Laurel

2:18 Sky

Laurel's eyes went wide, before she collapsed weakly back into my arms, "Don't tell Damon about this Marisol." Laurel said softly before she fell asleep again.

"As my lady wishes, so I do." She gave pointed looks at each of us, including the now unconscious form of Brydel. "Keep her alive, I would like to at least have a shot at physically being with her sometime." Myself and the dragon both growled at the suggestion. "Only if she wishes of course, you guys know she can't be compelled. Those curses she was worried about? They aren't there anymore, she is as she was always supposed to be. I should have told her when she called the first time for me, but I wanted her to hurry back to the mortal world and Damon." The demon hung her head, looking almost ashamed? Was that possible? "Just, just tell her that the curses aren't there, none. Tell her she is perfect exactly how she is now?" The ghostly demon figure faded away to nothing. Immediately I could feel the last subtle tingle of magic stop along with her form. The clearing we were in was now magic free, and slowly the sound of birds and small animals drew closer as the forest returned to his natural, undisturbed state.

I carried Laurel over to the bedroll that Auris had prepared with everyone's supplies combined. He had carried Brydel over already, laying him down on the padding, tucking him in tenderly. I set Laurel down next to him, and the two rolled to spoon each other closer. The mate bond calling to each other even in sleep. I covered them both. Tucking them in together to rest. I brushed back the hair from Laurel's forehead and lay a kiss there before walking to the nearby fire to sit with the Dragon and learn more about my mate's pet. Laurel and Brydel were naked under the blankets, but I found a pair of pants for myself and Auris while we talked.

"Hello Auris" I said, doing my best to stay neutral.

"Hello Prime Sky" He said in return, I didn't understand the phrase.

"Prime?"

"You are Laurel's first mate, you are prime." he shrugged as though it should be obvious. "You are Sunless. She did not say her first mate was one of your kind. You have escaped from a mine somehow I suppose?" I could feel the judgment rolling off him. Clearly he knew about my people, but his feelings felt more complex than just someone prejudiced to fear or hate me. He seemed to know of dark elves personally, which was impossible. Dragons and Dark elves haven't had contact in a very long time.

"I am, but obviously I left them, and am the only one of my kind ever to have done so." I dug in my mind for the bit of history I needed here, "There hasn't been contact between the Sunless and the Surface in over 9000 years now." I had been born into a wealthy house back with the Sunless. I got to learn our 'glorious and magnificent history' as a child, which included a few interesting tales. Some 15000-9000 years ago, Fae mined for gemstones to power cities. 9000 years ago, a fairy queen had a magical breakthrough and was able to end the need for mines, the risk of hitting sunless, and the need to magically and physically seal giant mines every hundred years or so to prevent a sunless invasion. Prior to that, mines were always at risk of boring too deeply into the earth and encountering a Sunless tunnel or worse, a scouting party.

The dragon just looked at me, not responding to what I had said, before his eyes darted sideways and away from my gaze. He was hiding something. "Have you encountered another dark elf before Dragon?" I asked trying to figure out the source of the sharpness of his feelings.

He nodded, still not making eye contact. Nods I could work with though. "Have you seen another of my kind recently?" he shook his head. I could work with this, but it was frustrating. Like talking to a child, or a simple minded creature. Dragons could live a long time, but few lived much more than 5-6 thousand years. "Are you more than 9000 years old?" he froze, clearly having a debate in his mind, perhaps with his dragon? Did they do that? I wasn't sure. I would have to ask sometime. Another time.