apartment in New York City,” she said. “But far less noise and traffic.”
No matter where we went or what we spoke of, she always seemed to turn the conversation back to Ryann and me. “I’ll bet she couldn’t believe this place when she saw it,” Ava said, gazing out over the wide, clear, underground river as we approached it. “What made you decide to break the rules and bring her back here in the first place?”
“There wasn’t much decision on my part in that matter.” I shrugged. “I had been shot by a hunter, and I was dying. Ryann managed to make contact with my guards and lead them to me. They brought me back here in the nick of time, and Ryann came with me.”
“Wow. So dramatic,” she said. “You’re all right now, though. You seem… very fit.”
Something about her lilting tone gave me pause. And the way her eyes roamed my body before she said the last words made me uncomfortable. But then she turned and nearly skipped away toward the bridge spanning the river, exclaiming over its size and beauty.
Perhaps that was the way it was with the Dark Elves. Nox was certainly an unrepentant flirt, and it had meant nothing—if you didn’t count Ryann’s case. Dark Elves were more like humans than Elves in many ways, except of course for their appearance and glamour abilities. Speaking of that, Ava had mentioned mine when we’d first met. We hadn’t yet discussed hers.
I caught up with her. She was leaning over the railing, studying the crystal clear water.
“How deep is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know. No one has ever been able to reach the bottom of it. I tried once when I was a boy. Perhaps it has no bottom.”
Resting her chin on her hands, she kept her eyes trained on the fathomless water. “Memories are like that. Some are so deep they seem to have no beginning and no end. Some are so shallow, they barely cause a ripple. They all float around in our brains, either submerged in our subconscious or bobbing on the surface.”
Her faraway tone made me suspect she was speaking of her own memories—of her father perhaps? I’d been told that, like me, she had lost a parent. It was a unique commonality we shared. As Elves were immortal, not many people I knew had ever lost a relative. Only violence could end our lives.
Thinking of my own father, I said, “I find memories can bring peace.”
“They can also haunt you. Sometimes it’s better to forget.”
I glanced over at her profile. Her expression was thoughtful, a little sad. “Sometimes, perhaps,” I said. “How did your father die, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Breaking her concentration on the river, she glanced up at me. “I don’t mind. It was years ago. I was seven. He was killed by a human—a drunk driver. It was a two-car accident. The human lived.”
“I’m so sorry.” I knew what that kind of loss felt like. At least I’d had my father for my entire childhood.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for your loss as well. At least you got revenge on your father’s killer.”
My head jerked back in surprise. For anyone to think I had sought to kill Davis for revenge was shocking. Ryann and Nox and Vancia and I had worked together to end his plot for Elven domination over the humans. His death had been an accident—he’d actually caused it himself.
Obviously reading my horrified reaction, she continued. “I know—you didn’t really kill him. We all heard the story. But still, he’s dead, isn’t he? He got what he deserved. My father’s murderer served two years in jail. He’s probably out there driving around
No matter where we went or what we spoke of, she always seemed to turn the conversation back to Ryann and me. “I’ll bet she couldn’t believe this place when she saw it,” Ava said, gazing out over the wide, clear, underground river as we approached it. “What made you decide to break the rules and bring her back here in the first place?”
“There wasn’t much decision on my part in that matter.” I shrugged. “I had been shot by a hunter, and I was dying. Ryann managed to make contact with my guards and lead them to me. They brought me back here in the nick of time, and Ryann came with me.”
“Wow. So dramatic,” she said. “You’re all right now, though. You seem… very fit.”
Something about her lilting tone gave me pause. And the way her eyes roamed my body before she said the last words made me uncomfortable. But then she turned and nearly skipped away toward the bridge spanning the river, exclaiming over its size and beauty.
Perhaps that was the way it was with the Dark Elves. Nox was certainly an unrepentant flirt, and it had meant nothing—if you didn’t count Ryann’s case. Dark Elves were more like humans than Elves in many ways, except of course for their appearance and glamour abilities. Speaking of that, Ava had mentioned mine when we’d first met. We hadn’t yet discussed hers.
I caught up with her. She was leaning over the railing, studying the crystal clear water.
“How deep is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know. No one has ever been able to reach the bottom of it. I tried once when I was a boy. Perhaps it has no bottom.”
Resting her chin on her hands, she kept her eyes trained on the fathomless water. “Memories are like that. Some are so deep they seem to have no beginning and no end. Some are so shallow, they barely cause a ripple. They all float around in our brains, either submerged in our subconscious or bobbing on the surface.”
Her faraway tone made me suspect she was speaking of her own memories—of her father perhaps? I’d been told that, like me, she had lost a parent. It was a unique commonality we shared. As Elves were immortal, not many people I knew had ever lost a relative. Only violence could end our lives.
Thinking of my own father, I said, “I find memories can bring peace.”
“They can also haunt you. Sometimes it’s better to forget.”
I glanced over at her profile. Her expression was thoughtful, a little sad. “Sometimes, perhaps,” I said. “How did your father die, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Breaking her concentration on the river, she glanced up at me. “I don’t mind. It was years ago. I was seven. He was killed by a human—a drunk driver. It was a two-car accident. The human lived.”
“I’m so sorry.” I knew what that kind of loss felt like. At least I’d had my father for my entire childhood.
“Thank you. I’m sorry for your loss as well. At least you got revenge on your father’s killer.”
My head jerked back in surprise. For anyone to think I had sought to kill Davis for revenge was shocking. Ryann and Nox and Vancia and I had worked together to end his plot for Elven domination over the humans. His death had been an accident—he’d actually caused it himself.
Obviously reading my horrified reaction, she continued. “I know—you didn’t really kill him. We all heard the story. But still, he’s dead, isn’t he? He got what he deserved. My father’s murderer served two years in jail. He’s probably out there driving around
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