The Light of Asteria (11 page)

“Mythology would call us the elves of light.
The Alfar develop the gifts given to serve the community and the
land. Some are friends of the animals, sky, water, and fields. I
come from the clan of the muntælfen. I am charged with gifts of
healing the mountains and all of the animals that live within its
realm. I can read the minds of every living creature, if I so
choose. Humans are most difficult to see because of the deception
and evil that surrounds them. There are six in my clan, and we were
given the task of coming to this realm.”

“So, you healed my elbow?”

“Yes.” Gavin’s solemn voice trembled. His
anxiety was so strong, it was almost debilitating. He came and sat
next to me, anticipating my reaction; the seconds turned to
minutes.

Well that was a new one
, I finally
thought. I’d never experienced true emotional understanding until I
met Gavin. His feelings were stronger and clearer than my own, and
I finally understood—he was more than human. I exhaled as the
question that had troubled me since our first day had finally been
answered—I wasn’t emotionally weak; he was just stronger. I could
feel his fear give way to relief.

Focusing on my hands, I retraced every word
he said. And then I started to panic. He was more than human. I
could never be his equal—he was so much more than I could ever be.
Why would he want somebody as completely mundane as me?

The faint blue shield tried to snap back into
place, some last vestige of survivor’s pride kicking in, but I
didn’t have the strength. I inhaled as quietly as possible so my
breath wouldn’t hitch as tears trickled down. Gavin patiently
listened to my pathetic thoughts, and I couldn’t face him.

“Nora?” he whispered.

I shook my head and turned toward the
windows, desperately trying to empty my mind. I was so open at this
moment—the need to protect my heart was strong. He pulled my chin
around with his long, smooth fingers. Keeping my mind blank, I
tried to steady my traitorous heart. His green eyes searched my
vulnerable face. It seemed as if he could see to the center of my
soul.

“The purity of your spirit strengthens me;
the thought of never again experiencing your mind is unbearable.
What I need to know is … can you accept me for who I am? Can you
love someone not of your world?”

A blush flamed my cheeks. I didn’t have to
think about it; my mind already knew and reacted accordingly.

Of course I can.
I thought
heatedly
. I feel complete when I’m with you, almost like in some
way I belong to you.
I let those thoughts ring loud and clear
in my head.

At that moment, his joy overwhelmed me and I
felt like I was going to explode with its glory. Gavin’s eyes
softly glowed from the combination of raw energy and affirmation.
My heart stopped. He leaned closer, his face just inches from
mine.

“I love you,” he whispered, searching my
thoughts. I realized I had never said those words, even to Edna. My
pulse kicked into high gear.

“Ditto,” I whispered back, tears gleaming at
the intensity of it all. His emotions coursed, and I beamed knowing
he knew what was in my heart.

Forever lost in the emeralds that refused to
relent, I let my thoughts free. His eyes dilated as energy arced to
him. The heat from his body registered, and I let it fly in our
circle. The blood surged to my lips; every nerve ending sizzled and
became alive. I never thought I could feel for someone the way I
felt right now. He hesitated for a moment longer, listening to my
thoughts. His eyes sparkled in the firelight with the truth and
honesty flowing through my mind.

He touched his soft lips to mine. I placed my
hand on his satin face, closing my eyes, needing to stop one of my
senses, for they all were simply in overdrive. The taste on my
tongue combined his scent with his sweet lips, and the sheer
pleasure of its sensation strengthened the energy. I could feel
caution seep into our circle, as his self-control reigned. A
familiar light flickered, warming the pit of my stomach, and I
recognized I had not felt its heat since the last time he held me
close.

The pressure of the kiss increased, my lips
parted, and his warmth melted any thoughts I had. My fingers shook
as they traced his chiseled jaw. His emotions pulsed with mine,
creating a mixture that flamed through my soul. His hands wrapped
around my body, and his fingers wove through my hair. The unknown
overpowered everything else, and I finally had a name for
it—desire. Gavin’s emotions rushed, as he read what I now
understood. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled closer to
him, hoping this would never end. The overpowering force of both
physical and emotional sensations was too much, and a whimper
escaped my throat as the heat from his chest blazed through my
sweatshirt. The sound of my voice was a catalyst, and the hum of
our energy was now physically audible. He cupped the side of my
face with his glassy palm, studying my excited hazel eyes with his
fluid emeralds that glowed in the warm light. His hands trembled as
he traced the line of my back to the edge of my jeans. His lips
explored the tender flesh beneath my jaw, stopping at its end
behind the silver hoop. Overwhelmed by both the physical and
emotional feelings assaulting my body, I completely gave in.
Thoughts of yearning and wanting more instinctively poured into my
brain, causing his breath to accelerate, and his lips found mine
once more. The heat of his emotions increased, overpowering
everything else. It was a little uncomfortable, but I really didn’t
care. I would burn with this sensation and enjoy every flame. He
startled, concern cycled through our energy at the thought of
hurting me. Pulling away, he tried to manage the newfound passion
that roared, begging for release. We sat there for a few minutes as
I cleared my mind and concentrated on sky blue. Gavin managed to
rein it in, and his emotions quailed.

“Can you please tell me why you would want to
protect me from that?” I asked breathlessly, leaning my head back
on his broad shoulder, still floating from the onslaught of
sensations. Kissing Gavin was the best experience of my life. Just
the thought of it had my blood pumping again and so it took a
moment to realize the emotions in the room had palpably
changed.

Did I offend you?
I asked,
puzzled.

He sighed. My emotional creature was back,
full of assurance.

“I am not mad at you, but at myself. I should
have never put you in this position.”

Please explain.
I sat up and faced
him.

He searched my expression. “We have not been
seen by your race in over two millennia, choosing to stay within
our borders. Evil has reigned here as foretold by our ancestors;
the earth is under siege. Convenience is more important to humans
than taking care of the only home given to them by the Creator.
Right and wrong no longer exist, and love, in its purest physical
form, has been twisted and perverted, used as recreation for
momentary pleasure. It’s a perfect environment for the Dokkalfar to
thrive.” My heart started to race, and he pulled me close.

“These creatures flourish on all things evil;
they are our mortal enemies. The Dokkalfar are physically as black
as the night in which they hunt. Despair and hopelessness are their
lovers. They come to help your deceiver destroy all that is good on
this earth. A scouting mission to this realm revealed an alarming
increase in population. I was sent by our queen to help fight the
evil ones.
That
is what you need protection from.”

“Is that the shadow that had the lamb?” My
voice shook at that thought.

“I’m afraid so. My family and I were tracking
them when we found out Sophie was missing,” he carefully
finished.

“And what about her friend Molly?”

“Now that is a true mystery. None of us saw a
creature in the woods matching Sophie’s description.”

“Wait … how did you know Sophie was missing
in the first place?”

He smiled. “Let’s just say a little bird told
me.”

The memory of a brilliant orange breast
swooping down while I searched the crowd flashed through my mind.
Gavin smiled.

“The buntings originally came from our world.
Because they are sensitive to energy, the negativity surrounding
them has weakened their ability to produce eggs. They sensed your
power soon after I met you, and they agreed to help. I am not
familiar with the terrain around your home.”

Foreign woods and black silhouettes smothered
out the orange; the memory so strong, adrenaline rushed through my
veins. A painful spear of fear stabbed the pit of my stomach.

“When did you dream this?” he whispered.

Early this morning
…
Gavin, what’s
going on?
His blank eyes refocused; he stood and went to the
window.

“When the elves of darkness find one of our
kind, they track them until they discover the source that feeds
their power, and then they destroy the source. The evil ones cannot
recognize the cause of our strength, and so they must wait until we
draw from it. Love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
patience, gentleness, and self-control—these are our sources of
energy. We are strongest with pure love flowing through us. We can
only perish if our energy is drained, until we are physically as
weak as a human.” My heart jumped to my throat.

“What happened to you the morning I found
you?” I had to know.
I remember the pain you were in. I’ve never
felt such despair.
His emotions blistered through me, but I
concentrated on listening, instinct screaming to pay attention.

“I was attacked by the Dokkalfar. We’ve been
tracking their leader for quite a while. He came back to this area
several months ago. When you said you were spending the night on
campus, I stayed to make sure you were not harmed.”

Lights washed against the windows as a car
pulled into the drive. Gavin hesitated for a moment. I walked to
him, putting my hand in his.

“If it hadn’t been for you, I would have
died.”

“Me?”
What did I do?

“You took my pain when it was unbearable. I
was practically beaten to death, and your compassion gave me the
strength to survive.” I just stared at him. He laced his fingers
with mine.

The doorknob turned, and I jumped, my already
jumbled nerves tied themselves in a knot.

“My family is here.” The mammoth door creaked
open.

Gavin kissed my forehead making my pulse
speed, and self consciously, I turned to find four pairs of
jewel-toned eyes staring back at me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 8—The
Clan

I leaned into Gavin, suddenly afraid of these
individuals. They were his family, his clan. What if they didn’t
like me?

“They already know you,” he whispered in my
ear. I had no idea what that meant, but his reassuring touch calmed
my nerves.

I studied the four of them standing in the
spacious living room. Their eyes held that distinct jeweled
quality. There were two males, and two females. The males were not
quite as gorgeous as Gavin, but they were still extremely handsome.
The females were simply breathtaking. One was notably taller, the
other barely five feet. All of them had the common features of the
narrow, even nose and the gently arched ears.

Their emotions were concerned for Gavin and
held an overwhelming curiosity about me, but there was no animosity
or need to protect Gavin
from
me. They seemed to know my
love for him and were willing to accept it. Looking at their
emotions was like looking at an object in a Petri dish. I could see
them as clear as day, but I didn’t feel them. To be honest, I was
relieved about that. Feeling Gavin’s emotions was such an intimate
sensation that it seemed only right it should just be shared
between the two of us.

“I believe you’ve been very curious about my
older brother. This is Elias.” The tall man that had been with
Gavin on campus took a step forward and bowed.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” he said.
His voice was as deep as Gavin’s, but was brassy and strong. “I’m
sure by now you know Gavin has talked of nothing but you since he
first heard your mind. May I introduce you to my mate, Elaine?”

Elaine’s chestnut hair ran down her back in
waves. Her eyes were green as well, but they were darker than
Gavin’s, and were similar to jade. She gracefully walked with an
open and friendly attitude. Both her hands encased mine.

“It’s so nice to meet you.” Her deep voice
had a husky quality. Elias and Elaine both appeared to be in their
early forties, but their expression held a certain wisdom that
could only be developed over time.

The smaller female actually looked like an
elf, at least one I had imagined as a child. She had a tiny
dancer’s body, and her skin was slightly tanned as if she had
enjoyed a summer in the sun. She skipped across the room, and I
grinned. Her light reddish-brown hair naturally spiked in every
direction, and her round face and deep jasper brown eyes were like
the earth and sunshine all at the same time. Guessing she might be
one of the friends Gavin had spoken about, I wondered if she were
an elf of the fields.

“Very good,” he whispered. The heat of his
breath caressing my ear caused a shiver to run down my spine.

“Hi, I am Rena.” Energy and creativity
radiated from her like sound waves.

“It’s so nice to meet you. I have a feeling
we are going to be great friends,” I said, deciding not to keep
such a fantastic epiphany to myself. She beamed, pure joy colored
her emotions.

“You know, I feel the same way.” She glanced
at Gavin and giggled.

“Nora, I would like for you to meet my mate,
Tark.”

Rena’s mate was almost as tall as Gavin, but
he had a wiry build and sandy blonde hair. Tark’s irises were
shockingly blue. They literally looked like they were made of solid
Lapis stone. It was strangely beautiful. I had a hunch he was the
friend that kept the waters safe.