He hands me a crystal cup filled with wine and smirks. “Where do you think humans came up with the idea?”
I watch him turn to stoke the fire, where he fills a teapot that sits above the flames on some type of cooking surface.
I can’t deny that I’m hungry.
“How do I know I can safely eat this?”
Turning back to me, Eldrin picks up the crystal cup and holds it under my nose. The wine has an aroma of sugar plums and hibiscus, and I find that I’m very thirsty for it. He leans down and speaks in a way that I can’t tell if he’s serious or joking. “What good would it do for me to poison my queen?” He has a point. Or maybe his words have power over me, and his tones slide into my ears and drip down into my nethers. Dampness blooms in my panties.
I take the cup and sip. The warm, spicy wine slides down my throat and quenches my thirst instantly. Forget about free hot cider; he should seriously consider bottling this stuff and selling it. This wine is pure Christmas.
“Hardly beneficial to harm you. It would get in the way of making our half-elf babies together, my queen.”
At this, I do a truly ghastly spit take.
Eldrin rests a hand on my back as I dab my face dry. “Are you alright, my queen?”
“Babies?” I croak when I’m barely finished gasping for breath.
His hand radiates heat through my sweater, and I find that my discomfort from sucking wine down the wrong pipe has abated.
I turn to him in amazement. “How did you do that?”
Eldrin’s top lip quirks. “Now, do you believe I’m real?”
/> I don’t respond, only bite my lip.
His huge eyes somehow darken even more, and I see my reflection in them. I see how I look to him. A low growl escapes his throat.
“Eat first, then we’ll talk. Will that satisfy the precursor requirements to intercourse?”
I snort. “The way you talk is something else.”
“I think you’ll find I’m well versed in your English vocabulary.”
I repeat back at him, imitating his haughty style of speaking. “I think you’ll find I’m well versed in your English vocabulary.” I crack myself up and have a case of the giggles.
Eldrin is not amused. “I suggest you eat something.”
Am I crazy, or does he seem hurt by me? I take a beat to examine his stony expression. Yes, I see now that I shouldn’t have mocked him. I know how that feels, all too well.
Perhaps I need to accept his hospitality and then get my wits about me to exit this fever dream without too much trauma.
I tuck into the food he’s laid out before me, all too aware that he’s crouched right next to me. He watches me intently as I eat. It’s unnerving, but the taste of the food makes me forget my self-consciousness. The bread looks like pumpernickel but is softer and more flavorful. The cheese is pungent and tastes so good, along with a smear of something that looks like a mash of herby vegetables. I feel half full after the first bite. The tartness of the cheese is overwhelming, like aged gouda but better. It’s so strong that I don’t think I would ever eat this if a human tried to feed it to me. But I wouldn’t want to insult my captor any more than I already have.
I take a small bite of the chopped stuff, and it tastes nutty, sweet, and salty like the best chutney ever made. And somehow, that’s it. Three bites and I’m full. Earlier today—if it’s still today, who knows—I had saved up room for tasty holiday treats at the farm, and now I’m stuffed.
“It’s all so good,” I tell him.
“Elven food has been perfected to keep us nourished in the most efficient amount of time so we can eat quickly and get on with our duties.”
I look up into his eyes, suddenly wishing I could see some more feelings in there. But the black orbs only show my reflection. I feel a little sad that that is his existence, but I don’t want to say precisely that.
Glancing around the place, I say, “Well, should I leave then? Let you get back to work, doing whatever it is that you do?”
That is my oh-so-subtle way of trying to escape by my wits. The elven food has warmed me thoroughly and given me my strength back. I think I could make it back to my car at Holly Tree Farm from here on foot, even if it’s past dark now.
Assuming Eldrin will let me leave. Indeed, he won’t keep me here against my will.