Surrender, Book 3 The Elfin Series (19 page)

“I feel like I’m supposed to be with you. But something is missing, Tarron. Something very important is gone and I feel like I’m going to die without it.”

“He is close,”
a cool voice said entering his mind. Tarron suddenly felt very cold as the chill of the voice settled over him.

“You didn’t think that you could really take another male’s mate and not suffer the consequences did you? And did you think that you could come into my lands and make demands of my priestess and not pay dearly for your insolence?”

“You made a deal with me,”
Tarron argued not bothering to speak out loud. He knew that who he was dealing with could hear him verbally or otherwise.

“Fool!”
The voice who he knew to be the Voodoo Queen boomed.
“The deal changed. You cannot be allowed to carry on Tarron of the dark elves. There is only so much room for darkness in this world and you and your king are tipping the balance. The only way you will leave my swamp is if you defeat the warrior.”

Tarron would not admit that he was scared. Fear had no place in a dark elf. He, after all, was a monster, and therefore other monsters should not cause him to tremble. And yet when he looked down at the hand that was holding Elora’s, he saw that it was shaking. He ground his teeth together as he attempted to rid himself of the Voodoo queen’s declaration. She was bluffing. There was no way that the warrior she spoke of was there in that very swamp with them. He would find a way out and he would be taking the female he’d claimed with him. The only way he would give her up was if they pried her from his cold dead hands.

His mind filled with her voice once again and her words had bile rising up in his throat.

“He is coming. He wants what was taken from him back and there is nothing he won’t do to get her.”

Chapter 12

“Everyting comes wit a price. There not be anyting tat is truly free. Sometimes the price be greater and sometime tat be worth it. If you come to the land of my queen, you must be ready to pay a high price and you must understand tat da deal you be makin can change. So tink carefully afore you make da deal. Tere be no goin back once it be struck.” ~Chamani

“
T
rik, we can’t just let them get away,” Cassie said shakily as she watched Tarron trample off with Elora over his shoulder.

“I know, Beautiful, but I cannot risk your parents. We have to get them back. I won’t risk their safety, not even for Elora.”

Cassie was broken. This had all been too much. First, her parents had been kidnapped by a psychopathic dark elf, and now he’d gotten her best friend. She needed Elora now more than ever, but her friend was beyond reach. Cassie couldn’t bear to watch her carried off by such an evil creature. Now, if Trik went after Tarron to get Elora back, she might never find her parents. She fell to ground, great sobs racking her body.  

“Stay with me, Cassandra.” Trik knelt down in front of Cassie; his knees plopped into the muck and sank just a bit as the mushy ground gave way. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. “You must be strong. Be the queen I saw when we stormed Lorsan’s castle. Be the queen who stood before our warriors and delivered that amazing speech that so inspired them. That is who you are, beloved, and you have to remember that, especially, when things seem to be falling apart.”

“I can’t, Trik. I’ve never felt so incredibly helpless,” she said between sobs. Her whole body shook in his strong arms. She let him hold her. Truth be told, had he not been propping her up, she probably would have fallen face down in the sludge of the swamp that surrounded them. She didn’t seem to have the strength to even hold her head up any longer.

Trik used their connection. She felt him pour everything he had into her. He poured all of his love, all of the light and all of the goodness that she had brought into this life, back into her. He continued to send her wave after wave of unconditional love. He would die for her, she knew. And he would die to get her parents back as well if it came to that. She knew that he would search unto the very ends of the earth to get them back if that is what it took. Trik’s selflessness gave her strength. This dark elf, this assassin, who had long ago given up hope of finding any goodness in this world, had been redeemed by her love. And now he was doing the same for her. She took comfort from his touch, and strength began to slowly ebb back into her body.

“But where do we even start to look?” she asked him out loud, her voice still weak from the brink of despair she’d been teetering on.

“I tink I might be able to help wit dat one.” The raspy voice of the Voodoo priestess, whom Cassie had completely forgotten was there, answered instead. Cassie and Trik both turned and looked at her expectantly.

“Where? And why are you willing to help us now?” Cassie clamored to her feet while Trik stood gracefully while also assisting her. His hands on her waist kept her from tipping over in her haste to stand.

“Mayhap I be bored, or I not be havin anyting else to be doin. Follow me, chile,” Chamani responded and started off opposite the direction Tarron had gone. Cassie and Trik hurried to catch the old woman, who, despite her advanced age, seemed to have no trouble traversing the marshy terrain. Tony, who had been quiet giving Trik and Cassie time to sort out the situation, followed after them.

“Do you know where they are?” Cassie asked desperately as they walked.

“All in good time, chile. Patience be a virtue.” And the priestess would say no more.

Cassie was in no mood to be patient. But Chamani had already proven herself to them. She had known that Elora would be coming to an exact spot in the swamp where she’d had them wait. Granted, she hadn’t said anything about Tarron carrying Elora through the swamp, but no one had specifically asked
how
Elora would be coming. Cassie decided she would trust the priestess for now. After all, what choice did she have? If Chamani had any knowledge as to the whereabouts of her parents, Cassie had to find out what it was. She just hoped this wasn’t another one of the priestess’ devilish tricks.

After about an hour of hiking, of which each agonizing step was taken by Cassie with extreme anxiety and anticipation, they came to a small shack resting on crooked stilts.

“Okay, so that’s not creepy at all,” Tony muttered.

Instantly a darkness that chilled to her bones sunk into Cassie. The evil surrounding the building was thick enough to taste on her tongue. Surely her parents weren’t in there. The whole front of the house was adorned by a dilapidated covered porch that threatened to fall into the swamp at the slightest breeze. Two chickens squawked at them from their places in small wire cages resting on top of each other on the far end of the porch. A human skull, old and weatherworn, sat on the handrail while moss hung from the porch’s ceiling. The gentle breeze blew the moss so that it was brushing over the top of the skull as though gently caressing it. Cassie was sure this was the scariest place she had ever laid eyes on, and she couldn’t possibly believe that anything the priestess would say would get her to go inside.

“Home sweet home,” Chamani said and her voice erupted with her now all too familiar cackle.

“Why did you bring us here, witch?” Trik asked. The growl in his voice left no doubt that he was obviously growing tired of the Voodoo priestess’ games.

“Come now, Elf King. We be partners now, remember? No need to be taking dat tone wit me. Come on inside, make yo selves comfortable.”

“Just because we have a shared enemy, doesn’t make us partners,” said Trik. “And it doesn’t mean that I trust you either. I am not stupid, Chamani. We are not going to walk blindly into your place of power.”

“Oh, don’t be such a stick in the da mud,” the old woman chided. “Besides, I have houseguests. Couple ah lovely people here I tink you two should meet. From up around Oklahoma City, I believe they be from.”

Cassie had been wrong. Chamani had said the one thing that not only wanted to make her go into that shack but run into it. She bolted up the stairs and past Chamani grabbing at the door.

“Cassie, wait!” Trik, with his inhuman speed, grabbed her wrist inches from the doorknob.

“Trik, my parents,” she pleaded, desperately trying to pull her arm away and get inside.

“Remember what our gracious host has said,
patience is a virtue.
Let’s let her go inside first, just in case she might have inadvertently left any surprises in store for unwanted visitors.”

“Hehe, you be too suspicious, elf. Must be yo dark nature,” Chamani responded as she stepped lightly into the shack. Cassie and Trik followed on her heels. To Cassie’s surprise, they stepped into what looked like a quaint cottage on the inside. A simple wooden dining table and chairs occupied the majority of the one room shack. A cast iron cookstove sat in one corner, a small comfortable bed in another, and finally, a worn wooden rocking chair in another. In stark contrast to this goldilocks’ setting, however, were two bound and gagged individuals, sitting with their hands tied behind their backs in two of the aforementioned dining room chairs.

With eyes so wide they threatened to pop right out of their heads, Mr. and Mrs. Tate stared at the newcomers. But then recognition dawned on their faces as they spotted their only daughter and their eyes went even wider still. They each began straining against their bonds, muffled cries coming from their mouths. Cassie’s eyes were so filled with tears that she was barely able to see straight as she ran to them practically knocking her mother backward over her chair as Cassie hugged her tightly.

“Mom! Dad! Thank God. I was so scared I’d never see you again,” she said. Her body shook with the force of her sobs as she pulled her mother’s gag from her mouth. Trik stepped up beside Cassie doing the same for her father.

“What? Who?” Mr. Tate gasped, his voice gravelly, as he stared at Trik.

“I know things must seem very hazy right now, but don’t worry, Mr. Tate, Cassie will explain everything,” said Trik as he moved around behind Mr. Tate’s chair and began undoing the bindings holding his wrists behind his back.

“What are you doing here, Cassie? You shouldn’t be here,” Mrs. Tate pleaded to Cassie, her brow furrowed though her eyes hadn’t lost their deer in headlights appearance.

“Don’t worry. It’s all going to be okay now, Mom.” Shaking, Cassie finally released her mother and turned to her dad, giving him a similar tear filled hug. Mr. Tate, free from his restraints, returned the hug, his arms wrapping around her tightly and pulling her close as though he could keep out all of the bad things. Trik moved to Mrs. Tate, undoing her bindings as well, and he didn’t miss the way she rubbed at her raw wrists.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Cassie’s father said, as he pulled back from Cassie. “Hurry, he’ll be back any second.” And then, as if just realizing she was there, Mr. Tate spotted Chamani, who had deposited herself in the wooden rocking chair in the corner and was busily winding some twine into a ball as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “You!” Mr. Tate snarled. “You let him do this to us.” He moved to take a step toward her, but his legs were stiff and unresponsive from having sat, tied in the same position for several days. He stumbled and grabbed the table for support, his breath coming out in angry pants. Cassie worried for the first time in her life that her health conscious father might have a heart attack.

“Hold!” Trik’s voice broke in. “Calm down, Mr. Tate. She’s not our enemy, at least not for the moment.”

“
And
you?” Mr. Tate asked, seeming to fully take Trik in the first time. His eyes filled with recognition as they narrowed on the Elf King. “I remember you from our house. What are you doing here? You’re one of them, aren’t you?” he asked shaking his head as his hand came up to cover his mouth. “You’re working with the one who kidnapped us. Tell me I’m wrong! Tell me you aren’t one of those things!” He shoved a finger at Trik and his words were filled with such vehemence that Cassie was sure they might just form a blade and stab Trik in the chest.

“No, Mr. Tate,” Trik said in a steely voice, “I would never work with him regardless of whether or not I am of his race. And you will have your justice for what he’s done to you and your wife. That I swear.”

“Please, someone tell us what is going on?” Mr. Tate insisted as he suddenly deflated like a popped balloon. As he turned to sit back down, he noticed Tony for the first time. “And who the hell are you?”

Tony held up his hands. “I’m just your run of the mill human. Unfortunately, dealing with Trik’s kind is part of the family business.”

Mr. Tate shook his head. “This just gets more and more outrageous.”

“Please, Dad,” Cassie began, “listen. This is a very long story.”

“And I don’t think now is the best time to tell it,” Trik interrupted. “Tarron still has Elora.”

Elora,
Elora?
” Mrs. Tate turned to Cassie. “What does she have to do with any of this?”

“Again, it’s a long story,” Trik responded. “Time is of the essence.”

“Hmm,” came the voice of the Voodoo priestess again, who, without anyone noticing, had risen and a placed a pot of tea on the cast iron cookstove. “It seems yo chosen ain’t da only one who needed to be learning ‘bout patience. You see, Triktaptic, yo battle will find you soon enough. Dat dark elf running round out there in dat swamp no longer concern you.”

“He does concern me as long as he has Elora,” Trik spat.

“No sir, no sir. You couldn’t find him now even if you wanted to. Thanks to me and my mistress, he gonna be wandering out there in dat swamp for a good while. His reckoning be coming through da hands of a light elf sho enough—”

“Cush,” Trik breathed. His head tilted back as he pinched the bridge of his nose, realization suddenly dawning on him. Cassie could tell the weight of his position and the responsibility he carried was heavy on his shoulders. Now that her parents were safe and she was able to focus on other things, she found that she desperately wanted to bare some of that load with her mate.

“You bet yo quiver on it, dat’s right. Now why don’t you and your lovely Chosen have a sit down and tell these nice people what need be telling, whilst we all have some of Chamani’s hot tea,” the priestess said as she placed four small china cups, which seemed to have been conjured out of nowhere, onto the table.

T
rik stood for a moment, thinking about what the old woman had said. Though he didn’t trust her sweet southern hospitality act for one second, she had given Cassie back her parents. So far, she hadn’t shown any indication that she was going to betray them. He believed what she had said about Tarron and Lorsan upsetting the balance of power, and he believed that the Voodoo goddess didn’t want either of those two taking over the human realm. Further, he knew that the priestess held great power here in the swamp. Much like he, and at one time Lorsan, could do in the elfin realm; she could control the thoughts of someone wandering in her domain though it was a practice he didn’t like to use. She could make them think that they were wandering in circles, keeping them lost for hours, or that they were being attacked by savage swamp beasts. Many things were possible for one such as Chamani and her queen.