novelxo The Dark Elf’s Surprise Baby: Chapter 12
FOUR YEARS LATER…
Istare out through the window at the fading light over the horizon, the night rapidly coming upon us.
It’s nights like these that remind me of the times I’d spent in my garden, walking and dancing with Harper until our feet were sore and our hearts filled with so much love that it felt as if it would burst through my own chest.
I’d spent so many nights wishing—dreaming—of the day she would come back to me. Hoping that I’d hear her familiar laughter chiming throughout the halls of my own and wander into her bent over cleaning something just like I’d always used to.
My heart aches now, left empty and cold over the last four years since she’s been gone. I still can’t understand it—why she would leave my estate so abruptly when she’d promised me she’d be back here waiting for me to come home.
And with no letters coming in, or word of where she had run off to, I couldn’t help but wonder…
Had it all been a lie? One big ruse in order to wrap her perfect hands around my heart only to rip it out when she saw fit?
No…
No, Harper would never. She could never.
That is simply the loneliness and heartbreak talking.
Or, at least that’s what I tell myself to get me through the days that have long since grown tiring. My heart over the years has only grown more attached to her, clinging to our wonderful memories and those smiles that haunt my dreams. Nothing feels complete anymore, all of it fleeting now that I no longer have someone to share it with.
“Demethys!” A hard hand comes to slap me on the back of the shoulder. “I’m glad you could make it!”
I turn to look over at my long time friend, Kerym, whose party I am attending tonight. He’d gone all out decorating the hall, beautiful twinkling lights overhead that remind me of the stars right outside the windows, peeking through fluffy looking clouds that subtly trail along the ceiling in lazy motion.
It must’ve taken a lot of magic to fuel something like this, but Kerym isn’t one to skimp out on showing off when it comes to special occasions, such as this one.
A mating ceremony, if I remember correctly.
The word stabs me right in the heart.
Kerym grins at me with a radiant smile that is hard not to mirror. He’s always been a gentle soul, a strange thing for a dark elf to possess, especially with his family’s traditional values, but it had certainly given him quite the advantage when it came to winning over his mate.
Speaking of which…
“How are Layla and the baby?”
Pride shimmers in the dark elf’s eyes. “Not quite a baby anymore. But they are both doing wonderful.”
With a sweep of his arm, Kerym moved away from me to gesture towards the center of the hall to where I can see Layla, his mate, twirling around a little boy. They laugh with each other, swaying to the orchestral music that swells over the expanse of space surrounding us.
It’s a sight that I can’t look away from, my mind running wild as I imagine myself in Kerym’s shoes, watching his mate and son gleefully play together. I can’t help but think that this could’ve been me, had Harper stayed.
Us, with our own family, together celebrating an anniversary.
It’s a heartbreaking thought that has me downing the rest of the alcohol in my glass and gesturing for one of the waitstaff to come over and refill it immediately.
I don’t catch Kerym’s eyes on me until I’m halfway through the second glass and give myself a proper chance to breathe again.
“You alright?” He asks me, worried.
“Oh.” I clear my throat, and nod towards the party. “It’s beautiful, what you’ve done with the place.”
I’m usually horrible about subtly changing the subject, but Kerym has never been one to call me out on my taurashit. It’s always been attentive like that, knowing when someone wants to move on from a difficult subject without bringing too much attention to it.
That’s what I’ve always appreciated about him.
“Yes, and the food is delicious, isn’t it?”
I force myself to smile, my shoulders easing slightly. “Yes. I’m glad to see you and your family happy.”
He pats me on the back of the shoulder again, his mouth opening to say something when a group of ladies begin to wander over to us.
Kerym lets out a soft chuckle. “Perhaps you may be in need of someone to warm your bed tonight, Demethys.”
I scoff into my glass.
Hardly, is what I want to tell him. But getting into why I’m so miserable and why I have been over the last few years would only damper his good mood. It wouldn’t be fair of me to bring him down into my misery with me when it’s his party and I’m only a guest.
Plus, I can’t deal with someone worrying about me right now. I’m already fending off my staff’s side-eyeing me all day and night, I don’t need him doing it too.
“Good evening, ladies.” Kerym greets all four of them when they stop in front of us.
“We wanted to tell you what a great event this has been,” One of them, the taller of the bunch, smiles. “You put on an amazing one, Kerym.”
He chuckles. “Thank you. I have to make sure that I continue to impress my mate. You know, to keep the romance alive.”
He winks at them, sending them all into a flutter of giggles.
I sigh to myself.
“That’s very romantic, Kerym.”
His chest puffs, pride shining in his eyes. “Anything for my beautiful wife… speaking of which.”
All of us turn to where his eyes are fixated, a soft smile stretching across his lips.
Layla walks over with Jasper balanced on her hip, her eyes darting around the group of women gathered around us.
“Oh… am I interrupting?”
“Absolutely not,” Kerym reaches for her, parting the group of women with his arm and gathers Layla into his side, placing a soft kiss to her forehead. “How are my two favorites?”
She laughs, leaning into him. “Jasper got tired of dancing, so now we’re saying hi to everyone.”
At that, their son leans over and rests his head against his mother’s shoulder, nuzzling into her neck. The sight absolutely makes my heart melt, along with the women gathered around us.
“Oh, he’s so precious.”
“So sweet,”
They ‘oooo’ and ‘awww’ at him until he’s buried his face completely into his mother’s hair, hiding from all of their vocal affections.
I chuckle. “Not one for attention, is he? I wonder where he gets that from…”
Kerym laughs. “It certainly is a mystery.”
Layla smiles and slowly bends to set Jasper down. “Why don’t you go find Addie to play with for a while, my little love.”
She gently waves her hands at him, all of us following with our eyes as Jasper runs off.
I feel a hand graze over my elbow, pulling my attention away from the happy family and over to one of the women who I hadn’t noticed moving closer to me. She smiles at me, her white hair tied back into intricate knots with two twin braids coming down the sides of her head to hand over her shoulders.
“Demethys, why don’t we get out of here for a bit?” Her hand tightens around me. “I’d love it if you walked me home.”
I hold back a sigh and pull away from her. “Sorry, but I—”
My words die on my lips in the middle of my rejection, a strange movement over the woman’s shoulder catching my attention instead. There’s another woman, a couple dozen feet away from us that I can’t help but stare at.
For some reason, her figure feels familiar to me.
She turns slightly at the sound of Jasper laughing loudly a ways from where she is standing. A small and familiar smile tracing over her lips and she grabs a small plate off of the food table.
My eyes widen.
No. It couldn’t be… could it?
“Demethys?” A persistent hand tugs at me again.
Without thinking, I push the woman away from me and move through the group that’s gathered around me. Two of the women huff as I push past them, the sound of which catches the familiar stranger’s attention.
She gasps softly and quickly turns away, ducking between people before disappearing altogether.
“Shit!” I hiss.
“Woah,” Kerym comes up from behind me. “Demethys, are you alright?”
“That woman.” I spin on my heel, my eyes glued to the guests that lazily stroll through the hall, their hands filled with drinks and plates of food while they socialize. “Where did she go?”
“What woman?”
“The woman that was standing right here!” I gesture to the table.
“Woman? I didn’t see anyone here.”
My heart squeezes.
Could it have been an illusion? My mind having been so focused on my imaginary future with Harper that now I’ve suddenly manifested a vision of her?
I feel my body grow heavy, my hand coming up to rest on my forehead.
“Demethys?”
Desperation clings to me. She had to be real.
Please, gods, let her be here.
Let this all be a sign.