Man, he really needed to learn more about elves.
From somewhere above, a bird screeched, but the canopy wasso thick it could have been apterodactyland hewouldn’t have been able to identify it.No one else looked up, so he assumed itwasn’t a predator, but the way the village’s denizens were looking at him saidhe could be.
“I’m guessing you don’t have a lot of visitors here.Thatorange-haired dude looks like he wants to put his sword between my ribs.”
“The onlyotherworlderswho comehere are guests of elves.”She picked up her pace, making a beeline for whatappeared to be a gem show at the edge of the village.“The people here aren’tafraid, just cautious.They know you have no power here.”
“I don’t?”Instinctively, he reached for the weak abilitieshe’d been left with, but it was like feeling around inside an empty box.Damn,he didn’t like this.As pathetic as his remaining powers were, they’d at leastbeen accessible.Now he felt naked.Exposed.Not even the demon realm was thisdisconcerting.
“Only elves wield magic here.”
Angelic powers weren’t “magic,” but he knew what she meant.And he really, really needed to learn more about these people and this realm.He couldn’t believe he hadn’t known it existed.Wereanyangels awareof it?
“Jedda!”A slender male with pale pink hair and eyes wavedfrom a booth displaying gemstones in every shade of green.“I have freshlymined jade and a cursed malachite I know you’d love.”He waggled his brows, butshe just laughed and waved him off.
“Not today, Tindol, but thank you.”
Another elf tried to sell her a sapphire shaped like abanana, and another was convinced she’d love an ugly puke-green stone linked toa Viking legend.
“I’m just curious,” Razr said as they passed yet anothersilver-tongued salesman.“Why do you have a gem market when you could justharvest the gemstones that grow with the trees?”
“Gods, no,” Jedda gasped, her gaze darting around as ifmaking sure no one had heard him.“That’s one of the worst crimes you cancommit here.No one gets away with it.No one.”
One of the winged creatures he’d seen in the forest buzzedhis ear, and he gently waved it away.“What happens to those who try?”
“Death by hanging.”
He blinked.“I thought you said it was peaceful here.”
“It is.It’s not us who do the hanging.”She lowered hervoice and leaned close.“It’s the trees.”
He eyed the forest with new appreciation.“That’s prettybadass.”
“If you think the trees are badass, wait until you see—” Shebroke off and stumbled to a stop, and he instantly went on alert.
It only took a second to follow her gaze to see what hadbrought her up short.Just ahead, a red-haired, red-eyed female dressed inbrown leather pants and a gold tunic blocked their path.A sword with aglittering ruby pommel hung at her hip, but it was the daggers she stared atJedda that made Razr put himself between the two females.
“Tell me that’s not your sister.”
“I can’t do that,” Jedda said, her voice tight.“Razr, meetReina.”
“Hello, Jedda.”
Razr’s arm snapped out to catch Jedda around the waistbefore she even knew her legs had wobbled.A surge of emotion flooded her,because no one had been there to catch her in a long time.His support meanteven more to her given how everything had crashed down on her so hard back inSheoul-gra.She couldn’t believe she was still alive.Hell,she couldn’t believe she was still aliveandthat Razr had forgivenher.
And now she was sharing her realm with him, something she’dnever shared with anyone.She just had to hope the experience wouldn’t take anasty turn.
“Reina.”Jedda wasn’t sure what to think or how to feel, butit was a relief to see her.She looked the same as the last time she’d seenher, with sleek garnet hair and garnet eyes that required colored contactlenses for visits to the human realm.
“I sensed your arrival,” Reina said, her lips pursed inannoyance.“You haven’t been here in years.”
“I haven’t needed to come.”Jedda wanted to hug her sister,but Reina had never been comfortable with physical affection, and Jedda wasn’tsure where their relationship stood anyway.“Have you been here all this time?”
Reina waved her hand dismissively, but not before Jeddacaught a flash of fear in her expression, gone so fast she might have imaginedit.“I’ve always liked it here.”
Jedda gave her sister a skeptical look.“Youhatethe elven realm.”
With a shrug, Reina turned to Razr, her assessing gaze alittle too appreciative for Jedda’s taste.“Who’s this?”
