Page 89 of Dhampira

Lorcan blurred, blocking Ruvien’s path. “You won’t touch her.” Beside me, Vander sucked in a breath.

Ruvien’s smile didn’t budge. “Well, I have to take someone, Your Highness. Rules are rules.”

“She’s to be my wife,” Lorcan said. I couldn’t see his face with his back to me, but his tone was as hard as I’d ever heard it. “The betrothal has been spoken. Even you have to respect a contract.”

Silence stretched. My nerves stretched with it, Vander’s story about being a changeling running through my mind. But I wasn’t an infant. What reason could Ruvien have for taking me to the elven court?

Smile still in place, Ruvien narrowed his eyes slightly. Then he shifted his gaze to Vander.

“No,” Lorcan said, the word more growl than speech.

Ruvien bowed, the movement so graceful that I caught my breath. “But of course. Vander has belonged to you for some time now.”

Up to this point, Vander had stood as taut as a bowstring beside me. Now his chest rose and fell in a deep exhale.

Straightening, Ruvien gave Lorcan a contemplative look. Then he nodded. “Very well, dragon lord. But you’ll be in my debt.”

“Done,” Lorcan said. When Ruvien moved around him, Lorcan spun, adding, “And I’ll have your permission to use this place for as long as I need it.”

Pausing, Ruvien swung back. “Bold of you to insist on different terms after we’ve agreed. But I suppose that’s the prerogative of kings.” He started toward Vander. When Lorcan blocked his path again, Ruvien sighed. “Peace, Balauri. If Vander truly felt threatened by my presence, he would have greeted me with claws.”

After another length of silence, Lorcan stepped aside.

I held my breath as Ruvien approached, then smothered my surprise when Vander stepped forward, clasped Ruvien’s palm, and pulled the elf into a brief embrace. When they drew apart, Ruvien’s expression was sober.

“You leave deep footprints in the forest, Vander. Watch your step around the trees.”

Vander paled. “I will.”

Ruvien nodded, then fixed his purple eyes on me. “A pair of claws here, too,” he murmured. Taking my hand, he bent and brushed a kiss over my knuckles. Tingles rushed up my arm to my neck. Ruvien winked as he released me. “But perhaps more cleverly hidden.”

My heart pumped hard. The tingles spun into my cheeks, which pulsed with heat.

With nods toward Vander and Lorcan, Ruvien turned and started up the path. “Duty calls me back to court,” he said over his shoulder without slowing. He jogged up the temple steps and stopped in the shadowed doorway. Facing us, he braced a hand on the marble pillar flanking the opening. He looked up at the crumbling cornice before focusing on Vander with suddenly sharp eyes. “A word of advice, Vander. Breaking trust with a woman is altogether different than breaking a door. In your overly large shoes, I’d tell the halfling princess exactly what you and Lorcan Balauri are to each other.” Ruvien turned, only to look over his shoulder, his gaze on the patch of grass where I’d trained. “Please put that rock back when you’re finished with it.”

He stepped through the door and disappeared.

For a moment, no one said anything. “Fucking Ruvien,” Vander muttered at last. Lorcan was silent, his shoulders tense.

Ruvien’s words hung in the air. Neither man appeared inclined to speak. Fine. I’d start with something easier.

“He acted like an enemy at first,” I said. “Then he seemed like a friend.”

Vander shoved a hand through his crop of red waves. “That pretty much sums up the elves.”

“He knew about your claws.”

“Because he gifted them to me.”

I jerked my gaze to the temple doorway where Ruvien had disappeared. “Ruvien is the elven lord who gave you the claws?”

Vander nodded. “I saved his life when I was a lad. A human hunter shot him through the heart with a silver arrow. One of Cyprio’s ilk looking to make his fortune displaying an elven lord in Sausberg.” Vander huffed. “It was a stupid thing to do. Once Ruvien recovered, he made sure that hunter never fired an arrow again.”

“But you said the elves are true immortals.”

“They are. Well…” Vander exhaled, puffing out his cheeks as he seemed to choose his next words. He released a noisy exhale. “They can be killed, but they pass into Arvada, which is a place of rest. Once they’re ready for another spin in Veradorn, they return. If they live for thousands of years without incident, they fade here and enter Arvada to refresh themselves. It’s important not to rest before the proper time. To be honest, I never really understood why.” Vander shrugged. “Something about being stuck in Arvada for a long time. From what I hear, it’s boring there. Plus, the elves can’t access Nocta from the resting plane. Most of them resist the fade.”

Lorcan grimaced. “They amuse themselves by observing Nocta’s problems while doing nothing to help.”