The remaining days until the gate passed very quickly for Leonie. Dorian did not keep his promise, and she continued to train every day with the elven men. The only change in her routine was that Dorian now practiced channeling her magic with her every evening.
She had mixed feelings about their lessons together. Before each one, a strange excitement always took hold of her, which she did not understand, since she rode with him all day long—yet during these hours it was just the two of them. Together. And beside Dorian she felt good. Truly good. At such times her soul was not tormented by countless doubts. Not like when she was alone, wondering who this Revna was, and whether Dorian was only with her to keep her magic in check, or how the elves would receive her—something everyone kept talking about. Dorian's father was mentioned more and more often at dinner, and how they were to deal with him.
She spent the last night sleepless. And in the morning, when she opened her eyes, she was most surprised to find Dorian still lying beside her. Propped on his arm, he was watching Leonie.
"Good morning," the man smiled at her. Leonie only blinked a few times. Although they practiced channeling magic together in the evenings, Dorian had not approached her since the first time. Sometimes Leonie even thought she had imagined it all. She had no idea that Dorian was doing this to give her some time to process what had happened to her. Besides, they would be home soon. It would not be wise for Leonie to arrive on elven soil overheated with magic. Marcus had warned him not to take risks, and his friend was right. He would only be putting Leonie in danger.
"I hope you know I won't let any harm come to you. You don't have to be afraid anymore. Not anymore." He said nothing else—only pulled the girl to him and kissed her forehead. He had had time to think over the past days, and had realized he would do anything to keep Leonie safe. Anything.
"I'm not afraid," the girl sighed, resting her face against Dorian's chest. And now there truly was no fear in her. Perhaps gratitude? Being moved? Hope? No one had ever protected her in her life, and the knowledge that this man would be capable of doing so shook her deeply. She grew quite sad that their journey was over and that now everything would change. She had no idea how much.
A few hours later they reached the gate of the elves. At least, when they arrived at a massive tree trunk, Dorian stopped his horse, and the others did the same.
"I hate this part," Nir whined, prompting Xavier to snort.
"I told you not to come if you're afraid," Nir straightened and turned toward him, offended.
"I'm not afraid, I'm just bothered by the thought that on the other side I might not have a hand. Or a leg. Do you remember what Revna told us? Supposedly once an elf who tried to cross lost his eyes and his tongue," he went on, horrified.
"Well, it wouldn't exactly be a great loss where your tongue is concerned," Aeson grinned, and Nir stuck out the very body part mentioned.
"And what are you talking about?" Leonie turned toward the elves with wide eyes.
"That the passage hasn't been the safest lately," Marcus shrugged as if it were nothing. "Ever since the ancient tree has been dying, and there are no… well, you know, no forest elves. So the passages have weakened." He pointed toward the massive trunk, on which Leonie still saw nothing special.
"They say not everyone gets through it in one piece. But the good news is that we've already managed it once," he winked at the girl. "It's no riskier than bathing naked in the Great River among the night buzzers during mating season. Isn't that right, Dorian?" he winked at his friend, and Aeson and Nir burst out laughing. Even Xavier smiled—something that hadn't happened much with him over the past two weeks.
"Why?" Leonie very much wanted to understand the joke everyone else was enjoying so much.
"They can get pretty aggressive then, and they bit Dorian's ar—" Nir began.
"That's only funny to you," Dorian cut in with a grimace. The last thing he needed was for his friends to tell Leonie the whole story.
"Couldn't we leave this for later?" Xavier asked irritably. He stepped up to the tree, placed his palm against it, and murmured something softly that Leonie did not understand—but immediately felt. The trunk of the tree seemed to turn into a liquid, swirling pale silver.
"This is the passage," Dorian explained to the girl. "We hid it from human eyes. When our peoples were still friends, humans passed freely here as well, then after the great massacre we closed our borders."
"Is this the only gate?" Leonie glanced toward the tree with interest and took a step closer. She seemed to feel a strange vibration.
"Hardly," Marcus took over. "There are so many here that an entire army could be brought through—if they were stable. We created these passages a thousand years ago to hide our world from human eyes." He snorted. "Human senses aren't the best anyway—you've experienced that. If they pass through here, they find nothing, at most a few ruins that remind them of battles long past." Leonie nodded, then her attention slid from Marcus back to the tree. It was as if she heard a faint whisper from it.
"Do you hear it too?" She stepped closer and looked into the swirling light. Dorian raised an eyebrow and stepped nearer as well.
"No." He heard nothing—but he wasn't surprised that Leonie did. He had expected her magic to grow stronger once they arrived. Besides, the gates had been created by forest elves.
"What do you hear?" he asked, watching her face glowing in the light.
"I… I don't know. I don't understand it. Just very faint whispering." She lifted her hand and gently touched the swirling passage with her finger, and it immediately flared up. Several people cried out behind them.
"Hey, kid, careful!" Marcus was at her side in an instant and pulled her back.
"First Xavier's protective magic, and then we cross. Remember we talked about this last night?" Leonie blinked at him, confused.
"But it's not dangerous." Marcus looked back at her as if she had lost her mind.
"Were you even listening to what we said? You know… severed body parts and the like…"
"Leonie." Dorian did not take his eyes off her, but he did not seem as upset as the others. Something entirely different showed on his face. Perhaps appreciation? Awe? Desire? He stepped even closer to the girl.
"Yes?" Leonie was quite taken aback by his closeness when she turned toward him. She was about to ask something else, but Dorian then seized her lips. Greedily and possessively. Though he had restrained himself these past days at Marcus's advice, now he kissed Leonie as if this were his last chance. He tangled his hand in her hair and tilted her head back slightly, pulling her to him with his other arm. He gave a satisfied growl when Leonie instinctively opened to him, his tongue immediately claiming every inch of her. He desired her every moment, and if he could, he would undress her right now so she could surrender to him with every part of her. It filled him with satisfaction that Leonie's magic immediately began to pulse between them, and that the girl—though far more shyly—melted into his arms at once and yielded to him.
Dorian only released her when Aeson let out an appreciative whistle in the background. Of course, everyone immediately voiced an opinion. Marcus only shook his head, Filarion turned tactfully toward his horse with a small, gentle smile, and Xavier grumbled unwillingly under his breath.
"Oh, come on! Couldn't you do this in private?" Nir whined, and Dorian grinned cheerfully without letting Leonie go. That was fortunate, because the girl grew so dizzy she would likely have toppled if Dorian hadn't been holding her. She gulped for air as if she had been running until now. She didn't understand the man at all, who sometimes drew close to her and other times kept his distance. But his kiss… it set her entire being ablaze.
"Do you remember what you learned?" Dorian asked her softly.
"Hm?" Leonie suddenly had no idea what he meant.
"About channeling the power. It's time you tried it." Nervousness took over Leonie in moments. She took an uncertain step back so she could look Dorian in the eyes. She felt a twinge of disappointment. Was that all the kiss had been for? To awaken her magic? Of course—what had she expected…
"Just for that…?" She couldn't help it; every emotion showed on her face. She was ashamed that he could manipulate her so easily. Her face flushed, and she was just about to turn away when Dorian caught her under the chin and ran his thumb along her swollen lips.
"So that whatever happens on the other side, you remember this," he said quietly, without explaining what he meant. He feared that everything would change over there. If they met strong resistance, he might have to do things Leonie wouldn't like. Perhaps the girl would pull away once she learned what he was like as a commander. Or if she heard things about him he hadn't yet told her… but this kiss. This was everything he was, and everything he truly felt. Leonie would need to remember that.
"Now put your hand on the tree," he gave the tense instruction. And Leonie, though she didn't understand him at all, did as he said. She pressed her palm to the tree and closed her eyes. She imagined the accumulated magic flowing down her arm, felt the heat concentrate in her palm. It came far more easily than during her practice sessions with Dorian. As if the gate hungered for the energy and drew it in.
"Well, I'll be damned! So you really weren't just going into the forest to fool around," Aeson spoke up in amazement. Leonie's eyes flew wide and she stared at the grinning elf, blushing again.
"We didn't—" she began, but Filarion headed off the awkward situation and pointed to the tree.
"I sense that you've reinforced the passage. Its energy is much more stable… It's commendable that you learned to focus your magic in such a short time." Leonie looked at him, embarrassed.
"I think you'll be capable of much more than any of us could guess," he put it cryptically, then stepped to the tree with a thoughtful look and began examining the swirling silver light. Only then did Leonie look at the tree herself, and her jaw nearly dropped. The light of the passage, which had been faint before, was now strong and clear, as if she were staring straight into the heart of a star.
"I did that?" she asked in disbelief.
"It certainly looks like it," Marcus said cheerfully. "At least this goes better than swordplay." Leonie didn't appreciate the joke much and shot a disapproving look at the cheerful man, who raised his hands defensively.
"But it's true!" Marcus laughed.
"Enough chatter. Let's finally go," Xavier cut in. He took his place beside Dorian, with Nir and Filarion behind them, and finally Leonie and Marcus, as they had agreed the night before. Leonie watched as the elves disappeared into the passage. She swallowed hard, and anxiety flooded her entire being.
"The most handsome elf will escort you into your new home. I hope you feel lucky," Marcus grinned at her, and to give her strength, he took the girl's hand and pulled her with him into the swirling light.