Page 14 of Blood Lord

"No." It's one word, but it takes me back. He has an accent I've never heard before, soft and crisp. The one syllable almost sounded musical.

"Your voice," I whisper, creeping closer. "Where are you from? I've never heard anyone with an accent like that."

His wings flare as I come closer, and my eyes widen. I had seen them up close last night, but to see them from this angle takes me by surprise. They're beautiful in a way, and I want to touch them.

All my fear is gone as I close the distance between us, my eyes adjusting so I can see better. I'm finally able to make out his sharp features, long wavy hair, and thick eyelashes. He is beautiful as a whole, and the way that he pulls back from me shows that he isn't going to hurt me.

"I'm Selene," I tell him, sitting just in front of him. We've pressed so far back in the cave that he can't get away from me, and I could reach out and touch him if I wanted to. "What's your name?"

I wish the quartz ran all the way back here so I could see his expression better. "I like hearing you talk," I admit. "Are your wings new? Can I see them? Who gave them to you? I'm surprised that my own dark elf master hasn't created a human with wings yet, but yours are dark. They aren't flesh like I'd expect him to make."

I stare at the tips of the wings I can see peeking up behind his shoulders. While he terrified me at first, I've come to realize that he must be like me: from a dark elf master that made him into a human oddity.

His body language shows that he's agitated, but I almost assume he is just scared of me like I was of him. As soon as I mention the dark elves, he snorts, his body tightening as he snaps out, "The dark elves could never dream of the power I have. They'll never be able to have something as beautiful as my wings."

I blink, shocked by this. He's saying that a dark elf didn't give him his power? "How did you get them then?" I shift up into a crouch, rising up to stand. He's been crouched, and with our height difference we're at eye level once I stand. "Were you born with them? Are there more like you? What else can you do besides fly? How do you–"

He moves so fast I don't see it. One second he's pressed against the cave wall, and the next, he grips my shoulders, leaning over me. I tip my head back, marveling at his sharp features and gorgeous eyes. I realize that the dark circles beneath his eyes aren't shadows, and I wonder if he needs sleep.

"Sit," he instructs, pushing down on me so that I buckle under his weight. He joins me on the cave floor, shaking his head. "I'll be the one to ask questions," he says, and then, his head shifts away from me as he runs his fingers through his hair.

He mutters beneath his breath, and I am hanging onto every word, mesmerized by the way he forms each letter. "When did humans get so mouthy and bold? What happened to a healthy amount of fear? Stupid, damn dark elves probably fucked this up, too."

I giggle at his griping. He's so grouchy, but not in a way that is threatening. Combining that with how intriguing I find him and how he saved me, and I find myself leaning forward despite his protests to look at him closer again.

The quartz behind us shifts, glowing a bright blue that sheds more light this far back, and I can see his face even more clearer. Before, I was able to make out individual features, but now I can see his face bathed in the light.

He is unbelievably gorgeous. Not just his eyes or the thick eyelashes that frame them or his high cheekbones or deep pout. All of it combined makes him the most attractive man I've ever seen.

With the wings, I can only assume that someone this handsome has to be an angel. He saved me, watching over me like the guardian I needed, and I realize he was the one I was looking for at every show.

And he finally made it.

"You are my guardian angel," I whisper. "I have been waiting for years for you to save me, to take me away from that place. Thank you."

I expect his expression to soften or turn prideful or even grow more annoyed. But the amusement on his face shocks me. He thinks what I am saying is funny?

He presses his hand to his mouth, trying to hide his smile, but I see it clearly. I grit my teeth, sinking back a little. It stings that he finds me amusing, not taking me seriously.

He tries to recover, schooling his features into a stern mask. "I need to know what you know about the dark elves."

My eyebrows pinch together. "Okay. Well, they basically rule the world and we are their slaves."

He shakes his head. "I need more than that. What of the city I found you in?"

"Oh, Liiandor? We perform all around the city every few weeks. They love the circus."

He huffs out an annoyed sigh. "Liiandor. Is it a great military base? Do they have a lot of troops?"

I shrug. "I haven't seen any at the circus."

"What of the other continent? Oshta?"

A smile curls my lips. "Oh, it is beautiful. It's massive compared to Liiandor, and I hope that we get to perform there one day." My voice grows a little smaller as I admit, "I hear the humans are treated a little better there. I hope that I will be able to sing my own songs. I write originals–"

"But the armies, the wars, the dark elves' military strengths. Do you know about any of that?"

I scrunch up my face. "No?"

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