human habit of knocking. I didn’t think I ever would. It just seemed respectful to me, and I wanted to remember and honor a few of my human customs. They were a lasting part of me.

I hoped Stellan would like his gift. I was still very new to this Realm, so I had relied on Mac, who had decided to remain in the orchard, for Stellan’s present. As a gnome, Mac had spent a lot of time underground before coming to the Elf Realm. In his travels he befriended a dwarf who gave him a special talisman. It was a flat disk, rimmed with silver and with a gold center, which hung from a string as a sort of necklace. Mac said it protected the wearer from evil.

After explaining the difficulties I had searching for the right gift, Mac had decided to give his treasure to me. The talisman was a perfect gift, and I was grateful to Mac. Stellan would surely be happy with it as well.

I was surprised when Zora and not Aaliyah greeted me at the door. Usually, the gentle elfen would be there to greet her house guests. I wondered if she was just too busy getting ready for Stellan’s birthday dinner.

Zora had a solemn look on her face, but this didn’t surprise me all that much. Since her return to Birchwood, she was wary of Stellan, still hurting from his betrayal. I didn’t blame her, nor did I expect her to forget anytime soon, but I hoped she would eventually be able to make peace with the situation and move forward. She deserved peace after everything she had gone through during her abduction.

Zora liked to keep a safe distance from Stellan, only coming around Aaliyah’s when he wasn’t home, which was usually when he was with me. I did my best to spend time with Zora – without Stellan – but it was sometimes hard to find a good balance, considering I wanted to be around those I loved most all the time. I wanted Zora to be happy, so I would continue to find ways to even things out until she was ready to leave the past where it belonged.

I stepped through the doorway, ready to be greeted by smiling faces and party decorations, but I received the exact opposite.

Aaliyah had tears in her eyes, and her face was almost drained of color. She looked way too pale, even for an elfen. Addison wasn’t much better. She also looked teary-eyed, and her expression was that of pure despair and worry. What was going on?

I looked over to Stellan, whose own expression was grim. He was holding a letter in his hands, and I wondered how it was tied to their sad moods.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Aditi just dropped off this letter,” Stellan told me. “It’s from Queen Taryn.”

“What’s wrong? Did something happen to Brielle? Is everyone okay?” I asked, starting to panic.

“Everyone in Tarlore is fine,” Addison said, with a slight sharpness in her tone. “But everyone here…
is not
.”

“What is she talking about? What does the letter say?”

“You had better take her outside, Stellan. Talk to her in private. This is…a very
delicate
subject,” Aaliyah said.

Now I was full-on panicking. My hands began to shake, so I quickly set down the present onto the dining room table.

Stellan nodded and took my right hand, keeping the letter clutched in his left.

“Mother is right,” he said, and then a rush of wind crashed over me and we were outside the house.

I needed a moment to catch my breath. When I was steady, I looked up at him.

“What does the letter say?” I asked again, my voice quivering with every word.

“It…Look, Ramsey, this letter doesn’t change anything. Times may be rough for a little while, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get past it….”

“Stellan, just tell me what the letter says,” I pleaded, fear gripping me so hard that I found it difficult to breathe. “Please.”

“It says that it’s time for me to go to war,” he said solemnly.

“What?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why?”

“I’m eighteen, Ramsey. Most elves must go at this age and serve for two years. Only elves with powers needed in the war are requested, and I am one of those powers. My ‘teleporting’ will allow me to escape and reach enemies quickly. My power will help the war effort. I used to think my ability was important to me, special…Not anymore….”

“No,” I said. “Queen Taryn can’t do this. She knows how much we’ve been through….She can’t do this.”

“She doesn’t have a choice either. She has to do what’s best for the Elf Realm,” he told me.

My heart was breaking. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Stellan and I had gone through so much in a short amount of time. We were just beginning to truly connect again after what had happened between us. He couldn’t leave me now. He simply couldn’t.

“Don’t go,” I told him. “Don’t leave me.”

“Ramsey, I don’t want to, but it’s not that simple. I have a duty to this Realm. I have a duty to fight for the safety of all elves, for
your
safety. I can’t just ignore that.”

“But I need you here. I need you with me. I still haven’t found out my secret…I might need your help. What if Finn comes back for me? He’s still alive….”

I thought of every excuse possible to make him stay, but even as I rattled them off one by one, I knew they weren’t good enough.

“Stellan, please…I’ll do anything…”

“Stop, Ramsey. You’re just making this harder. You…you have to accept this,” he said.

“How can you say it so simply? How can you talk about leaving so calmly as if it doesn’t matter?” I asked.

Stellan threw his hands in the air as he cried, “Don’t you think this is difficult for me? I don’t want to leave you, Ramsey! I don’t want to leave knowing you could be in danger, knowing you could need my help. Just the thought of it scares me. But I have to go.”

Tears fell from my eyes as he put his arms around me. I held on to him tightly, not ever wanting to let go.

“When do you have to leave?” I asked quietly.

“The last week in August,” he said.

“That’s only a little more than a month from now. It’s too soon.”

“I know.”

“I want to go with you,” I decided.

He held me tighter. “You can’t, Ramsey. You have to go to school in September. Your place is here with Zora. She’s waited fifteen years for you to come home. The two of you need each other.”

“I need
you
,” I said.

“It’s only two years. I know our love is strong enough to last…to wait.”

“I don’t want to have to test it,” I told him outright.

“I don’t either, but I can’t escape this. You know it as well as I do.”

I nodded, although I wished I didn’t have to accept it.

“My birthday present to you makes perfect sense now; before I thought of it more as a novelty gift. Now it will come in handy,” I said sarcastically, remembering that the talisman supposedly warded off evil. Stellan would soon be facing a lot of evil.

“What’s the present?” he asked.

“I can’t tell you. You have to open it yourself. That’s how birthday presents work,” I teased.

“Then let’s go open it,” he suggested, a smile finally reaching his features.

He took one of my hands once more, and then led me back into the house as if nothing had happened. As if nothing had changed.

But it had.

~24~
One Answered Question

It was July fifteenth, the day of Danica and Thane’s wedding. I sat in a church pew, Stellan on my right, and Zora on my left. I waved to Brielle, who was sitting near the church altar with Queen Taryn. We had arrived yesterday in the capital, after another long journey from Birchwood City. It felt great to be back. Tarlore was like a second home to me now.

I remembered my first visit here. So much had happened since then. I could hardly believe how little time had passed since I rescued my sister and then found out Stellan was going to war.

Zora and I finally cleaned out our parents’ room. I realized that keeping busy kept my mind off Stellan’s inevitable departure. We gave most of our parents’ belongings to Aaliyah, but kept a few personal items for ourselves, including our mother’s jewelry. Actually, Zora took most of it, because she was the hoarder. We kept those few things safe in our vanity drawers and turned the room into an incubator for our dragon eggs. They grew closer to hatching with each passing day. We set up two nests for them to lie in and always had a fire lit to keep them warm. We were both excited for their hatching. We had even started thinking about names but hadn’t decided on our favorites yet.

Addison had come to Tarlore this time with all of her belongings. The Queen had requested that Addison be her personal messenger. Only a day after Stellan’s letter arrived, Addison received her own, this one summoning her to Tarlore as soon as possible. Queen Taryn valued Addison’s power and wanted her to live at the palace and stay by her side, as a special member of her high guard.

Two elves I loved would now be leaving Birchwood – both Addison and Stellan. However, Aaliyah, Zora, and I knew Addison had to accept. It was a wonderful opportunity for her, an honor. Things wouldn’t be the same without Addison, but I trusted Brielle to keep her company and send letters with Aditi about how she and everyone at the palace were doing. Addison could even use her ability to write us herself. Even so, it was hard to imagine Addison not returning home with us after the wedding. I felt like a part of me would stay in Tarlore with her when we left.

Thinking of Addison leaving Birchwood reminded me yet again of Stellan going off to war. I felt my eyes dampen just thinking about how soon it would be until he left. We had only until the end of summer….

Stellan noticed my despair right away. He leaned over and whispered, “This is a joyous occasion, Ramsey. Forget about me leaving for a little while, all right? Please?”

I nodded, and promised to try my best, and he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. I squeezed his hand even tighter. I was surprised it hadn’t started turning purple.

Stellan was wearing the talisman. When he first put it on, he swore never to take it off, especially while he was away at war. I liked the idea and hoped it would comfort him somehow, even though it was just a piece of rock.

I rid my mind of sad thoughts when the music began playing the traditional wedding march, but with a bit of an elfin touch to it. The musicians played medieval fiddles, and the elegant sound comforted me and kept me from shedding any more tears.

Everyone turned to watch as Danica walked down the aisle. Thane proudly escorted her. Many of the most traditional customs in the Human Realm had their own flair in the Elf Realm.

Danica looked radiant in her white gown.
At least that doesn’t change
, I thought to myself. However, as she walked closer to us, I noticed a green flower in the center of her abdomen tied onto the dress by a green sash around her waist.
Elves
just can’t live without green
, I thought to myself, almost giggling. Her black hair was pinned up in an elegant fashion, and a diamond tiara added to her sparkling beauty. I knew the tiara was Brielle’s idea. I could see her grinning as she admired the jewels atop Danica’s head.

Thane was handsome in his brown suit, which suited him perfectly. Their personalities came to the forefront on this happy day – and I realized I had never seen them without their guard uniforms until now.

As I watched the happy couple recite their marriage vows, my mind buzzed once again, but my thoughts settled on a different aspect of my new life. Perhaps it was because I was back in Tarlore, back to the place where I had finally figured out where to find my sister in the Human Realm. For a dark moment, I was back on the palace bridge where Lura had threatened me, saying that Finn would come back for me someday soon.

Dozens of questions ran through my mind as the elfin couple said their vows. I couldn’t ignore the questions, because I desperately wanted answers. Even though I had rescued my sister from Element fairies – the reason I was brought here in the first place – confusion still clouded my life.

When would Finn return? Would I be prepared?

When would Zora finally tell me about my secret, and was the wooden trunk connected in some way? A few days after my return to Birchwood, I tried breaking the lock, with no success. I uttered the words to a spell in the book, but when I reached my hands out to touch the lock, they were burned severely, making me cry out in pain. I threw the book away and didn’t try again.

Other than that one occasion, I hadn’t paid much attention to my secret since bringing Zora home, especially with Stellan leaving so soon. I was putting myself on hold for now. Soon, however, I knew I would have to face the hazy details of my past that surrounded me, waiting to be discovered.

Would I ever see Eder again, whom I noticed wasn’t present at the wedding? Would I ever learn the answers I still wanted from him? He had told me that rescuing Zora was only one piece of the puzzle; how would I find the other pieces? He had also said that he knew my secret, and that someone had informed him to wait for Zora to tell me. Who was that someone, and would I ever find out?

Why couldn’t I stop thinking about the Stranger, even when Stellan would soon leave for war? What was his significance, and would I ever encounter him again?