Surrender, Book 3 The Elfin Series (8 page)

Without another thought to any of her original plans when she’d entered Iniquity, Elora let her head fall back, not even alarmed when it landed on someone’s chest as hands grasped her waist and the person behind her began to move with her. She closed her eyes and let out a deep breath and surrendered to the side of her that she’d fought for so long.

The night turned into a blur as Elora danced. She didn’t stay in Iniquity but followed a group of people who she suddenly become friends with. They went from casino to casino hitting all of the clubs in them along the way. Minutes turned into hours, but time was of no consequence to her. She simply wanted to soak up the night. All of her worries slipped from her mind to be replaced by a euphoric feeling that she was pretty sure she never wanted to let go of.

Elora laughed as she danced with the group she’d latched onto, letting their energy capture her. Her hands lifted into the air as her hips swayed seductively. In her mind, she heard a whisper of approval as though she were a snake charmer and her dark half was the snake being mesmerized by her movements. It was as if she was finally home. Why had she fought it so hard? This is who she was and there was no point in denying her nature. She was a part of the night, the darkness her domain, and as she reached up and pulled the clips from her hair letting the black locks free to sway around her, she gave herself over fully to the blood of her father’s people.

C
ush wiped the blood from his lip as the last man was finally removed from the casino. One human male had gotten in a lucky shot but only because Cush had been fighting four on one. The bouncers who’d been in the middle of it with him gave him a quick nod of thanks as they returned to their stations. Those left that had simply watched or cheered on the fighting slowly meandered away as they realized the excitement was over.

He turned to find Elora, to make sure she was alright, but instead of her scantily clad body, he found an empty spot on the floor instead. His eyes began to quickly scan the immediate area around him, and when he still didn’t see her he began moving. His head swiveled from side to side as he searched face after face for his Chosen. At that moment his frustration equaled his worry. He wouldn’t think the worst just yet. At the moment he was irritated with her for leaving the place he’d specifically told her not to budge from. But as his search continued with no sign of her, his irritation lessoned and his anxiety and fear increased. The ache that often accompanied the separation of a male and his Chosen began as a dull annoyance in his chest. He knew the longer they were separated, the worse it would get.

What if Lorsan had realized who she was and snatched her while he’d been helping break up the fights between the drunk humans? What if some human male had decided she was an easy target and somehow managed to drag her off to some dark corner to—he cut that thought off before it could go any further. Picturing the horrid things that could be happening to her would not help him; it would only serve to increase his anger and fear, which would hinder clear thought and purposeful action. He would be of no use to her if he flew off in a blind rage. So he stopped and took several deep breaths. But before he could take another step, a hand landed on his shoulder. He so desperately wanted it to be Elora, but he knew immediately that it was not.

“Why are you on your own?” Syndra asked as she stepped around him into his line of sight. “Where is your little troublemaker?”

Cush’s chest tightened painfully as he looked down at the light elf queen. “She’s gone.”

“Gone?” Syndra’s eyes did a quick sweep around the room. “How did she get separated from you?”

“A fight broke out among the humans and it was escalating.”

“And you, being the light elf warrior that you are, intervened,” she interrupted.

“I told her to stay put. She knows how dangerous the situation is. I don’t think she would have wandered off of her own accord.”

Syndra’s lips tightened as her gaze met his. “Perhaps, that would be true if she didn’t have dark elf blood running through her veins.”

He took a step toward her. “What do you mean?”

“You know how she was affected the first time that we came to Las Vegas. She isn’t fully dark elf, Cush, but she is half, and that part of her DNA will have an influence over her unless she is paying very close attention especially in a place such as this where the darkness rules even in the light of day.”

Cush didn’t want to believe what she was saying, but he knew the light elf queen was right. It didn’t bother him that his Chosen had dark elf blood; he honestly couldn’t care less. Her heritage didn’t have to determine her future, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be something she would have to force into submission. He should have considered how difficult it would be for her to be surrounded by the pleasures of the flesh in a place saturated with self-indulgence. But he’d been too focused on finding Lorsan, the book, and dealing with the Rapture situation.

“Can you feel her?” Syndra asked. “I’m assuming that your souls have connected seeing as how you can’t keep your hands off each other. Can your soul reach out to hers?”

Cush closed his eyes and let his soul search for its other half. It was as though he was looking for a light only he could see. He grew more frustrated as the minutes ticked by and still he felt nothing.

He growled, “Nothing. I can’t feel a damn thing.”

Syndra tapped her lips with a long slender finger as she stared at him. “I wonder if—perhaps because of what she is—that maybe you have to connect with her in another way as well.”

Cush’s jaw clenched. “You mean by mating?” He did not particularly want to discuss something so private with Syndra.

She shook her head. “No, at least I don’t think so. I mean with her other half. You’ve connected with her human soul, the part of her that isn’t tainted by her father’s blood, but I bet you haven’t connected with the dark elf in her.”

His brow drew together as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I don’t understand what you are saying. How would I connect with her dark elf?”

“Honestly, I have no clue.”

Cush wanted to snarl at her,
why the hell bring up something that you don’t have an answer to,
but he kept the thought to himself. He knew that if Elora had been with him that she wouldn’t have approved of him snapping at the light elf queen. His gut clenched as he realized just how much of an influence she’d had on him in the short time they’d been together. When he’d first met her, he’d been shocked, but that had quickly morphed into defiance because he’d never thought he’d find his Chosen. He was a warrior; it was all he knew. How in all the realms could he possibly be a mate? But he had realized very quickly that now that he’d found her, there was no way he could let her go. She was his and he was hers, that was all there was to it. There was no Cush without Elora, and yet his biggest fear had already come to pass. He’d feared not being able to take care of her the way she would need. Now here in Sin City, he’d foolishly gone and lost her.

“Not to be a mom or anything, but where is my daughter?”

Lisa’s voice broke through the turmoil raging in Cush’s mind and his eyes met hers. How was he supposed to tell the mother of the woman he loved that he’d lost her? He’d rather face an army of dark elves.

“Don’t freak out, Lisa,” Syndra spoke up before he had a chance.

“I don’t like it when someone starts a sentence with ‘don’t freak out, Lisa,’ ” she retorted turning to look at Syndra. “Usually that implies that freaking out is definitely the best course of action.”

“I stepped away from her for a few minutes.” Cush’s voice was strained as he fought to hold his emotions in check. “I was assisting with an altercation and when I returned she was gone.”

Lisa pursed her lips briefly before nodding. “Okay, so we need to find her.”

Her response was not what he was expecting. Cush was sure Elora’s mother was going to rip him from one end to the other, but like her daughter did so often, she surprised him.

“Lisa,” he began but she held up her hand to stop him.

“I don’t blame you, warrior. Elora is a big girl and you don’t have eyes in the back of your head. We’ll find her.”

“Did you guys call a meeting and forget to invite me?” Oakley quipped as he walked up to their small circle.

“Your sister has wandered off and we have to find her,” Lisa told him without preamble.

Oakley blew out a breath and rubbed his face. “Why does this not surprise me?”

“Like you said, Lisa, Elora is a big girl. She can handle herself,” Syndra said confidently.

Cush agreed that Elora could handle herself, but she was still a female in a city full of hungry males that would be more than happy to make her their snack. Not to mention the fact, Lorsan was lurking somewhere like a slinking wolf waiting to devour them.

“Syndra, you and Lisa search this side of the strip. The Casinos all connect so you can walk straight through without having to leave the building. Oakley and I will go across the street and canvas that side.” Cush reverted into the familiar role of leader. He was used to commanding soldiers. Now taking charge helped ease his worry for his Chosen. “We’ll meet at the fountains of the Bellagio in an hour.” Cush motioned for Oakley to follow him, leaving Syndra and Lisa who were already moving toward the exit. He knew that Syndra was more than capable of taking care of herself as well as anyone in her care.

He moved with confidence through the crowded casino, not bothering to walk around people because they just seemed to move out of his way. Elora had mentioned that to him once and he’d admitted that he’d never noticed it. But now as he headed for the front doors he realized she was right, and it was a good thing because he had no doubt that if they didn’t get out of his way he would plow right through them.

“I don’t think anyone took her,” Oakley spoke up as he lengthened his stride to keep up with Cush.

“Why,” Cush asked without looking at the boy.

“Because Elora wouldn’t have gone quietly. If she disappeared without you realizing it, it was of her own free will.”

Cush would have agreed with him except he’d told her not to move, and he knew that she understood how important it was that she obey his order. Elora could be defiant, but she wasn’t stupid.

“She probably saw some chick in an awesome Goth get up and went to ask her where she got her skull tights or something.”

“If she did walk away on her own, it had better be for a reason a whole hell of a lot better than wanting to know about some lady’s clothes,” Cush rumbled. As they crossed the lobby and stepped out into the strip, the lights of the Casinos lit up the night sky of the city like a beacon calling out for all to come and revel with her. Cush could see how humans got caught up in the false security of the bright beams because they couldn’t see the shadows that hid behind them—shadows that wanted to devour them piece by piece as they gave themselves over to the self-gratification of every whim the city offered. By the time they left, they wouldn’t even realize they’d given up a part of themselves, desensitized by the glamour of Sin City.

They crossed the street, dodging around taxis and other pedestrians. Cush didn’t bother to check and see if Oakley was keeping up. The sound of the boy’s voice was confirmation enough. “Well, don’t be too surprised if that’s all it was,” Oakley placated. “Elora can be a tad impulsive and I imagine the influence that our dark elf nature is having on her is only making her even more impulsive.”

Cush had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from yelling out in frustration at his Chosen’s brother. He felt as though he’d failed her and Oakley’s words were only rubbing his face in the fact that he hadn’t noticed her reaction to her environment.

“Look on the bright side,” Oakley continued.

“There is no bright side,” Cush said cutting him off as he pulled the door open to the first casino they’d come to. They were again bombarded with the ringing of slot machines, boisterous laughter, and the occasional booing from disgruntled gamblers. Cush’s eyes scanned the room. Mounting frustration continued to grow inside of him as he realized just how difficult it would be to find Elora among the mass of bodies that seemed as numerous and similar as grains of sand.

I beg of you,
Cush silently prayed to the Forest Lords,
please let me find her and let her be unharmed.
With the prayer offered up, he and Oakley moved purposefully into the room, both scanning face after face in hopes that she would somehow suddenly appear. Cush vowed silently to himself and to Elora that he would tear the city to the ground if that’s what it took to find her.