Light and the Night Sky

Somewhere She Doesn't Belong

The pounding in her chest grew louder but the throbbing in her head less, she could hear again. Now that she listened to the world around her, music followed her as she ran through what looked like a garden. Her feet softly thudded on cobblestone, when had she ever seen cobblestone?

Much to her surprise, the horrifyingly gorgeous man did not pursue her. However, Daphne did not stop. She ran for as long as she could, laughter met her ears.

Was she drugged? Did she suffer a mental breakdown? Daphne went to all of her therapy meetings religiously so how could this have happened and where the hell was she? A rave? Some island of rich kids?

Who was the man?

Who growls?

Why did it send chills down her spine, and not just of fear?

Stopping to breathe, Daphne pressed her back against some ferns while breathing heavily. She needed to make a plan and get herself home. Her family had to be worried. Her cat! Oh no, Frankie she must think she was abandoned!

Before Daphne’s mind could race any further from the task before her, an explosion overhead dropped her to the ground. She couldn’t wrap her mind around what she witnessed so she dismissed as fireworks and looked back at the crowd a few hundred feet from her.

From this distance, she could tell they were in the midst of an orgy. That however strange, was not what drew her attention, there was what looked to be multiple large animals pacing through the crowd.

There were so many levels of wrong here that she just turned heel and walked in the other direction. If kids wanted to risk their life for a thrill, then they will have to do that without her there, she had to get home. Much to her frustration, she did not make it far. A man, if he could be called a man, appeared out of the night and lunged at her.

He had her pinned on the ground before she realized what happened, a warning growl reverberated in her ear as she laid face down on the very walkway she had been running on. The man’s grip on her was rock solid, pressing her down so hard she could barely breathe.

“Inaou suntuan un aueto?” The man’s voice was deep, sounded annoyed but questioning. Daphne had not the slightest clue what he could have said. What language is that?

Fear started to bubble up, there is no way that is a language she has ever heard before. The man pressed her again, speaking more but the words sounding more foreign to her. He yanked her up from the ground, keeping a tight hold on her wrists as he did so, and spun her around to face him.

He was just as handsome as the first man, but standing this close to him Daphne could see a glow dancing under his skin. It was inhuman. There was no way this man was human, her eyes danced over his features noting the scar above his dark eyes but covered by his blond hair. His hair was longer than the other mans, not man, it was pulled into a braid but it didn’t cover the slight point to his ears.

Elf? There is no way this could be an elf; they do not exist.

Snapping her back, he yelled at her. But she still could not understand the words coming from his mouth. Snapping back Daphne glared at him, trying to show what he didn’t understand either. “No matter how many times you say it, I am not going to understand it!”

He did not like her tone.

In response, he growled. Low and menacing. Again, with the growling? However, he grabbed her jaw with an iron grip, forcing her to look up at him and spoke. The words rolled over her, not understanding them but knowing that if she knew what was best for her, she would not do that again.

Pinching her mouth shut but glaring at him, she nodded. Hopefully that meant the same to him.

Satisfied he wretched her by the arm, with much more force than she thought necessary, and led her through the garden she was just lost in right to the building she was avoiding. It was massive and stunning. The walls stood towering over her; stone carved to the perfect setting. There were moments in time carved into the stone walls that she was not given time to admire, furniture that would have only existed in the homes of royalty.

The people, lounging and .. playing on them outshone them all. Each of them was stunning, almost glowing from withing. There was no way they were human and no way this could make sense to her.

Daphne was not given the time to ponder before she was thrown to the ground in what could only be high lords reception room? It felt ridiculous yet it was the only answer that was right. There were more of those beautiful people here, luckily, they were fully clothed though not entirely present.

One man sat at a table, a woman on his right stroking his jaw. He looked no older than his mid-twenties, none of them did, but his copper eyes met hers they were filled with hunger and something she could not make out. He was so focused on his world that she mattered little. She could use that. Daphne stood up, and brushed off her dress.

She felt uncomfortable but Daphne needed time to understand what was happening and right now she felt danger surrounding her. Steeling herself, she met his eyes again. Amusement danced across his eyes. “Anou youui?”

Fake it. Sighing, Daphne closed her eyes for a moment and curtsied.

Laughter erupted throughout the room. Great.

Ignoring it, she met his glistening eyes again and spoke. “I don’t understand what you are saying. What the hell are you?”

Surprise crossed his face as his eyes darted to someone else, she followed his gaze and saw the man from the garden. He was dangerous, she could feel part of herself tensing as his cloudy eyes met hers.