Page 21 of Elves and Espresso

Chapter Nineteen

Ishoveled in food as quickly as I could, not caring if I looked ladylike. Normally, I was quite a refined elf—having had a mother who was quite refined herself—but there was a new fire under me, pushing me to get Aleixo home and out of my hair. Or rather, my thoughts.

The sooner he left, the better, because he was either destined to be killed here or would spend the rest of his days running from the Realm Guard in his own realm.

“What’s the point of taking me back if the Realm Guard will find me no matter where I am?”

How had he known what I was thinking? Was my face now flushed? Was I that easy to read? “I admit, I’m not sure. All I know is we must return you so the binding breaks. I don’t believe anyone can remain bound over the distance of the realms.”

“So, in other words, I could die either way, but you’ll be free of me?” If anyone else had uttered the words, it would have sounded bitter or upset, but he just said everything so casually, like nothing phased him. Meanwhile, I was wound tighter than a weeping willow in a twister.

“If you want to put it that way…”

“What’s the point, then? I know you don’t wish to marry the Realm Guard, but what difference does it make having me with you?”

Ah, he was digging for answers I didn’t feel comfortable even acknowledging myself. “Does it matter?”

“Why did you bring me with you, Calista?”

There were the words. It felt like he was making me confront things at every turn, but I was so overwhelmed, so cautious, that I couldn’t even think through the things he wanted me to say out loud.

“We need to be moving soon.”

“These are all valid questions. You knew I was a dead man either way, you knew the Realm Guard would catch up to us, and you knew we were stuck no matter where we went. Why are we running, and why did you take me with you?”

“I don’t know!” They were the first words out of my mouth, but they were also the biggest thing at the forefront of my mind. I didn’t know the answer to these questions. Right as we spoke, death was hunting us down in different ways. Death of the body would take Aleixo, and death of the soul would take me.

Standing abruptly, I took a step away before turning back. “It isn’t that I don’t know exactly…” I hesitated. “I just can’t think about these things in the same way you can. I know what’s coming, I know what we’re facing. I know everything has a timepiece ticking on it, but for once, I want to make the time stretch longer; I want to feel like it’s in my control. For once, I want to feel like I’m in charge of everything around me.”

I paused and looked up at him, trying to hide the tears that threatened. “When we reach the end, when he reaches us, it is all over. Every delightful part of my life ends. The brewery, the magic of Coven Haven, the daily life I enjoy living…and you. It all ends. So please, do not ask again. Just let me suspend time for as long as I can.”

Without another word, I left.

Chapter Twenty

“You know, I never did see your children.” Suzette was seeing us off with biscuits, as she claimed she did for everyone, while she craned her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of our non-existent offspring.

“Yes, well, they do like to run around outdoors. Perhaps they’ve slipped past you,” Aleixo offered as I glared at him. It would have been so much easier if he hadn’t encouraged such a charade. Or had I encouraged it? I hardly knew anymore.

The rain had stopped, and all that was left was a steady length of puddles along the side of the road. I threw on my cloak and made sure Dewdrop wasn’t visible in my shuffling. Despite it being morning, there were dark clouds above us, and I couldn’t help but think about the progress we had lost in our night here. The beds had been comfortable, and despite Suzette and I being polar opposites, I did really enjoy her company.

“Dearest,” I said, sugary sweet, “we had best be on our way.” He wrapped his arm around me unnecessarily, which I tried to pull away from, and we started our journey once more. We were nearly round the bend, and since he hadn’t released me, I cleared my throat. “I do believe that is enough holding.”

Before he could speak, my skin began to crawl. Something wasn’t right. Without a second thought, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into a large bush, tucked away behind some trees. He landed on me and quickly pushed himself up onto his elbows.

“Well, if you wanted a moment like this, I would have been very accommodating.” His voice was low, and if I hadn’t been in such a panic, I would have melted like a chocolate drop on a skillet.

“Be quiet,” I whispered. I pushed him off and rolled onto my stomach, sliding over to peek through the bushes. There was one lone, dark figure in the distance, approaching the inn we had just left. His gait was slow, but he walked with a purpose, and the very air around him seemed to hollow in response to the joy that was just leeched from it.

He paused in front of the inn before looking down at the three forks in the road ahead of him, one of which we were on.

“Is that…” Aleixo whispered.

“It is. And if Suzette says anything, we are certainly in trouble.”

“Can he see us? Oh no, what if he can hear us?” Aleixo groaned in despair. “We’re doomed, aren’t we?”

“Are you mad?” I whispered back. “He’s a Realm Guard. He can see into different realms, and he can track the souls in each, but he doesn’t know their locations. Just that we’re still in this realm…that you’re still in this realm.”