Page 19 of Wooing the Wiccan (Elf Magic #1)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Jared

My instincts are calm, and that’s the only thing that keeps me from thinking this is all a scam. That, and the way energy ebbs and flows from Sam. I’ve spent a lot of years building a connection to the world around me, to the power of nature and the god and godde?—

I flinch away from that thought. I’m not ready to process it yet.

But I don’t doubt that Sam is a representative of the energy that makes up the world, whether they want to call it the life force or the magic or the blessed sparkles of sky.

I can feel that in every atom of my body and soul.

And if he’s the representative—the lucifer—then what he’s telling me is true.

It’s a lot.

It’s also… amazing. Wonderful. Terrifying, and a huge responsibility to keep this secret, but I can’t help feeling it’s right . Like a puzzle piece I didn’t know was missing… which is part of the problem. What else don’t I know?

My gaze shifts to Raeulfr. Dragon shifters and elves, Sam said. Which is he?

“Elf.” He answers my unspoken question. “I’m an elf.”

I look back at Sam. “You said myths and folklore came from people not understanding what they saw.”

“Yeah.” He nods. “Fun story, the community thought folklore about elves and dragons was made up, when they were actually stories about friends that our ancestors passed down… and we accidentally changed. Because oral history isn’t always reliable.”

That actually is a fun story, and something I want to know more about. Another time, though. “Okay, so are we talking Tolkien’s elves or Santa’s elves, then? Who got it the most right?”

The sound that comes from Gideon’s throat makes us all jump. Did he… laugh? If you’d asked me five minutes ago, I would have said he wasn’t capable of it.

Sam sighs and rolls his eyes. “Ignore him. To answer your question, though…” He raises an eyebrow at Raeulfr, and I turn to him, ready for an explanation.

Instead, I watch as his face changes. From one moment to the next, it’s different, the humanity of it replaced by something alien…

and glowing gold? I let out a shaky breath even as the color fades.

I’m glad to already be sitting as I take in the heavier forehead and eye sockets, the sharply angled cheekbones, the pointy ears.

There’s also a hint of other to his eyes and self that would be apparent even if his bone structure wasn’t different.

No wonder he needs to use magic to disguise himself.

He’s still Raeulfr, still easily recognizable as the man I know, but he’s very obviously not human.

“Tolkien, then,” I croak, mostly to stop myself from telling him how hot he is. I’ve never had alien or monster fantasies, so I can only assume this new wave of attraction is because he’s revealed his true self.

He shrugs. “There are many interpretations across many human cultures. I can replace the glamor if?—”

“No.” The word falls out. “This is you, and you shouldn’t have to hide from people who know the truth.”

A range of emotions cross his face too quickly for me to read. “Thank you.”

We stare at each other awkwardly for a few moments.

I don’t know what to say. There’s so much for me to process.

I understand now why he had to keep these secrets, understand that he didn’t intend to hurt me…

but I don’t know where I want to go from here.

Does it make me xenophobic if I’m not sure if I want to be in a relationship with someone who’s not only from another species, but also from another freaking dimension?

“You’ve got a lot to think about,” Sam breaks in, his voice gentle.

“If you can, I suggest you take tomorrow off from work. I can set up an appointment for you with the Community Integration Agency, and they can show you some resources and give you a more in-depth orientation.” He hesitates. “Would you like to meet Noah?”

Noah? Oh, the human who married a vampire. I guess it couldn’t hurt. “Yeah. If he doesn’t mind.”

Sam smiles. “He won’t mind. He might ask you for feedback on the reintroduction program, though. The list of magical tasks was something he put together.”

That’s a little intimidating. I’m getting better at magic, but it sounds like this guy wrote the book on it.

“Come to the CSG office at eleven tomorrow,” Sam continues, reaching into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a business card.

He must see my reaction on my face, because he chuckles.

“I keep some in all my pants, just in case. The address is on there, and if you go to the executive reception, Candice will take care of you.”

I take the card and glance at the address.

It’s right in the middle of the business district, and I wonder how many people walk by their offices every day without knowing that an interspecies government is right there.

“Thank you. I guess this is as good a reason as any to take a personal day.” I hate the idea of not giving advance warning, but it’s not like I could have foreseen this.

It’s not too late to text my boss tonight, anyway, which is almost more surreal than everything I’ve learned.

How can it have been only a couple of hours since my whole worldview changed? It feels like eternity.

Sam and Gideon stand, and I get up too. The lucifer—it’s going to take me some time to get used to that word—comes over to hug me. “It’s going to be okay.”

I manage a smile. “I know. And hey, I’m lucky, aren’t I? I doubt every human who finds out gets the lucifer himself to talk them through it.”

That earns me a chuckle. “Gideon would go on a rampage if I suggested it. But Raeulfr is a friend.” He steps back, leaving me feeling somewhat uncomfortable with that thought. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Gideon takes Sam’s hand, and they’re gone. I stare blankly at the space they were occupying. “So… they don’t need to be outside to do that?”

“No,” Raeulfr confirms. “Teleportation needs a visual reference, but otherwise is limited only by the strength of the demon. If Gideon had known before what your living room looked like, they could have come directly inside.” He’s still standing beside the couch, where he’s been since we came inside.

I’m not sure if I’m ready to ask him to leave, so instead I focus on what he’s just told me. “I don’t think I like the idea that people can just appear in my home.”

“Gideon wouldn’t?—”

“I know. Or at least, I know Sam wouldn’t, and I’m sure he wouldn’t be with Gideon if he would.” I hope. “But there are other demons, and you can’t convince me that there isn’t a percentage of the community that doesn’t follow the law.”

He winces. “I wouldn’t even try. Most of us have our homes warded.

It’s effective against human home invasion too.

” He glances away, then back at me. “I wanted to ward this house weeks ago, but I couldn’t risk you asking questions about it.

You would have felt the energy of the wards every time you crossed them. ”

A dizzying rush of pleasure that he wanted to protect me is followed by hurt at the reminder of why he didn’t. Secrets and lies. Just because I understand the why of it doesn’t make the sense of betrayal go away.

“Is it something I can learn?” I’m proud of how even my voice is.

Raeulfr nods. “Yes. I would recommend hiring a sorcerer or elf to do them for you, though, at least initially. It’s complicated spellwork, and doing a whole house would need some experience.

Noah would be able to do it, if you get along.

Or I—” He breaks off, as if recognizing that now isn’t the best time for him to offer.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I guess… Is there like a Craigslist for the community?” It’s a joke, but he answers me seriously.

“The integration liaison can get you set up on the community web. We use the regular internet as well, but everything else is there. There are several sites for finding people to create wards.” He hesitates. “Or you could ask Sam or Noah for a recommendation.”

A recommendation for a sorcerer to create wards . That wasn’t on my bingo card for this year.

His reference to CSG reminds me of something, though. “So I guess you don’t work for Sam’s government. What does DEA stand for?”

“The Dragon-Elf Alliance.” He takes a deep breath. “I have more to tell you. It’s… I’m sure tonight has been overwhelming for you, but this is likely to come up tomorrow, and I’d rather you hear it from me.”

My laugh sounds foreign to my ears, and he flinches. “Sure. Why not? Let’s get it all out now. Does this have something to do with why you have security?”

“Yes.” Another hesitation, and then, like ripping off a Band-Aid, he blurts, “I’m the species leader for the elves.”

Whoa.

Okay.

I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting that. I figured he had to be important, because security, but for some reason, the idea of him being the head elf didn’t occur to me. “Oh.” I cast around for something to say. “So the elves feel all Zen around you like I do around Sam?”

He blinks, surprised. “Uh… yes. Giving them that security is part of my job.”

His job and his life . The underlying meaning of what he’s said and what I’ve learned tonight sinks in. Raeulfr is responsible for all the elves. I don’t know how many there are, but still, to have people depending on you like that… it’s a big thing. And?—

“Were you the… lucifer before you migrated here?”

“That’s not— The lucifer is the title for the leader of the Earth species,” he corrects. “And yes. It was my decision to send Caolan here to make contact with CSG. Percy’s offer—he was the lucifer at the time—for us to migrate was an unexpected blessing.”

I bet. I can’t even imagine the stress he would have been under, being responsible for all those people and knowing they were all going to die. A little more of my rancor slips away.

“What is your title, then? What do people call you?”

He shifts restlessly. “It doesn’t translate into any Earth language. The word we use in English has implications that?—”

“Just tell me what it is.”

“King.”

I sit on the end of my coffee table. “You’re a king ?”

“Not in the sense you mean. Like Sam, I’m invested by the life force to act as leader for a time. This wasn’t an inherited role, and it won’t necessarily last my whole life—probably won’t.”

“But you’re King Raeulfr?” My tongue trips over the sentence.

“Yes.”

“Do people call you ‘Your Royal Highness’ or something?”

He sinks to sit on the arm of the couch. “Your Majesty. They call me ‘Your Majesty.’”

Hysteria really wants to take over right now. For some reason, the only thought in my head is that I fucked a king. Not sure why my brain has latched on to “king” instead of “elf,” but hey, sanity is a funny thing.

“That’s… This isn’t a conversation I ever expected to have with a lover.” I blink back tears, not sure what to do next.

In a determined rush of movement, he stands, takes hold of my hands, and draws me to my feet.

“I wish with everything in me that things could be different between us. That you could have found out about the community before we met. That I never had to lie to you or put you through the emotions you’ve felt tonight.

It was never my intent to make you sad or angry.

” He lifts my hands and kisses them, one at a time, while my head spins with his words.

“My feelings for you haven’t changed. I want you in my life more than I’ve wanted anything for a very long time—almost more than I wanted salvation for my people, as much as it shames me to admit.

You have some thinking to do, and a lot to learn, but when you’re ready, I’ll be waiting for you.

Call me anytime, day or night. If you need anything and don’t want to talk to me, call the DEA offices, and Dáithí will help you.

I won’t pressure you, won’t expect what you can’t give, but I need you to be safe and well. Please grant me that.”

The relief that fills me could be because he’s basically promising to look after me, or could be because I don’t have to make a decision about us tonight. Either way, it’s the easiest thing in the world to say, “Yes.”