“It’s not that simple?—”
“Itisthat simple,” he interrupted. “You either fight for him or you don’t. Everything else is just excuses.”
His words hit harder than I wanted to admit. I felt anger flare in my chest, hot and defensive. “You don’t understand what you’re asking me to do. You grew up here, in the human world. You don’t have an entire realm depending on you.”
“You’re right, I don’t,” Karrick agreed. “But I do know what it’s like to almost lose the person who matters most. And I can tell you right now, if you let Ash go without a fight, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.”
I wanted to argue, to explain all the reasons why my situation was different, more complicated. But the words died in my throat because deep down, I knew he was right. The thought of going back to the Twilight Realm without Ash, of marrying somestranger while he stayed here alone... it made me feel physically ill.
“I don’t know what to do,” I finally admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how to fix this.”
Karrick’s massive hand landed on my shoulder, surprisingly gentle. “Start by being honest with him. Tell him how you really feel. Then figure out the rest together.”
“What if there is no solution?” The fear I’d been pushing down for days came rushing to the surface. “What if we’re just delaying the inevitable?”
“Then at least you’ll have tried,” Karrick said. “At least you won’t spend the rest of your life wondering what could have been.”
We reached the dorm building, students going in and out, most of them on their way to the cafeteria for dinner. But I didn’t want food right now. All I could think about was Ash and, if I told him how I felt, how much more it would hurt when I was forced to return home without him.
“Give me some time to think about it,” I said at last, stopping near the stairs with Karrick. “I just… I’m scared, alright? I don’t want to lose him, but I don’t see a way out either.”
“Been there before,” he replied, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “I get it. I really do. But don’t let that scare you off. Because I promise you right now that feeling you have deep in your gut every time you look at him? It’snevergoing to go away. So don’t give up.”
I nodded, watching him head off toward his own room. My chest felt tight as I climbed the stairs toward my own, each step heavier than the last. Karrick’s words echoed in my head, mixing with my own fears and doubts until I couldn’t tell which thoughts were rational and which were just panic.
When I opened the door to my room, I found it empty. Ash was probably cleaning the locker rooms right now, which was forthe best. I was feeling a bit too strung out to keep my cool around him at the moment. I shut the door behind me and collapsed on the bed face down, savoring the smell of him on my pillow. It made me want to race across campus, break into the locker rooms, and scoop Ash off his feet just so I could kiss him.
Karrick was right. I reallydidhave it bad.
“Young master?” a muffled voice called. “Is that you?”
Caldwell.
I sprang up off the bed and rushed to my desk. Pulling the drawer open, I extracted the enchanted mirror. When I turned it over, I didn’t see my own reflection. Instead, I saw Caldwell’s face break into a soft smile.
“Ah,” he nodded. “There you are.”
“Did you find something?” I asked before I could help myself. My heart was racing. “Anything at all?”
“I did,” Caldwell said, his expression turning serious. “Though I’m not certain you’ll like what I’ve found.”
My stomach dropped. “Tell me anyway.”
He glanced around, as if checking to make sure he was still alone, before continuing. “I’ve been researching mate bonds between dark elves and other species. As I mentioned before, they’re exceedingly rare. In the entire recorded history of the Twilight Realm, there are only three documented cases.”
“Three?” I leaned closer to the mirror. “That’s it?”
“Yes, young master. And of those three, only one ended... favorably.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “The first case was nearly five hundred years ago. A dark elf noble fell for a human witch. When she couldn’t enter the realm, he chose to stay in the mortal world with her. His family disowned him, stripped him of his titles, and erased him from the family records. He died in obscurity.”
I felt my chest tighten. “And the second?”
“A dark elf merchant and a fae woman,” Caldwell continued, his voice somber. “She was able to enter the Twilight Realm, but the bond between them caused... complications. Her fae magic and his dark elf heritage didn’t mix well. Within a year, both had gone mad from the conflicting energies. They had to be separated, and the bond was severed by force.”
“They went mad?” My hands gripped the mirror tighter. “What happened to them after?”
“The merchant never recovered. He lived out his days in a medicinal facility, unable to speak or recognize anyone. The fae woman returned to her people, but she was never quite the same either.” Caldwell’s expression was pained, like it hurt him to deliver this news. “That’s the danger of forcing a bond to break, young master. The consequences can be... severe.”
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. “And the third case? You said one ended favorably?”
