Claimed by the Elven King: Part Two by Cristina Rayne Read Free Book Online Page A

That the
sky was a familiar blue made the huge knot of tension in my chest loosen just a
bit. However, a sense of vertigo washed through me when I looked down and was
greeted by the sheer drop of a jagged cliff face, the rocks and crashing waves
at the bottom so far down that they were barely distinguishable. The drop must
have been at least a couple thousand feet. Startled, I immediately jerked away
from where I had been leaning against the window, my heart suddenly in my
throat.
    Why in the hell would someone build a structure so close to the edge of
the cliff? One small earthquake or weathered edge suddenly becoming unstable
and someone would earn a one-way ticket to the last terrifying ride of their
life. It was completely disconcerting to know that someone could be me if this was where Sethian intended for me to stay from now on.
    I stepped back from the window and looked over to the bedroom door,
wondering if I should just go back inside and hide under the blankets until
Sethian returned. Then my stomach growled, and I was suddenly reminded that I
hadn’t eaten in who knows how long. Was there a kitchen somewhere nearby? I
wondered if I was in something like an apartment, or if the king of the elves
lived in a castle or palace and this was just one of several of its wings.
Maybe the door across the room to the right of the bedroom led to a kitchen, or
at the very least, a dining room. I really hoped I wouldn’t have to wait for
Sethian to show back up to get something to eat.
    Walking over, I paused only briefly in front of a pair of French-style
doors that I hadn’t noticed initially that opened out onto a wide and spacious
balcony with tables and seating. Although I wasn’t exactly afraid of heights,
there was no way I was going out there alone without first asking Sethian about
it. For all I knew of the elven realm, it could be a windy season or something
and not safe to step out onto it right now.
    The first thing that greeted me when I opened the next door was a wall
of books. A library was all I had time to think before my eyes fell on the long-haired,
blonde person seated on one of the many overstuffed chairs in the room, an open
book in their lap. A young female elf, I realized with a start as I stood
frozen in the threshold and stared while her green eyes blinked over at me in
surprise. She was incredibly beautiful, her features much narrower than a human
woman’s but delicate and perfectly proportioned as if they had been sculpted by
one of the Renaissance masters.
    With something akin to panic, I wondered if this ethereal girl was the
queen. She looked a lot younger than I would have thought, but she could’ve
been a thousand years old for all I knew about the longevity of elves.
    I sure as hell wasn’t ready to meet Sethian’s other wife, especially
when I was in essence “the other woman.” He had said that the queen didn’t care
for him at all, but that didn’t mean that she would be all that happy about him
bringing another woman into the household. I’m ashamed to admit that the
thought of just backing out of the room and running back to hide in the bedroom
crossed my mind before the elf woman smiled—and it was a genuinely friendly
smile without a sharp edge to be found.
    “Hello,” she greeted, closing her book and placing it onto the small
table beside her before standing up. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you awoke,
my lady. You must walk on cat feet as I did not hear you at all! My name is
Lariel, of the family Elerdir, and I am a servant of the royal household. My Lord
King has assigned me to be your lady-in-waiting.”
    Feeling the tension drain from my shoulders, I flashed her what I hoped
was an equally friendly smile and replied, “It’s nice to meet you, Lariel. I’m
Emily.”
    I didn’t give her my last name, unsure of what the proper etiquette was
for introductions now that I was considered one of the king’s wives. Just
thinking the “w” word made me squirm