together, and she adapted well to life among humans.”
“Where is she now?”
His shoulders lifted and fell, his gaze trained on the trail ahead. “She… never came back. Which means she has to be dead, too.”
“Oh my God, Nox. That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.” I reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm.
He stopped walking and turned to face me. “Yeah. I guess that’s the other reason I wanted to come back to California—to get some answers, try to find out what really happened.”
“Have you?”
“Not yet. I haven’t told anyone who my parents were—there’s another reason for the fake name.” He paused, a frown working its way across his forehead as if he was trying to decide how much more to say.
“What?”
“Ivar always told me I shouldn’t reveal my family name. He said it might be dangerous. I chose Knight for myself when I started mixing with humans.”
“I see.”
“My agent Alfred asked me about my family. I almost told him, but then—I don’t know—I got a strange feeling about it. I gave him a couple of made-up names. I think I have to… tread carefully or something until I know who I can trust. Like I said before—it’s kind of a downer. We don’t have to talk about this.”
“We can if you want to,” I assured him. “It’s good for you to talk about them. As you said, you want to keep their memories alive. I just… I want to say you can talk to me about them anytime… if you want to.”
Nox’s body and expression froze, his eyes misting as they stared into mine. “Okay,” he said, his voice sounding choked.
“We’re here,” I realized, tilting my head back to see the Hollywood sign looming above.
He looked up at the giant letters as well. They weren’t quite as fancy as I’d imagined them to be—basically sheets of steel supported by steel rods sunk into concrete. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting. Still, the idea of it was fun. No doubt Shay and my other friends back home would think it was cool I’d seen the sign up close.
When we’d hiked back to the car, Nox opened my door for me partway but stopped mid-motion.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “For keeping the truth from you. I did feel bad about it, but… well, I’m really glad you know now. I mean, I guess I am a Dark Elf by birth, but I don’t really feel like these are my people. Not yet anyway. And like I told you, I’ve never felt truly a part of the Light Elves either. I’ve been kind of a loner. It’s nice to have a friend.”
Swallowing back a lump in my throat, I said, “I understand. Thanks for apologizing.” I broke eye contact and looked at the ground until the car door was completely open, then got in and let out the breath I’d been holding.
So there it was. We were friends now. In spite of what he’d done in the past, he was helping me. I understood him a little better. And all we had out here was each other.
When Nox was behind the wheel, I turned to him. “You realize we’re going to have to keep our friendship under wraps while we’re here. We can’t keep running off together. You’re going to have to spread your attention around.”
He nodded and started the engine with a smirk and a lifted brow. “How do you know I haven’t been?” Then the smug look dissolved into a true smile. “Just kidding. I guess you’re right, though.”
I laughed. “Most guys would be more excited. You’ve got a houseful of adoring women at your beck and call. They’re all really cute.”
“And they’re all really squealy. I didn’t even know voices could go that high.” He laughed, but his expression turned serious as he drove the car down the winding road toward the valley. “It’s weird to be worshipped. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“Yeah—I guess you’re not quite a Dark Elf yet, then. You’d better get used to it. It’s only going to get worse because it doesn’t look like you’re going to get less famous.”
* *
“Where is she now?”
His shoulders lifted and fell, his gaze trained on the trail ahead. “She… never came back. Which means she has to be dead, too.”
“Oh my God, Nox. That’s horrible. I’m so sorry.” I reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm.
He stopped walking and turned to face me. “Yeah. I guess that’s the other reason I wanted to come back to California—to get some answers, try to find out what really happened.”
“Have you?”
“Not yet. I haven’t told anyone who my parents were—there’s another reason for the fake name.” He paused, a frown working its way across his forehead as if he was trying to decide how much more to say.
“What?”
“Ivar always told me I shouldn’t reveal my family name. He said it might be dangerous. I chose Knight for myself when I started mixing with humans.”
“I see.”
“My agent Alfred asked me about my family. I almost told him, but then—I don’t know—I got a strange feeling about it. I gave him a couple of made-up names. I think I have to… tread carefully or something until I know who I can trust. Like I said before—it’s kind of a downer. We don’t have to talk about this.”
“We can if you want to,” I assured him. “It’s good for you to talk about them. As you said, you want to keep their memories alive. I just… I want to say you can talk to me about them anytime… if you want to.”
Nox’s body and expression froze, his eyes misting as they stared into mine. “Okay,” he said, his voice sounding choked.
“We’re here,” I realized, tilting my head back to see the Hollywood sign looming above.
He looked up at the giant letters as well. They weren’t quite as fancy as I’d imagined them to be—basically sheets of steel supported by steel rods sunk into concrete. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting. Still, the idea of it was fun. No doubt Shay and my other friends back home would think it was cool I’d seen the sign up close.
When we’d hiked back to the car, Nox opened my door for me partway but stopped mid-motion.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “For keeping the truth from you. I did feel bad about it, but… well, I’m really glad you know now. I mean, I guess I am a Dark Elf by birth, but I don’t really feel like these are my people. Not yet anyway. And like I told you, I’ve never felt truly a part of the Light Elves either. I’ve been kind of a loner. It’s nice to have a friend.”
Swallowing back a lump in my throat, I said, “I understand. Thanks for apologizing.” I broke eye contact and looked at the ground until the car door was completely open, then got in and let out the breath I’d been holding.
So there it was. We were friends now. In spite of what he’d done in the past, he was helping me. I understood him a little better. And all we had out here was each other.
When Nox was behind the wheel, I turned to him. “You realize we’re going to have to keep our friendship under wraps while we’re here. We can’t keep running off together. You’re going to have to spread your attention around.”
He nodded and started the engine with a smirk and a lifted brow. “How do you know I haven’t been?” Then the smug look dissolved into a true smile. “Just kidding. I guess you’re right, though.”
I laughed. “Most guys would be more excited. You’ve got a houseful of adoring women at your beck and call. They’re all really cute.”
“And they’re all really squealy. I didn’t even know voices could go that high.” He laughed, but his expression turned serious as he drove the car down the winding road toward the valley. “It’s weird to be worshipped. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“Yeah—I guess you’re not quite a Dark Elf yet, then. You’d better get used to it. It’s only going to get worse because it doesn’t look like you’re going to get less famous.”
* *
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