Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

ELIA – Human World

Elia blinked a few times, but the scene before her of Gahrye still in his leathers and soft shirt, tense and looming, standing over a short, fat middle-aged human male dressed like a college professor, in a formal dining room of some grand house was impossible, so she closed her eyes and tried to wake up.

Human male.

Man.

Dining room.

She was back.

She sat bolt upright, sucking in a deep breath, a blanket falling from her shoulders.

Gahrye and the man both startled and whipped around to face her. Gahrye slapped one hand flat on the man's chest to stop him approaching when he looked like he might run towards her. They both stared at her, wide-eyed, while she stared at Gahrye, pleading with him silently to let this be a dream.

It had to be a dream.

She couldn't be gone. She couldn't be here. A whole world away from Reth.

Reth.

No.

"He forced me through. The wolves… the wolves were there," she gasped, clapping a hand over her own mouth to stop the rest.

He might be dead already.

Only him and Behryn against how many wolves?

He was wounded. He made himself worse to help her.

Gahrye rushed over to her, kneeling in front of where she was seated—on some strange, old-fashioned chaise lounge against the wall that looked like it had been hastily brought into the room.

It reminded her of the bench in the cave and her mind flashed a single image of herself on all fours and Reth behind her, over her, on that sheepskin, his fingers gripping hers on the arm as he—

Elia gasped and shook her head against the memory and the way it made her ecstatic and terrified in the same breath.

"Elia?" Gahrye said quietly.

He'd knelt in front of her just like Reth used to do when she was small.

Oh Light, help her. Help them both.

She buried her face in her hands.

"Elia, what happened? Where did all the blood come from?" he said, plucking at her shirt.

"My shoulder," she breathed.

"No, Elia, you have to try to remember—"

"I AM REMEMBERING!" she screamed, then clapped her hands over her mouth again and tried to breathe and to not explode.

She was a ball of nothing but rage and fear and grief. Her body shook with it. Her skin felt too tight, like a seam would tear down her spine and she'd burst out of it. The room was too bright, too noisy, and Gahrye wasn't helping. And who was that fat little beetle of a man?

She didn't want to, but she remembered every second.

"Elia," Gahrye said, even more softly, one hand gentle on her arm. "Your shoulder is fine."

She blinked and turned her head, trying desperately not to see the stiff, dark brown all over her white shirt, the jagged tear of the fabric at her shoulder and… her arm.

Unharmed.

Healed.

"No. That's impossible."

"The voices… they can give you visions, Elia," Gahrye started.

"No," she spat. "That's not what—this happened before I went through. Lucine took beast form and—"

"Lucine found you?!" Gahrye growled.

"Yes! She tried to kill me, then she tried to kill Reth—"

"What was Reth doing there?"

"Is he coming too?" the strange man piped up from across the room and they both turned to look at him, shocked, reminded that he was there. He looked at her eagerly through his thick glasses. "I would love to see Reth again. It's been a very long time."

"You know Reth?" Elia asked, her voice a lot fainter than it should have been.

"Only from years ago. He visited as a child, then once for a few days when he was… oh gosh, that was ten years ago. He must have been—"

"Eighteen," she said.

Gahrye was squirming under her hands and she suddenly realized she had gripped both his biceps and was holding him so tightly, digging her fingers into him so hard, it was hurting him. She jerked her hands back into her lap and stared at him, pleading for forgiveness.

"It's okay, Elia. It's a lot. I know," he said gently.

Which was the last thing she needed. Her lip trembled and she almost gave in to the grief, the fear, but she sucked in through her nose and shook her head again. "We have to go back."

"No!" Both the man and Gahrye barked at her.

She bared her teeth at Gahrye and his eyes went wide. "Elia, are you—"

"The wolves have the portal territory," she said through her teeth. "Reth is wounded, and only he and Behryn were there. There were ten… ten wolves on the way. And they had the scent of blood."

"What about Candace?" Gahrye asked.

Suddenly Elia couldn't catch her breath. No. No. No no no no no no no—

Gahrye shushed her. "Sorry, I'm sorry. Please. Just breathe, Elia. And… don't say anything else for now. Just… wait until we're alone," he said with a significant look. Then he stood before she'd responded and rounded on the little man who stood there with his hands clasped at his chest, beaming and watching them like they were his favorite movie. Gahrye stepped between her and the man's too-focused gaze. "We need some space. Some privacy. A… a bath, and some time. Some new clothes for Elia, and a place to sit comfortably. Maybe to sleep also. Please bring food," Gahrye said.

The man nodded along with his list. "Of course, of course. Does it have to be a bath? Will a shower do?"

"What is a sh—?" Gahrye started, but Elia cut him off.

"A shower would be perfect. Better, in fact," she said through chattering teeth. "And… what city are we in?"

"Henderson," the man said with a smile. "Elia, you're home! I was so excited when I learned it was you—though this is a huge risk you're taking. You can't—"

"You know me?" Elia said, blinking.

"Of course!" he said, beaming at her. "Who do you think helped the wolves get you through? I'll admit, I never thought we'd see you again. I am fascinated to know how you survived the Rite—"

Gahrye caught her as she launched herself at him.

*****

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