Fated to the Dark Elf Episode 6

Chapter 32

Delia

“Are you sure it’s safe?” I whisper, hovering near the open ledge of my window and peeking outside.

My door is closed and locked, but as Thorne has shone me numerous times, that means nothing. Anyone could stride in here.

Anulu taught me how to cast a spell over the door frame, though. It’s something she found in the book Thorne gave me. She said she wasn’t strong enough to do it, but after several days of attempting, I finally managed to place it. If anyone crosses the threshold, it will alert me. It only holds once and it takes a lot of energy, so I waited until I desperately needed to use it.

And when sneaking out, it’s absolutely necessary.

“I told Rincio that Master Thorne needed to see him.” A bashful smile breaks out on Anulu’s face, and I chuckle.

         “Poor Rincio,” I tease, no love lost over the gardener.

Anulu only rolls her eyes and ushers for me to get going. “You need to hurry before someone does come looking for you.”

I nod, swiftly sliding out of the window deftly scaling the side of the manor until I slide to the ground. Tipping my head back, I see Anulu watching from above. She waves at me, and gestures for me to go, a bright smile on her face.

I turn toward the gardens, my heart picking up. I shouldn’t feel so nervous, but I do. And it is not because of Thorne.

Being mindful of the window of his study, I stick close to the manor so that he won’t see me until I’ve rounded the side and am out of view. I’m glad I chose not to wear shoes as I run barefoot through the gardens to the back corner that I know is hidden from view of any of the windows.

As I reach my favorite spot, my eyes land on the back of a dark elf, the moonlight shining on his dark skin. My breath catches in my throat, and I slow to a timid walk as I approach him.

His sensitive hearing must pick up on my footsteps because slowly, he turns around. His face splits into a wide smile, and a flush creeps up my skin, that light, fuzzy excitement is already creeping through me.

“Delia,” he breathes.

I smirk. “Iknola.”

My stomach twists as I look at him, though I’m not sure why. I look away bashfully, and he closes the distance between us, reaching up to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear.

“How are you?”

His voice is deep and warm, like honey. It feels sticky, and my head feels heavy as I lean into his hand. “Do you really want to know?”

His thumb strokes my cheekbone. “Of course I do. I so rarely get to see you.”

My heart drops at the mention, and I frown. “I know.” I huff a sigh, pulling away from him a little as my thoughts drift to Thorne’s overbearing behavior. “As you can imagine, I haven’t been doing well. It feels like everything is falling apart.”

Iknola creeps closer, cupping my face with both hands. I want to take a step back, but my feet don’t obey. “No matter what happens, I am not going anywhere.”

“Your company makes it worth it to me,” I whisper, barely registering the words myself. He’s so close, and I’m sure he can hear how fast my heart is beating. I’m not sure, though if it’s because I want him to touch me like this or if I’m nervous because I thought we were friends. 

“Why is it falling apart?”

For a moment, I consider leaning into him. My mind feels so fuzzy, and I don’t want to think about what is waiting for me in the manor. I don’t want to think about what has been plaguing me. 

“I can’t make a move without being watched.” I gulp, thinking of the main thing plaguing me. “And…I’ve been having nightmares,” I squeak out.

“Delia,” he coos, his strong fingers sweeping along my skin. My knees threaten to buckle, his touch surprising me though he seems to have no intentions of stopping. “What kind of nightmares?”

My jaw clenches as the images flash in my mind, and he notices. Iknola’s voice drops into a soft hum, and he pulls me close enough that I’m pressed against him in a hug. It’s not sensual, and for a moment, I consider that maybe this whole time, his touch was only meant to be friendly and comforting.

That’s what I’ve come to Iknola for, but our visits have left me feeling more and more unsettled. I’m not sure he understands what I need. 

Does anyone?

“You don’t have to tell me.”

I know it would be good for me to get it off my chest. “They don’t feel like dreams,” I mumble against his shirt. “A woman comes to visit me, but I don’t know her. She says she knows me, and then, she’ll attack me.”

Ice floods my body, and Iknola runs his hands up and down my arms, smoothing the chill bumps that burst out along my skin. “I am so sorry, Delia. I hate that you have to go through that.”

I shrug, trying to swallow back the fear that creeps in when I think about it. “Anulu is there sometimes. She’ll sit with me until I fall back to sleep.”

He pulls back, cupping the back of my head in both hands. His fingers are tangled in my hair, and there’s an intensity in the way he says, “I should be there with you.”

There’s no mistaking it now. He’s pushing the boundaries of what I thought to be an innocent relationship. We went from walking the gardens, arm in arm, and I’ve explained away every touch. Now I see that he was trying for more. 

Thorne will be jealous.

My heart twinges as I think about it, and guilt tears through me. I want to rip away from Iknola. I shouldn’t be here like this. 

But once again, my body is unresponsive. 

Despite how angry I am with Thorne, we were building a comfortable camaraderie. I can’t lie and say I’ve never felt this attraction toward him, either. But just when we started to get close, I learned the truth. I’m not sure I can ever forgive him and move past it.

Besides, Iknola is nothing like Thorne. Iknola and I have an easy relationship – bordering on boring pretenses. We keep our conversations light, simple, but it’s also platonic. 

Thorne may be kind one minute and then brutal the next, and I’m never sure how I feel around him. But I’m never bored, and there is tension – a spark – every time we are together. I shouldn’t enjoy the way he pushes me. 

But I do like the games we play. 

“Delia?” Iknola pulls me from my thoughts. “Are you okay?”

The softness of his voice and touch are something that Thorne never gives me. I am a business transaction to him, nothing more, and I see what I could have with Iknola. What he wants from me.

Should I give into this all encompassing feeling? Is this what it means to be attracted to someone, to feel this pull, this need to comply?

“I am now,” I whisper, leaning closer to him.

My face is so close to his. Iknola leans over me, and his eyes dart down to my lips. Should I stop him? We’re supposed to be friends. I clench my fists and relax them over and over, not sure how to release this pent-up nervous energy.

It feels like my heart is going to stop, I’m so anxious, but I manage to get out, “I always am when I’m with you.” It was meant to be sweet, to show him how much I value our friendship. Instead, it comes out strangled. 

"Good," he muses.

I can barely contain the emotions pouring through me as Iknola inches closer, his warm breath brushing across my lips.

"Shame that Thorne was so vulgar with you on your wedding night," he mumbles, tucking a strand of my hair away. "You should be treated with respect."

"H…" I gulp, breathless. "He didn't really. It was… just a show…"

Iknola's brow raises, and I think I see a little smirk. "Is that so?"

I nod pathetically. I thought I wanted to know what it was like to be touched. Now, I’m realizing I only want to know what it’s like for one man to touch me.

His eyes are heavily hooded, and I can see the desire clouding them. He wants me, and I’m not sure what I should do.

For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me. My brain goes into a panic, the fog growing thicker in my mind. 

Before he can, though, a soft rustle catches my eye. Iknola hears it just as I do, and he freezes, his head whipping in the direction of the sound. He half-shoves my body behind his, and my brain starts to clear.

But then I see what made the noise, and my heart nearly stops. My mind is sharp now. 

I blink, unable to catch my breath. My mind can’t reconcile what I’m seeing. My whole body starts to shake, but no matter how long I stare, I can still see it. Even after it’s long gone.

Iknola turns, his eyebrows pinched together in confusion until his gaze drops to me. His arms encircle my shoulders, trying to calm me. “Delia? What did you see?”

But the words don’t form on my lips. I’m too afraid to say it out loud.

If I do, it might make it real. And I don’t want to know what will happen to me if it turns out that what I saw is real.