The Shadow Elf by Spear Terry

Author:Spear, Terry [Spear, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Published: 2011-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

The woodland nymphs once again sang words of warning through the forest. “More elves approach, shadow and high elves, and a fairy dragon, too,” they said.

“We’re over here!” Persephonice called out.

“Do not tell me you can understand the woodland sprites, too,” Dracolin said.

“All right.” She tilted her chin up. “I won’t.”

Xern, Balon, Prince Cronus, Zorak and his familiar, rushed to join them, crashing through the underbrush like a pack of wild boars.

“We feared the worst for you,” Xern said, trying to catch his breath.

“I was speaking to a sphinx, who has asked for my help.”

“No,” Prince Cronus said. “Reluctantly, we have agreed that you will meet with the high elf king, but afterward you will see my father.”

“I would be delighted, but first, I’ll help the sphinx.”

“You can’t go,” Prince Zorak said.

Persephonice folded her arms. Only her own leaders and her father could tell her what she could and could not do. “Are the sphinx evil?”

None of the elves spoke.

“Are they a threat to me?”

“You couldn’t possibly help them. Why would she even ask such a thing of you?” Dracolin asked, his voice deeply distressed.

“I didn’t have time to find out.”

The elves looked to Xern for counsel. “Let us see what she wants, and then we can decide.”

Persephonice was perfectly capable of taking care of herself in lots of situations. And she didn’t need a whole bunch of elves deciding her life for her.

Dracolin held her hand as if he feared losing her again if he didn’t keep a tight grip as they walked back toward the sphinx.

“I appreciate your always wanting to protect me. It’s comforting to have a friend who cares.”

He hmpfed under his breath. “You need looking after.”

She smiled and squeezed his hand, totally amused. “Are you offering to take the job?” She only said it in jest but his eyes grew wide, then he quickly looked ahead as they walked. “I only teased,” she said, feeling the blush rise to her cheeks. If he thought she meant that she wanted him as a permanent mate…

She shook her head at herself for making such a dumb remark. Elves married elves. Certainly not half mermaids with high elf powers. “I only said it because being a warrior is in your blood. I didn’t meant that you’d want to…”

He looked at her, his brown eyes darkening again. She quickly swallowed the rest of her words. Her nervousness was showing. Best to keep her mouth shut before she said anything more to embarrass herself. Already her whole body warmed uncomfortably.

The sphinx glared at the elves. “Do not tell me,” she growled to Persephonice in her lion language, “they won’t allow you to come with me.”

“They, well, I need to know what you wish of me,” Persephonice said.

“We need your ability. The rocs are stealing our offspring. We cannot communicate with them to find out why. No one knows their language but their own kind.”

The elves looked over at Persephonice, waiting, she imagined, to see if she understood the growls of the sphinx.

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