Arriving home, I could've kissed the ground. It was annoying how often I was bone tired because of my job, but every job had down sides. Erratic hours, long days, and the never ending travel weren't a bad cost for work I loved. Retreating to my apartment, I was almost sad that I didn't see Elron. Considering my tired and grumpy state, it would have been interesting.
Blessed oblivion claimed me, wrapping me in a dark warm spot where I could hibernate until I was rested. What felt like seconds later, I was rudely awakened by my phone ringing; silver hair fading from my dreams.
"Oaks Consulting. How can I help you?" I yawned and looked at the clock, surprised to see that two hours had passed.
"It's Jerry, and not an emergency. You can relax."
I sighed with relief. "Oh, good. I was going to tell you no if it was, but this is easier." He chuckled. "What do you need?"
"The information from the unicorn was good. We have a few houses we want to check out, but we want you there. I'm worried about what else this person is keeping. I'm betting it's more dangerous than the dogs. When can you get down here?"
"Tomorrow, say eight?" I wanted to get a lot of sleep tonight.
"Sure. I'm sorry I woke you."
"No worries. I need to get dinner."
"Good timing then. Bye."
I rolled out of bed, sniffing. There was a weird smell in the room. Picking up my arm, I sniffed it. The smell was me. I dumped my clothes into a special hamper and triggered an odor charm I had hanging over my bed to clear the air. Realizing that any clothing smelling that strongly would have made me and the bed smell, I stripped the sheets, depositing them in the hamper on my way to the shower.
After pulling on comfortable but presentable clothes, I headed to dinner. Walking in, I realized something was going on. Landa was the only other person in the room, and the side bar was empty.
"There you are, dear. I was just fixing this tray for you. No one else is eating down here tonight so I didn't set everything out." She wrapped the last of the three plates on the tray.
"Thank you." I realized something was missing. "Where's Elron?" That elf would never miss a chance to make fun of me.
"He left early this morning, as did Ch'que. Why?" She cocked her head causing her large pointed ears to tilt. Landa wasn't beautiful by human standards, but she was an attractive brownie. She had a deep brown skin, large green eyes, thin lips, a delicate nose, and was four and a half feet tall. Appearances could be deceiving though; brownies were tough.
"I've seen him at dinner every day he was here, so I thought he would be here tonight. I knew he would leave, I just wasn't sure when." It sounded thin, even to me.
"Of course, dear. Here, take this tray and go rest. I heard about those trolls getting out. I sure hope you catch them soon."
The tray was surprisingly heavy. How much food did she think I needed? "I did my best to set them up with a few spells that should make it easy to find the trolls. I'll know tomorrow if they worked or if I need to do something else. Thank you, Landa."
"No problem, dear."
I carried the tray back to my room, more curious than I would care to admit about Elron, his appearances in my dreams, and the contents of the tray.
Chapter Four
Elron
I hadn't felt this alive since my mate died. For the first time, the pain of Sylvia's death was distant, more like a scar and less like a jagged wound that hadn't healed. None of the humans remembered the trolls being rounded up, but I remembered. I remembered when one of the last free tribes had hunted Sylvia. She had died a horrible death at their hands when she should have grown old with me.
All things bright and beautiful in my world had ended the day she died. I had rejoiced when the trolls were locked away. I still don't know how my friends kept me on this side, or how other elves took a new partner after their mates died. I could understand wanting the company, but not the speedy replacement of one who
Blessed oblivion claimed me, wrapping me in a dark warm spot where I could hibernate until I was rested. What felt like seconds later, I was rudely awakened by my phone ringing; silver hair fading from my dreams.
"Oaks Consulting. How can I help you?" I yawned and looked at the clock, surprised to see that two hours had passed.
"It's Jerry, and not an emergency. You can relax."
I sighed with relief. "Oh, good. I was going to tell you no if it was, but this is easier." He chuckled. "What do you need?"
"The information from the unicorn was good. We have a few houses we want to check out, but we want you there. I'm worried about what else this person is keeping. I'm betting it's more dangerous than the dogs. When can you get down here?"
"Tomorrow, say eight?" I wanted to get a lot of sleep tonight.
"Sure. I'm sorry I woke you."
"No worries. I need to get dinner."
"Good timing then. Bye."
I rolled out of bed, sniffing. There was a weird smell in the room. Picking up my arm, I sniffed it. The smell was me. I dumped my clothes into a special hamper and triggered an odor charm I had hanging over my bed to clear the air. Realizing that any clothing smelling that strongly would have made me and the bed smell, I stripped the sheets, depositing them in the hamper on my way to the shower.
After pulling on comfortable but presentable clothes, I headed to dinner. Walking in, I realized something was going on. Landa was the only other person in the room, and the side bar was empty.
"There you are, dear. I was just fixing this tray for you. No one else is eating down here tonight so I didn't set everything out." She wrapped the last of the three plates on the tray.
"Thank you." I realized something was missing. "Where's Elron?" That elf would never miss a chance to make fun of me.
"He left early this morning, as did Ch'que. Why?" She cocked her head causing her large pointed ears to tilt. Landa wasn't beautiful by human standards, but she was an attractive brownie. She had a deep brown skin, large green eyes, thin lips, a delicate nose, and was four and a half feet tall. Appearances could be deceiving though; brownies were tough.
"I've seen him at dinner every day he was here, so I thought he would be here tonight. I knew he would leave, I just wasn't sure when." It sounded thin, even to me.
"Of course, dear. Here, take this tray and go rest. I heard about those trolls getting out. I sure hope you catch them soon."
The tray was surprisingly heavy. How much food did she think I needed? "I did my best to set them up with a few spells that should make it easy to find the trolls. I'll know tomorrow if they worked or if I need to do something else. Thank you, Landa."
"No problem, dear."
I carried the tray back to my room, more curious than I would care to admit about Elron, his appearances in my dreams, and the contents of the tray.
Chapter Four
Elron
I hadn't felt this alive since my mate died. For the first time, the pain of Sylvia's death was distant, more like a scar and less like a jagged wound that hadn't healed. None of the humans remembered the trolls being rounded up, but I remembered. I remembered when one of the last free tribes had hunted Sylvia. She had died a horrible death at their hands when she should have grown old with me.
All things bright and beautiful in my world had ended the day she died. I had rejoiced when the trolls were locked away. I still don't know how my friends kept me on this side, or how other elves took a new partner after their mates died. I could understand wanting the company, but not the speedy replacement of one who
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