Johan quickly took the pair and looked them over as the woman continued.
“The enslavement of elves has always left a bitter taste in my mouth. The reminder of what elves are capable of when they are given the freedom to create outside of chains solidified that view. If you wish to keep them safe”—she pushed a silver coin across the counter to Johan and took the shoes— “you need to get them far away from here. The Queen covets them. And what she covets, she gets.”
Johan gulped.
She looked out of the window nervously. “My husband and I… We were… misaligned on our views on this matter. If he were to stop by, I would be grateful if my visit were not mentioned.”
Johan so desperately wished his throat didn’t feel as if it was swollen shut just then. He wanted to thank her and ask her how much time she thought they had, but all he could do was nod his head and hope that his eyes shone with how grateful he was for the warning.
And with that, the ambassador’s wife took the shoes and left the shop, leaving Johan’s brain a tangled mess of yarn.
T
hat evening, Johan lay in bed with Henrik and Elias, each tucked under an arm.
After the ambassador’s wife had left, he’d waited an hour to keep up appearances —in case what she’d said had been true and there were people watching the shop— before he’d closed up for the day and told the elves what she’d told him.
“Maybe we need to consider going home, Eli,” Henrik said, causing Johan’s stomach to plummet.
“This is my home, Henrik. My only home,” Elias replied, sounding more exhausted than anything else.
“Well, where can we go, then? Or do you suggest we remain here where she can pick us off like apples from a tree any time she wishes?” Henrik sat up and folded his arms across his chest.
Johan’s stomach was in knots as the elves argued about something so serious. His brain whirred a mile a minute in an attempt to come up with something. Some place he could take them to and protect them, but who washe, really? A mere shoemaker who had only recently begun to pull himself out of poverty with the help of Elias and Henrik. What did he have to offer them?
That night, they were not physically intimate with one another. The elves clung to Johan all night long as though he were the anchor keeping them on the ground. The weight of the responsibility to care for them was a heavy one on Johan’s shoulders, but he would do whatever it took to keep them safe and be worthy of their love.
In the early hours of the morning, long before the sun had risen, an idea came to Johan. As quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the elves before necessary, Johan wiggled his way free of their embrace. The gap he left behind was quickly closed as they reached for each other in sleep and became a tangle of long, slim limbs. Johan smiled softly at the sight.
He stuffed a bit of food into his knapsack, along with a skin of water, before dressing in his warmest clothes.
When he was ready, he knelt on the mattress and nudged the elves’ shoulders.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?” Henrik rubbed his knuckles into his sleepy eyes.
“It’s okay. Follow me?” Johan asked.
Henrik nodded and shook Elias with a bit more zeal.
Elias blinked his eyes owlishly before looking around the room. “Absolutely not. It is dark and cold, and the house is not on fire.”
“Come on, Johan wants us to follow him,” Henrik explained.
“Johan must learn appropriate waking times, then.” Elias glared at Johan as he spoke.
Johan chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Please?”
“That right there is emotional blackmail.” Elias pointed at Johan, who just reached out a hand and pulled the elf up to standing.
Elias huffed until Johan bent down and kissed him softly on the lips, and Elias became pliant. It was always remarkable to Johan how quickly Elias could go from acting like a hissing cat to a puddle in his arms. Johan liked the effect he had on Elias a lot, and he was probably guilty of using it to his advantage more than he should have.
Henrik snuck up behind Elias and kissed his neck.
“This is bullying. I’m being bullied with affection,” Elias whined.
“However will you endure it?” Henrik teased.
Elias begrudgingly got dressed and stuffed his woolly hat onto his head before following Johan and Henrik down the stairs.
