Page 34 of Cut of the Dark Elf's Blade

“I know.” My brother bleats the words, sounding like a dying thistle. “I know. I’m so sorry.”

“You took all that away from me,” Neveah says sadly. “Just by deciding to lie.”

But her sadness does not remain for long. Within seconds, anger flashes across her green eyes before she gives a scream of frustration and stamps her foot.

Then, without looking at either of us, she turns on her heels and storms off.

When I look over at Rhiucra, my brother looks about ready to dissolve into tears on the floor.

“Cheer up, brother,” I say, my voice light, and a lazy smile stretches across my face. “I’m sure you’ll find someone else to love soon enough. Just don’t lie to the next one, okay?”

“I’ll never love anyone the way I love Neveah,” Rhiucra says morosely. “And now I’ve ruined our friendship, too.”

I sigh and then stand up. I slip my knife back into the holster on my belt.

“You know what, Rhiu? You might look down on me and what I do for a living. But I can safely say that I have always been honest with those around me. You have spent your life acting holier than me. But I have never had to lie to a woman to get her into bed with me. But then, I don’t have half as much trouble as you do, in taking a woman to bed.”

16

NEVEAH

Ican’t believe he kept this secret from me! How am I ever supposed to trust Rhiucra after this?

I know as I stand in front of Rhiucra and Luocre that I am genuinely going to mourn my broken friendship with Rhiucra.

I have known for a long time that Rhiucra had feelings for me. I have also known for a long time that, while I consider Rhiucra a friend, part of me has always believed that humans and dark elves could never be true, proper friends.

That is why I have always held him at arm’s length.

But now, as I reel from the hurt and pain I feel, I realize that I considered Rhiucra a true friend.

I considered him one of my best friends.

And now all that is lost.

Hot, stinging tears have sprung up in my eyes, and I wipe them away angrily before they can roll down my face.

I take several deep breaths because if I don’t, I know that I’ll have a real breakdown.

Along with the heartbreak I feel over my broken friendship with Rhiucra, I also feel shame for what I have been doing with Luocre behind Rhiucra’s back.

As I stand there while Rhiucra apologizes to me, I am plagued by visions of myself, arching my back underneath Luocre’s touch.

Visions of Luocre, dragging the tips of his knife blades across my skin.

I have to stop myself from whimpering out loud, and I press my thighs together as warmth pulses between them.

I look over at Luocre then. It is a strange feeling knowing that he is part of the Ilnais family. It is even stranger knowing that he is Rhiucra’s brother.

Luocre looks back at me, his face open as if he is asking me to see the similarities between him and Rhiucra.

And there are many similarities between the two of them. If I had known they were brothers, maybe I would have seen the resemblances more easily.

They have the same aura about them, the same sharp jaw and set of their eyes. Rhiucra’s hair is slightly shorter than Luocre’s, and Rhiucra does not have the same scars and tattoos that Luocre has. Where Rhiucra is all pale features like his mother, Luocre is a living shadow.

There are other similarities, aside from their features.

They talk the same way when they’re angry, even if Luocre’s anger is slightly quieter than Rhiucra’s and always deadlier.