The Twilight Elf

Chapter 4: The Path Back Home

The Elf king walked her out of the courtroom and she discovered she was exiting the trunk of an impossibly large cherry tree. The trunk was as wide as a football stadium and seemed to stretch into the sky forever, casting all around them in shadow.

A road, littered with pink petals was strewn out before them. On either side of the road, smaller trees with golden leaves curved their branches toward each other to create a canopy.

“It's beautiful," Enya breathed.

“It is," the king agreed.

“Do you usually send prisoners down such pretty paths or is everything here this mesmerizing?" Enya said, partially to him but mostly to the clean air and naturally vivid colors that surrounded her.

“The latter," he said.

Enya noticed a twitch of a smile pass his lips. For some reason, it made her blush.

“We can't be walking all the way back to New York. What is it? Flying beast, magical flying ship, some kind of teleportation circle?"

The young king c****d his head with a sideways grin.

“Teleportation was the closest. It's not a circle but a…tear in the veil."

“The veil? Like some kind of separation between your world and mine?"

The fact she might be in an alternate dimension sent Enya's brain into hyperdrive as a thousand possibilities of what this world was, how it worked, and how it interacted with her world began racing through her mind.

The king's brow furrowed, and he looked Enya up and down.

“Correct again, milady. The veil is a magical border that keeps our worlds from bleeding into each other. I must say I did not expect you to be working out all of this on your own so quickly. I figured I'd have to explain it all to you and it would take much convincing," he said, running his fingers through his shoulder-length hair.

The simple gesture was far more suggestive than it should have been. The way his bicep bulged beneath the leather on his arm caused heat to burn in her chest. She turned away in the hopes he wouldn't notice.

“Well, you're in luck. I read a lot of fantasy novels as a kid. Seen one too many movies where the girl lies to herself and says it's a dream. There is no way in hell this is a dream," Enya said.

Her sight flittered from one gorgeous view to the next. From golden leaves that seemed to glow with a metallic sheen to small birds and insects whose bodies possessed more colors and vibrancy than any, she'd seen in her world.

“I see," he said.

Something heavy lay buried under his words. So heavy that it ground both their strides to a halt.

“What's wrong?" She asked.

The hairs on her neck stood straight up. His shoulders curved and his hands clenched into fists. Something had gone terribly wrong.

“I thought you might have been able to resist the truth potion. If the council is right and you are the demon of the prophecy, then letting you go would mean dooming my home and people. I took you on this walk to discern for myself whether you are that demon or not, and to kill you if necessary," he said.

His sword appeared in his hand again.

Enya took a step back. The muscles in her body clenched, preparing for whatever would come next but she knew it was useless. He had a weapon, she couldn't fight him.

He was faster and stronger. The way Slavick had hit Jeremy had proved that much.

She was trapped.

Her only option was to convince him, she was not this twilight elf they thought she was.

“I promise you, I did not kill anyone," she pleaded.

He stood there, every part of him still except for the hand his blade rested in. There he trembled ever so slightly from gripping it.

“In truth, I believe you. But if I do not kill you, and I am wrong, then I will have doomed my people."

She waited for him to move, to strike, but he did not. He only clutched his blade while his face fell with a heavy sadness. The loneliness in his eyes, Enya had seen the very same feeling in her own.

Ever since the day her mother died.

“I couldn't have murdered your dad because I know exactly how much it hurts to lose a parent. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I put that same hurt on someone else," Enya said.

Her voice shook as she spoke. She never spoke about her home for this reason. Even after all this time, the pain still made her voice crack and her throat close up.

“You've lost someone?" The king asked.

Enya nodded, “My mother."

The king's sword arm stilled.

“When did you lose them?"

“From the start. She died during childbirth."

His shoulders dropped in shock, all the tension leaving his body. Enya's did the same though far more slowly.

“I take it we're not planning on stabbing me anymore?" Enya asked.

The elf king's eyes widened before he broke into a laugh.

“Is that a normal human reaction to almost being killed?" he asked.

A sheepish grin came over Enya, “No, but it is a normal Enya reaction. I tend to say funny things in tense moments to sort of relieve the tension."

“You succeeded," he said with another chuckle.

His laugh was warm and perfect which Enya kicked herself for thinking that about someone who just considered lobbing her head off.

They shared a laugh that faded into an awkward silence. For a while, the two only stared at each other. Enya couldn't help but take in the deepness of his eyes, the sharp line of his jaw, and the way his hair hung on his shoulders.

No wonder movies and books depicted elves as such beautiful creatures.

“We should get going," he said.

“Hmm?" Enya asked, still lost in her thoughts.

“Your home. We should get you back," he repeated.

“Oh right. Yeah."

Enya followed him down the rest of the trail. It looked as if it may go on forever but before she knew it the trees parted into a small glen with a circular portal made of mist in the center. It was tall, about twice her height, and inside she could see the streets of New York.

“How does no one know about this?" Enya asked.

“Magic. As is almost always the answer with my kind. A glimmer spell hangs over the entire city. It keeps humans from seeing the truth and allows them to rationalize that these portals and even my kind are something more mundane. More normal."

Enya took a step toward the portal and turned back to him.

“Listen, I want to thank you for everything back there. If I had lost my dad, I don't know if I would have kept as a cool a head as you did. So, thank you."

“My father would have wanted me to be the kind of king who looked for proof before convicting someone to death."

“I know this may be too soon and I hope it is kind rather than hurtful but, I think your father would be very proud of you."

A small crack appeared in his steely gaze. For a moment, she saw the real hurt that lay beneath his strong exterior and she felt for him. She had lost a parent too.

“I lost my mom when I was young. I won't say it gets better but it does get easier to deal with."

The king took a long and slow breath then extended his hand to her.

“Thank you and be careful. The tracking spell on you will let them know if you enter the realm of elves again. Regrettably, this must be the last time you enter the world of elves."

Enya looked around for the last time at the beauty and otherworldliness of the forest around her.

“That is a shame. Can I ask one last question before I leave?"

“Anything."

“What's your name. I know I should only call you your majesty or something like that, but I'd like to know before I go."

The king smiled again. Enya couldn't help but mirror the smile with one of her own.

“It's Valor," he said.

Enya nodded and said, “Of course it is. Well, goodbye King Valor."

“Goodbye Enya," he said.

They let go and Enya turned to the veil portal. Taking a deep breath, she walked through the mist and felt a sheer chill surge throughout her body.

A pang of regret spiked in her heart as she realized this may soon all be a dream. She had seen actual magic and now it may all fade away.

Little did she realize, this was only the beginning of her story, and unlike the fairytales she read as a kid, this one did not promise a happy ending.