Elora looked over her shoulder and saw that Cush was glaring daggers at her and Rin. She shrugged her shoulders. “Whateve.”

“So what, you can’t get back to your realm?” Oakley asked.

“The portals have been closed,” Cush answered grimly.

“Bloody hell,” Elora suddenly breathed out as the realization hit her. “That means Cassie can’t get back here.” She looked over to her mom. “You know her parents are probably freaking out.”

“You’re right, Elora, we need to go check on them and let them know that Cassie is okay.”

Elora threw her arms up in the air. “What are we going to say? Hey your daughter is fine but you can’t see her because she’s with her quiver carrying boy toy in the elf realm, and oh yeah, she’s trapped there.”

“Quiver carrying?” Cush’s deep voice rumbled from behind her and she heard the amusement in it without seeing his face. She turned on him and pinned him with her eyes. “Are you trying to tell me you don’t carry a quiver?”

Cush took a step towards her and his huge frame towered over her. She watched him warily as a slow smile formed on his sensual lips. He leaned down next to her ear and whispered, “No, Little Raven, I don’t carry a quiver. I wield a sword.”

Caught off guard by his statement, she let out a bark of laughter and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth. He stood back to his full height and looked at her. Elora felt her face growing warm. She cleared her throat and attempted to compose herself. “Well, by all means, wield away.” Their eyes met as she punctuated her flirtatious statement with a wink.

“Elora.”

“Yes, Lisa?” Elora answered, finally turning away from the intense stare of Cush.

“Oakley’s going to drive us home.”

“I am?” he interrupted.

“You are,” Lisa confirmed. “And then we will go over to Cassie’s and speak with her mother. Cush and Rin, you guys are just going to have to stay with us until this is all sorted out.”

The elves looked at each other and shrugged. With no better plan presenting itself, they clambered into Oakley’s van, a vehicle which, while certainly roomy enough, was not designed for beings as large as Cush and Rin.

“Oakley, when did you get a van?” Elora asked as she started to climb in behind Rin but was pulled back by Cush, who made sure she didn’t end up on the bench seat next to the other elf. She wanted to be annoyed by it, but there was a part of her, way, way, way, WAY deep down that liked how possessive he was. Mother of pearl, I’m a freak, she thought to herself as Cush sat down in the seat next to her. Maybe so, but if that is what I get to be freaky with, really who am I to complain? Elora nearly laughed out loud at her inner monologue.

“I won it,” Oakley answered vaguely.

“Uh-uh, right,” Elora responded just as vaguely.

Twenty minutes into their drive, Lisa suddenly turned around and looked at Elora. Her face held one of those looks that said she had just remembered something that shocked her the first time she’d heard it, and it still continued to do so.

“Chosen?” Her eyes narrowed at her daughter and then shifted to Cush. “While you are welcome to stay in my house, and I understand what a Chosen is and just how strong the connection is, there will be no sword wielding under my roof!”

Elora’s eyes widened at her mother’s words and her mouth dropped open, but nothing would come out. Cush didn’t seem to have the same problem because the words that came out of his mouth flowed as smooth as butter.

“I’m honored to be allowed in your home, Lisa, and I understand that Elora and I will have to practice our swordplay off of the premises.”

Chapter 3

“There comes a point in life when just say no shouldn’t just be a slogan, it should be a theme song and some people should have it playing in their ear non-stop.” ~Tony

Tony stood a silent witness to the horror that was taking place before him as he looked out over the casino floor from his office perch. He, like most casino managers, had one way glass encasing his office so that he could watch without the public being able to see him. As two of his security guards took yet another violent patron to the ground, he wondered to himself if having the one way glass put in had been such a smart idea.

His phone vibrated in his pocket just as the man on the floor was finally subdued.

“Talk to me,” he said as he answered the call.

“We’ve called the police again. Seems Mr. Black can’t remember who he is or where he lives.” The deep voice of Rick Lawson, head of Inequity security, rumbled through the line and Tony could hear the weariness that he knew was weighing on them all.

“They’re going to start charging me as often as they have to come down here,” Tony said only half joking.

“Boss,” Tony rolled his eyes. Rick only called him boss when he was about to say something that no one else could get away with. “You have to get rid of the stuff. Something about it isn’t right.”

Tony gritted his teeth as he bit back the growl of frustration and indignation he felt at Rick’s words. Tony knew what he was talking about, and he knew that he was right, but his hands were tied. The dark elves that owned most of Vegas were in charge of the distribution of Rapture and it had been made perfectly clear to him that he was to keep it in the bar and keep his nose out of their business. But just as his father had before him, he bore the burden alone. None of the other employees knew anything about the elves, light or dark. None of the others knew that he had no real power. He was as subservient to the dark elves as his employees were to him.