Tarron continued to watch the red liquid, staring at it as a parent stares at a child.

“It’s beautiful, and powerful,” he told Lorsan. “It will bring the humans to their knees.”

Lorsan watched as his lead chemist’s face morphed into one of greed and malice.”

“What did the humans do to you to make you hate them so?” Lorsan asked.

Tarron’s face went blank as he began to pack up some of his things.

“They mean nothing to me,” he grumbled. “I am simply doing what you asked. You want the humans to spend more money so that you may have your luxuries and power in their realm and I am delivering that to you. They are mere puppets, a means to an end.”

Lorsan heard his words, but believed none of them. Tarron hated humans, hated them with a fierceness that he didn’t understand and he didn’t know what had brought the dark elf to feel that way. He would need to keep his eye on Tarron to make sure that his own personal desires did not interfere with his plans.

~

Trik, that was his name. Cassie remembered as she stared at the elf before her, his long dark hair, his silver eyes, his tall, lithe body and his graceful movements. Triktapic, the one she loved, the one who held her, kissed her, filled her with things she’d never experienced and then broke her.

“Why are you here?” She asked him.

“I’m not, this is your dream,” he answered.

Cassie took a step towards him. He held his ground. She took another step and her heartbeat picked up. She could even smell his masculine scent. He seemed so real, not like a dream, but real flesh and blood before her.

“A dream, or a nightmare?” Cassie frowned at him. He continued to watch her, his eyes steady and his stance relaxed. He was leaning against a tree, his usual indifferent pose and for once she couldn’t tell if it was a front, or if he really was indifferent to her presence. She certainly wasn’t indifferent to him. Even now as she stood there remembering how he had lied to her, she wanted to run to him. She wanted him to hold her, to tell her that he was sorry and that he had made a mistake.

“Come here,” he told her as he held out a hand to her. She stared at his hand and then looked back to his face. She was torn. She wanted, more than anything to go to him, but why? So he could stomp on her some more? She shook her head.

“Cassie,” her name on his lips made her tremble and she saw the familiar cocky smirk. “Come. Here.” His tone was clipped and she could tell that he was getting impatient.

It was just a dream, she told herself. What would it hurt to go to him, to feel his comfort for just a breath in time? So she did. She walked slowly to him. Her eyes never left his as she approached and as soon as she was in his reach he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tight. His other hand came up and tilted her face up to his. He stared deep into her eyes as he spoke.

“My beautiful Cassie.” He brushed wisps of hair from her face and his hand slid around to the nape of her neck. He fisted her hair in his hand and gripped it tight pulling a gasp from her and then he kissed her. If this was a dream, it was the most realistic dream she had had in all her life. He kissed her with a ferocity that she had only seen in his eyes once before and she kissed him back. Her hands slid up his chest and around his neck pulling him tighter to her. She moaned as his tongue slipped into her mouth and she felt him smile as she bit his bottom lip. In a swift movement Trik had spun them around and had Cassie’s back pressed against the tree. He pulled back from the kiss and his eyes ran over her face. She felt like he was memorizing her every nuance.

“You’re sure this is a dream?” She asked again.

“I love you, Cassie,” Trik whispered instead of answering her question. That was when she knew without a doubt that it was a dream because Trik had never told her he loved her. She was desperate to hear it, to believe it.

She closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up, or at least to push this dream away, no matter how amazing it felt to be in his arms again.

“Cassie, open your eyes.” She heard Trik’s voice. But she didn’t comply.

“Wake up,” she told herself.

“Don’t Cassie, don’t go,” Trik pleaded with her and she knew that this was only because it was what she wanted to hear.

She felt tears begin to run down her face and she once again felt the soul piercing pain building inside.

“I’m coming for you Cassie,” Trik’s voice sounded further away but his words are what caused her to open her eyes. “I’m coming for you,” he told her again and for a moment she let herself believe it.

Chapter 16

I dreamt. I dreamt of you. I dreamt of your skin, your hair, your eyes, your lips, all perfection to me. I dreamt of your smell, your touch, your voice, your words and then you were gone. My soul was ripped in two as you melted away. I saw the doubt in your eyes as I bore my heart to you, doubt that I put there. I dreamt. I dreamt of you and you were safe in my arms but when I awoke my arms were empty, you were still gone and I was more alone than ever. My love did not believe me, my love was convinced that I did not want her, need her or love her. I did that to her. I did that to my Chosen. ~Triktapic

Trik woke with a start. His heart was pounding in his chest, sweat drenched his body and his clothes stuck to his skin. She had been so real. He had felt her, tasted her. It couldn’t have just been a dream. He had told her at first that it was a dream, for what else could it be? He had told her that he loved her. Even though it was just a dream he had needed to say the words to her. And the Cassie in his dream had looked at him with such doubt that it pierced his heart and soul. He pressed a hand to his heart and squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to keep the pain at bay.