NA Romantic Fantasy Sample

“Who are we hiding from?”

Cole released my hand and stood. “Elves.”

“Your kind? Why?” I asked as I peered into the darkness.

The elf sent me an incredulous expression.

“Oh, they’re the same ones.” The same ones who hated him.

“There are only a few elf clans and mine is the largest. They are between us and the stones.” He began pacing and said, “I was banished, Yvaine. If they find us, there won’t be a happy welcome. They’ll kill me and…” He looked to Lugh. My brother’s body was too still. I watched for several seconds, waiting for his chest to rise. When it finally did, I allowed my own breath to continue.

“And us,” I acknowledged. They would kill us, too.

The elf nodded.

“Screw them.” I stood on weak legs. “We have the dagger. Use it to get us out of here.”

“I can’t. Not only are you too weak,” I opened my mouth to argue when he continued, “but they can scent magic.”

“Wouldn’t they have found us by now, then?” I questioned.

“No. So long as it’s not cast.” His growing curiosity was obvious. “How did you do that? Before, I mean. The water.” A bird flitted between the tree branches, and I was grateful to hear it. There was life in this dark place.

I avoided the truth, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. “The dagger." Despite the weapon’s vital importance, I hadn’t realized it was missing from my side until just then.

Noticing my panicked expression, Cole removed the dagger from his jacket pocket and handed it to me. “I’m sure there’s something left, but it needs to rest.”

“You still make it sound like it’s alive.” I ran my finger over the runes on the sleeping blade.

Cole approached and rested his hands on my waist. My breath caught, unfamiliar with the touch. “How did you get us out, Yvaine?” he asked.

I was trying to remember the feeling, the connection I had with the dagger, but all I could focus on was the placement of Cole’s hands and his pine tree scent. “I don’t know. I don’t remember most of it.” I didn’t know why I kept the memory of my mother from him, but it felt private somehow. And it was something I didn’t completely understand yet. “What does ‘movere cum me’ mean?”

Surprised, he answered, “Move with me. Where did you hear that?”

“I didn’t. It was spray-painted on one of the buildings,” I lied smoothly, too tired to feel guilty about it. My moment of magic would have to be analyzed later—when Lugh was safe.

Disappointed with my answer, he said, “You should rest, Yvaine. We still have a long way to go." He pulled away slowly.

I clutched his arm before the elf could escape. “Wait.”

He stopped.

“Where were you when the Collapse happened? You never told me,” I said, desperate for his hands to return.

“You never asked.” Cole placed his hands around my waist, lower this time. They tightened as he spoke, and my skin tingled in response.

With a breathless voice, I said, “Well, I’m asking now.” I was such a coward. Why couldn’t I tell him about my memory? Didn’t I trust him?

The suspicion is Cole’s eyes faded as he delved into his past. “I was north of the mountains.” His attention darted to the darkness.

Eager to pull the elf back, I asked, “Why were you there?”

“I was looking for something,” he answered hesitantly.

I nodded, encouraging him to continue.

“Anyway, I didn’t find it. The bombing started before I could.” Neither of us moved as he told his story, and I felt completely at ease in his arms. “I only got out in time because I realized the cities were evacuating to the south. I heard them panic and scream at each other when their cars were blocked during the night.” I shivered, and he brought me closer. “I ran from the cities until I ended up somewhere near Loch Lomond.”

“I’m glad you got out in time,” I whispered, recalling how frightened I had been during the Collapse—when everything changed.

Cole gave me a small, sad smile. “I heard the bombs land. And word of the poison spread soon after.”

“Humans have a talent for destroying things, don’t they?” I bowed my head in shame, unable to shove down the grief building in my throat.

“It’s not your fault, Yvaine.”

Ignoring Cole’s comment, I asked, “Did you ever find what you were looking for after that?”

Cole loosened his grip. “No, I didn’t.”

Curious, I pushed, “Are you still looking?”

“I don’t want to anymore.” His expression was difficult to read. It was the first time that he’d put up a wall. I thought I was the only one who did that.

“Then don’t,” I breathed, wishing Cole’s eyes would return to mine.

The elf released me and stepped away.

My heart clenched with loneliness. “I thought that we were all going to die in that horrible place.” I dropped the dagger and clutched his shoulders tight, refusing to let him leave. “I didn’t know if I was going to make it to you in time. It made me realize…” The words wouldn’t come out. I had repressed the feeling since I met him—the sense of longing.

“Yes?” Cole whispered, his body tense beneath my touch.

My heart collapsed. “That we need to move faster. Winter gets closer every day.” Our moment before the elf was stolen by the gangs was just that—a moment. He was lonely. And it was the only reason he expressed any interest in me. There was no point in telling him. What did I expect? Life hadn’t exactly been kind, so of course, I couldn’t have Cole.

I dropped my hands and waited for him to leave. But he didn’t. “I thought the other woman was frightening, but you, Yvaine, will be the death of me.”

I stepped away for him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I did my best to whisper, but the anger crashed through my veins, burning away the fatigue.

“You call me a liar every chance you get, and maybe I am, but you are the master of lies. You lie to yourself every day. You lie about what you feel and who you are.” Black hair fell into his eyes, hiding whatever emotion that lay there.

“You can’t possibly know how I feel! And you certainly don’t know who I am.” I turned to check on my brother again.

The elf grabbed my arm. “He’s fine, Yvaine. There’s nothing you can do for him right now.”

I yanked my arm out of Cole’s grip. “He’s not fine! He’s dying, and every decision I make keeps him sick that much longer. It’s distraction, after disaster, after catastrophe. It never stops!” Tears fell from my cheeks and I aggressively wiped them away. However, they wouldn’t stop.

“And which category do I fall under?” the elf asked, smirking.

“This isn’t a joke, Cole.”

He responded quickly. “It should be. You use your brother as an excuse to be unhappy.”

I turned away, refusing to look at the elf.

“Lugh doesn’t want that for you.”

“How would you know? You spent all of a few hours with him before he was cursed, and you were tied up for most of it. You couldn’t possibly know what he wants.” The night was pitch black; it must have been a new moon.

Cole stepped close to me again. I could feel his chest against my back. “Because no one who knows you would ever want you to be unhappy. You are brave, loyal, and selfless to a fault.”

My heart pounded painfully. “What did I say about flirting?” I had meant the words to sound sarcastic, but they were broken with sadness instead.

“You said that you love it and wish I did it more often.” I could hear the mischievous smirk in his words, and it made me want to simultaneously attack and embrace him.

“I love you, elf.” I didn’t turn around, refusing to see the rejection on his face.

Cole lowered his head until I could feel his breath against my ear. “I love you, human.” His hands returned to my waist, while his lips fell to my neck, kissing the overheated skin. The rush of pleasure that shot through my body was indescribable.

All I wanted was him. Right then and there. Nothing else mattered.

Leaving Lugh and our weapons by the bramble, Cole led me into an alcove of sweet-smelling trees. Every sense was heightened and focused on Cole. My worries about the elves finding us, the dagger resting somewhere other than at my side, and even my brother lying alone in the dark… they all disappeared. For the first time since the Collapse, I let my guard down.

Clothes dropped to the moist ground. The night was chilled, but the warmth of Cole’s skin kept the shivers away. He laid me down on the soft moss and traced the scars I’d always been ashamed of. I learned to embrace each one simply because he had given them his love.

The kisses we shared weren’t formed of desperation or loneliness. They were given life by patience and acceptance. No other Common or Fae were given a thought during our time in the alcove. Every sound was music. Every taste was divine. Every touch was love incarnate.

For the first time in my life, I felt happiness.