Page 23 of The Dark Elf's Secret Baby
“Docking!”
The shout makes me blink, the images of Layla’s smiling face wiping out of my mind. We've gotten closer to the island as I was lost in thought, and now I can see that the humans have been cleared away from this side. I can hardly make out anyone from this distance, so I have no hope of seeing if Layla is there.
Nervously, I smooth out my hair and adjust my suit. I’m in my full military garb, everyone staring at me with reverie. It’s odd, as I’m used to being in the shadows, but I will take it, knowing that the news will spread fast.
The only question I have is will hearing that a new dark elf Lieutenant has arrived pique Layla’s attention or steer her clear from the docks.
Well, that’s not the only question I have. But I can’t bring myself to consider the other. I barely have, and I know that much is dangerous.
“Prepare for a slight sway, sir,” one of the crew members tells me.
The ship is pulled up short next to the dock, the dock attendants are scrambling to fasten it in place. I keep my heels firmly planted, not bothered at all by the unsteadiness of the ship. I may be of higher rank, but I do not expect the unnatural. I’ve met others in my station that will blame their subordinates for the shift of wind. I will never be a man of that reputation.
“The Lieutenant has requested to have his items moved at a later time,” the zagfer whispers behind me. A little grin finds me again as I consider that maybe I won’t need them at all. Maybe I’ll have a place to stay.
Stupid, hopeful thinking.
“Sir.” A crew member appears at my elbow. “We are ready for you to disembark.”
I look over to where the gangway has been set up. My heart throbs as I take it in, my eyes traveling down to the dock like it’s such a trek. I know I must look strange, observing the plank of wood like I doubt it will support my weight. In reality, I fear my knees won’t.
Stepping off this boat and onto the dock is a move I’ve been working for for two years. And now that I’m here, I’m terrified of what I’m going to find. Because no matter what, when I leave here, I will no longer have to wonder what happened to Layla.
I will find out, and that scares me more than anything I’ve done. The uncertainty is crippling, but knowing the truth… It just may destroy what little is left of me.
Gods below help me.
I take a steadying breath as the dark elf next to me shifts uncomfortably. I’m sure I would stay rooted to this spot all day if I wasn’t aware that they were all watching me, waiting.
“Of course. Thank you.”
The first stride feels awkward. My feet are heavier than I recall, my movements jerky, and by the time I reach the edge of the gangplank, I feel like I’m about to start hyperventilating. My body is actively trying to stop me from whatever is waiting on this island.
The descent to the dock must take less than a minute, but it feels like I’m fighting each step for hours. I’ve never felt so uncertain, and, not for the first time, I wonder if this is the right decision.
My boots hit the dock with a thud that echoes through my body, a heavy sound that rings out with finality. Gods, what have I let this girl do to me? She holds more control over me now than ever before, and I don’t know if she’d even remember I exist.
If she still does…
“Welcome to Zerva, Lieutenant,” a dark elf says as he approaches me. His long white hair is tied back, and his face looks pinched. All his features are sharply pointed, and I almost lean away from him. But politely, I shake his hand.
“Thank you.” My eyes scan over him, an elf that everyone else noticeably avoids. I can tell that he’s trying to act humble in my presence, though.
“I am Iheru, the overseer here.”
The name, I recognize, and I nod. “I am aware of my subordinates.”
His smile wanes a little but he catches it. “Of course, sir. My apologies.”
My eyes have already left the odd elf. Instead, I’m scanning the docks, the crowds, really anywhere that isn’t blocked just to catch sight of Layla. I could outright ask Iheru, but I don’t want to raise any suspicions by showing up here after all these months and asking about a human by name. A human with no record.
It’s never good for a human to have a dark elf so interested in her. That’s why I always hid it back at Camp Horizon. Because, while the Archduke and some of his family may have human brides, I could not give Layla that kind of home or protection.
But now… I’d give Layla the world if I could just hold her again. I’d find a way to make this work, especially now that I am much more powerful.
“...a tour?”
I barely notice that Iheru is talking, and I jerk my head back to him sharply. “What?”