Passion (Book 1 of "The Fantasy of Life" Series)

Chapter 6

Ashanaya

I looked over to Cullen. "Okay, you said she's in the forest behind the city of Hope?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I can lead us there. We should probably try and buy you guys some normal clothes too."

"What's wrong with our gear?" Valen sounded offended. He specially made his gear, which was a bit flashier than the other elves because instead of the normal brown, his was white, he used dried out ram skin, and their fur. He also use rabbit fur on some parts, he'd made me some gear, but I didn't wear them often just because I was terrified I'd mess them up.

"Nothing, but you'd stand out a lot in a human city, that'd be fine if we weren't trying to track someone down. Valerie will get word of us coming when people start hearing about wild elves and a human walking around the city." Cullen explained.

"What do you mean 'wild elves'?" I asked.

"Well, you live out in the forest. Humans would call you wild elves."

"Why wouldn't they just call us elves?" Marhara looked confused.

"Well, there are elves that live in cities. They call those elves, and the ones that live in the forest are wild, the ones that are half human are either half-breds or mutts depending on where you are. Most people don't discriminate against elves anymore, but the city I used to live in, if an elf spoke out of turn they were killed." Cullen wouldn't look at any of us.

I thought of my mother and how she'd often talk about humans, she'd talk about them as if they were lesser. Every time she even said the human she didn't really say it, she spat it. When no one was around she'd call humans Wana Comtese, 'useless harpies'.

"Okay, we'll get human clothes then. Valen did you get extra tents in case we need to camp out?" I looked over to him.

"Yeah they were in one of the bags." He shrugged. There was a look in his eye I couldn't pinpoint, he was looking at me in a strange way, a look that was familiar but I couldn't tell for sure.

"Alright, well I guess it's time for us to get going. We probably won't be back for a while so is there anything you guys need to do?" I asked looking across the three of them. No one said anything. "Alright let's go."

We all started walking away but Valen grabbed my arm. I looked over to him and he still had that look in his eye. "Can I talk to you real quick?"

"Oh, yeah sure." I stopped and let Marhara and Cullen get ahead of us. "What do you need?"

"I just, I've noticed how Cullen's been looking at you since he drank from the spring." Valen said it very plainly.

I hadn't put that together. I looked back at Cullen, he was looking at me. When he noticed I caught him he blushed, waved at me and looked back forward, of course not before glancing at me again.

I didn't think maybe his feelings were only because of that spring, I just assumed it didn't work. I can't be with him if he only has those feelings because of some ancient magic, his feelings would need to be his.

I looked back at Valen. "What about it?"

"I-" He closed his mouth, pressed his lips together, and looked away from me, toward the ground, not sure how to say what he was thinking. He looked back at me, stared for a second, then quickly slid his arm around me, put his other hand on my cheek and pulled me close. He pressed his lips against mine. My eyes widened in surprise.

He was much different than Cullen, his lips were harder, they tasted saltier and he was a lot rougher with me. When I say he pressed his lips against mine, I mean it. My body was pressed against as well. I got carried away, I'll admit, and I wrapped my arms around him and scratched the back of his neck gently. That seemed to make him more aggressive, and he pulled me even cloeser.

This snapped me out of it. I pushed him away of me, breathing heavily. "Valen wha-"

"I'm sorry. I-" He shook his head and ran back toward Cullen and Marhara.

I saw Cullen looking back at me with a very upset look in his eye. The look told me he saw everything. And I remember what the look Valen gave me was. It was the same look Cullen had given me before he kissed me.

I thought back, Valen had drank from the spring too. Both of them might just be doing these things because of it. Should I take anything like that, that they do seriously? I've always had a crush on Valen, since we first met, I just never said anything and after a while, I didn't wanna mess up our friendship. Then Cullen, I liked him, he was attractive and sweet to me and he's already saved me once.

I wanted to believe what they felt was rea, but it makes more sense that it's not.