by Nicole Hall
Dru walked to the door and ran her hands over the smooth wood. No knobs or levers. She pushed, but it didn’t budge. Locked? A faint design curled along one edge, and Dru moved closer to try to make out the details.
A stylized tree design with branches reaching up to the ceiling and roots circling to the floor. Why only on this side of the door? Dru tilted her head at it, then dug her fingers into the grooves and tried to push it each direction. She hit the jackpot with left. The door slid open on a silent track. Not locked.
A quick glance in the hallway revealed more tall ceilings and murals, but no other people. What the hell? After all that work getting her here, wasn’t Hollis worried about her escaping? Dru’s bare feet whispered over the hallway floors, surprisingly warmer than in the room. She hadn’t found her shoes while searching, but the rest of her clothes remained on her body, thank goodness. Nudity had never bothered her before, but she didn’t want to deal with the additional issue of wandering around Hollis’ castle naked.
Large balustrades lined one side of the hallway, opening to a courtyard full of thick vegetation. Dru couldn’t see the sky through all the branches, and the view reminded her of a tangled jungle. The air smelled fresh though, instead of muggy and rotting.
Dru followed the hallway until it ended at an intersection. No people, no noise, and when she cast her power out to see what she could find, it only went left, away from the jungle courtyard. Something drew it like a magnet. Her instincts said to follow it, but the mate bond nearly yanked her in the opposite direction.
When she tried to push her magic to explore the other areas, it ignored her. Eyes wide, she tried again, but had the same results. Even the trees in the courtyard—which usually drew her magic—did nothing for her.
What the hell was happening inside her? Dru rubbed her chest and turned left. If Oren was in trouble, the fastest way to help him was to get the hell back to Terra, and for that, she needed her magic in full working order—under control and not fritting off on its own. She’d deal with the magic first, then the bond.
The lack of guards worried her, but what could she do about it? One of the rooms contained portals, that much she’d seen in her involuntary lessons, all she had to do was find it without drawing attention to herself.
The left path proceeded a few feet, then took a sharp turn into a stairwell. The bond said up, but her magic insisted on down, so Dru went down. If she reached the bottom and got eaten by some kind of magical lantern fish, she’d be super pissed.
Floating orbs of light let her see a couple of stairs in front of her, but nothing else. At one point, Dru heard a scraping noise that made her pause, but she wasn’t sure if it came from above or below. After what felt like an eternity climbing downward, the stairs came to an end in a dark alcove.
Dru pressed herself into the darkness against the wall and cast her magic out again. This time, it shot straight into the adjacent room then stopped abruptly against some kind of barrier. She gathered it back to her and shored up her courage. There could be guards in there and her wandering would be over, but whatever was behind that barrier called to her. Stronger than the mate bond. Stronger than Oren. Stronger than her own fear.
Her uneven breathing echoed softly in the alcove, but under that, Dru heard the tinkling sound of falling water, like drops dripping into a pool. She leaned her cheek against the rough stone wall as the pieces fell into place, and she realized what she’d found. Stone because she’d descended into a cave, just like Nick had said. The vessel had to drink from the sacred waters located below the parts of the castle she’d seen before. Ljos had summoned her in an insistent call she couldn’t ignore.
The pounding of her heartbeat quieted as Dru slipped out of the shadows and faced Ljos in person for the first time. A trunk with pale silver bark speared out of a pool in the center of the room and disappeared into the roof of the cave. The water in the pool glowed light blue, illuminating the entire cave save for alcoves set around the perimeter. Eight in all, including the one she’d emerged from.
The same stylized tree from the door had been carved into the stone at her feet with the roots stretching into the water. As she watched, a glowing drop fell from the ceiling to land in one of the grooves, moving gradually to the edge of the pool, then falling into the water with the musical plop she’d heard earlier.
Dru swallowed hard, suddenly parched. She wanted to drink that water more than anything. Part of her recognized the thirst came at the behest of a giant magical tree, but that didn’t make it any easier to resist. Another drop beaded above her, and Dru held out her hand. Instead of catching the water, her fingers collided with the barrier her magic had felt earlier. As usual, she couldn’t see the magic, but it felt nubby under her fingertips.
The barrier offered a slight resistance, but she pushed through it easily. Dru closed her eyes and let her head fall back as magic washed over her. She’d never crossed over a barrier like this before. The cool sensation reminded her of walking through a gentle waterfall. Once she’d reached the other side, her entire body felt different, effervescent.
The tug in her chest intensified, but Dru didn’t try to fight this one. Benevolent magic enveloped her, lulling her into relaxation and making her mind fuzzy. Her fears shrank and became unnoticeable while the force urged her to trust the call. To drink.
She opened her eyes and crouched at the edge of the pool to dip her hand in the water. Tingles sped up her arm. A sense of rightness descended over her, and her thirst increased. She cupped some water in her hand, but before she could drink, a sudden burst of disorientation made her fall back on her butt.
Dru rubbed her temple and stared at the trunk of the tree. The confusion dissipated, immediately replaced by anger, but not her anger. Oren. The bond relayed Oren’s emotions to her even here, and his fury had broken through the hypnotizing serenity.
She blinked and climbed onto her knees as the connection to Oren faded to background noise. The intensity of Oren’s fury gave her a really bad feeling. The bond told her he was close. Like in the same building close, except he shouldn’t be here. Dru wanted to care, tried to work up concern for the discrepancy, but already, the call of the water began to rise inside her again.
Ljos wasn’t kidding around. Nick had said she needed to drink the sacred waters before she could take her place as the vessel, and apparently, the tree didn’t take no for an answer. Dru hadn’t thought she was ready to take on the role yet, but would another couple of weeks really make a difference? They could find a way to circumvent Hollis, but Dru’s fate as the vessel wouldn’t change. At least if she drank now, she’d be the one making the decision. Mostly. Her instincts insisted that this was the way, and Ljos clearly agreed.
Still, Dru hesitated. Why the sudden pressure? Her birthday wasn’t for a few more weeks. Could she trust that this was Ljos and not some perversion of Hollis’? Without meaning to, her hand reached for the pool again.
She sighed. Everything could be some scheme set up by Hollis. She’d be here all day if she continued doubting her instincts, and the mate bond sent her increasingly frantic compulsions to hurry.
Oren was in trouble, and she needed to make a decision. Drinking wouldn’t complete the bond, but maybe it would allow her to reassert control over her magic so she could help her mate. They still had time to find a solution. Before she could give in to fear again, Dru leaned down and took a deep drink directly from the pool.
Nothing happened. Dru sat up and frowned. The water tasted fresh and clean, but she didn’t suddenly feel awash with new magic. Granted, she’d only completed one of several steps to vessel-hood, but the whole experience felt anti-climactic. Dru held her hand up in front of her. Nope, no glow or anything.
Another nudge from the bond got her moving again. She cast her magic out to test it, and the power went where she directed it. Good enough. The pull from the water had dissipated as soon as she’d stuck her face in it, but the urge to rush to Oren’s rescue had steadily increased.
What could he possibly have done to get himself here and in trouble so quickly?
She followed the bond across the room to a different alcove and a new set of stairs. They wound up and up, eventually depositing her in a new hallway at the side of a grand foyer. Dru recognized this place. Another, larger, staircase to her left led up to the chamber of the sacred tree. She caught her breath after the last bit of cardio and wished she’d taken more Pilates classes.
At this point, the bond practically pulsed, and she knew Oren was in that room. Somehow, he’d followed her to Vethr and ended up in the center of Hollis’ power structure. She shook her head and started up the wide steps. Her chest squeezed tight with fear for him, but the bond centered her as it pushed her forward. Nothing would stop her from protecting her mate.
When Dru opened the doors, she figured out why the rest of the castle seemed empty. Everyone had gathered in this room. Hollis sat on a throne of vines, protected by dripping thorns and a line of guards to both sides. Dru recognized the plant from her studies, but she couldn’t remember the name. The liquid induced paralysis when introduced to the body. She vaguely recalled something about the diluted version being a sedative.
“Welcome, daughter, and happy birthday.”
Dru frowned and took a few more steps into the room. “It’s not my birthday yet.”
Hollis smirked. “Oh, it is. I may have given the wrong date to the human authorities all those years ago, but a mother remembers.”
Dru’s stomach clenched, and she froze.
“I even have a gift for you.” She waved at the guards, who stepped aside to reveal a woman with short dark hair passed out in a plain wooden chair, and next to her, Oren, almost completely surrounded by vines.
The woman had to be Bri. She looked the same as her pictures. Her chest rose and fell steadily, so Dru put her concern aside for now. Too late to help Bri with Dru’s worst nightmare coming true. Either she saved all of them, or she became a slave to her mother.
Dru found it much harder to ignore the other gift. She wanted to rush to Oren and tear the vines away, but even across the room, she could feel the magic holding him. The bond reassured her that he was fine and relayed his desperate need to keep her safe. Dru didn’t dare meet his eyes with Hollis watching like a hawk. She couldn’t risk drawing the focus to Oren while her mother had all the power. Instead, she sent him all the love and confidence she could muster, and chose a different target.
“Where’s Nick?”
Hollis raised a brow. “How interesting. I was unaware that you’d made the connection between me and my pet.” She sighed. “Sadly, he fulfilled his end of the bargain and returned you to me, so I released him from his servitude. Of course, per our agreement, I had to take his memories first, but you’ve grown apart in recent years. I’m sure in time you’ll forget about him as he has forgotten you.”
Dru shook her head, remembering his last words to her before she’d passed out. “Nick wouldn’t bring me here.”
Hollis shrugged elegantly. “Not directly, but he played a part in your return, so the magic demanded payment.”
He’d been a good friend, and the loss of him saddened Dru, but at least he was free now. Bad decisions and all. She’d deal with the fallout of that later. If she had a later. For now, she had to get a headcount of Hollis’ team.
“Who actually brought me back?”
Her mother waved her hand again, and a nondescript man with brown hair and eyes stepped forward. He smiled with cold eyes and a dimple appeared. Dru couldn’t believe she’d ever thought he was cute back at the coffee shop. He’d ditched the suit in favor of a vest and poofy shirt, like a pirate who’d stumbled into the wrong fantasy movie.
“Allow me to introduce Alex, your betrothed.”
He walked toward her, and Dru belatedly realized that the guards had surrounded her as well. No backing out of the room and making a run for it. Her eyes found Oren and fear chilled her. They were in so much trouble.
Alex stopped directly in front of her and captured a lock of her hair, rubbing it between his fingers. “Hello, wife.”
Dru jerked her head away, pulling the hair from his grasp. “I have a name, you know. Also, super not your wife. Thirdly…” Since he obviously needed a reminder about personal space, she kneed him in the groin as hard as she could. He grunted and fell over, clutching his junk. “You don’t get to touch me.”
Satisfaction rippled into her from the bond as she stepped over his prone body to fully enter the room. Head high, she ignored the small contingent of guards following her and the one who stooped to help Alex regain his feet. He muttered a few curses behind her, but otherwise refrained from retaliating. Maybe the amusement on Hollis’ face convinced him that he wouldn’t win any fight he started.
Her mother tsked and stood. “Always so willful. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to see you take after me in some aspects.” Her gown sparkled in the light and swished across the floor as she joined Dru in the center of the room. “I understand your reticence, but I’m afraid he’s necessary. The wedding ritual is prepared, and after, the bond will be complete. All you need to do is accept it.”
Dru managed not to react outwardly, but inside, she screamed in denial. No way in hell would she marry that tool who’d failed so spectacularly at trying to scare back to Vethr. She reached for Oren through the bond, and his solid presence calmed her racing heart.
When Dru didn’t respond, Hollis’ eyes fell to the mark on her neck, and she turned to face Oren. “I’m sure you’d prefer to keep your prize, shifter.” A predatory smile stretched across her face as she approached Oren. “Oh yes, I know what you are, and I know what you’re looking for. Your little female has been quite cooperative, but I’m afraid I have need of her for some time.” She gestured to a far corner of the room where a tiny blonde woman sat in another wooden chair flanked by guards. Her expression remained utterly placid, and Dru couldn’t help but feel a little jealous at that level of facial control. The woman had to be Tamra.
Oren didn’t seem at all concerned with his bounty. His gaze hadn’t wavered from Dru since she’d entered the room. She could feel his coiled tension through the bond, his complete focus on saving Dru from her fate. Hollis didn’t pretend to care one way or the other. To her, the others were pawns. Just like Dru.
Hollis reached Oren and glanced at Dru over her shoulder. “Do you know why he’s really here? I can see from your face that you think you do. Come to collect his bounty along with a misguided urge to protect you.”
Oren struggled against his bonds, but the vines held him tight. Hollis reached out and patted his cheek. Dru wanted to rip her hand away from him, but the guards watching would probably frown on her manhandling the queen.
“I know the truth. Some years ago, a lone woman from one of the clans dared to approach me and beg for use of the waters. She wanted to use it to speed the process of finding her mate. I wanted a child of the clan for my use, so a bargain was struck. Only the woman took too much.” Hollis shook her head sadly. “I had to intervene and spread the magic. Many years later, once your elders took note of my power, they requested a council. I declined to attend, but they sent an envoy anyway. I turned them away when they arrived, as you should have done. I hear they never made it home.”
Hollis turned away as if bored with the story, but Dru felt Oren’s rapt attention. Two of the members of that envoy were his parents. Dru glanced at Tamra again, and noted a gleam of interest that hadn’t been on her face before. Hollis had interfered in the clans and drastically altered both of these people’s lives.
She climbed back into her throne of death and took a sip from a ridiculously jeweled goblet sitting next to her. “He’s here for himself. His people disappeared, and he wants to know what happened. You’re a convenient means to an end.”
The words missed their mark. Dru had already gone through the fire of believing Oren had used her, betrayed her, and she’d reached the other side stronger. She had faith in Ore
n, in their connection through the bond, and her trust in him didn’t waver.
Dru smiled with real amusement. “Well, at least he’s good in bed.”
Hollis’ eyes narrowed at the flippant response. “A royal wedding is a private affair, especially one involving the vessel.” She flicked her fingers at the door. “Guards, you may leave.”
The room emptied save for Alex, Hollis, and her four captives. Dru quirked an eyebrow. “I told you. I’m not marrying him.”
Alex scowled at her, and Hollis rubbed her forehead. “You have no choice. The vessel must be bonded to survive the magic.”
“What happens if there’s no vessel?”
“The magic dries up, and we all die.”
Dru’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t think that’s it.” She knew when Hollis lied, and though her last statement hadn’t been exactly false, Hollis didn’t entirely believe what she’d just said.
Hollis scoffed. “You don’t like the answer so it must be a lie? Denying the truth won’t save you, but you can save him.” She gestured at Oren, motionless and shrouded in vines. “Accept the bond with Alex and your shifter may go free, untouched by Ljos. Unless you’d prefer to keep him as a pet. I understand the men of the clans are quite…aggressive. If you continue to thwart me, I’ll be forced to sever your bond with his death. Choose.”
With Hollis’ ultimatum, Dru’s gaze found Oren. He stared at her with blazing eyes, and she didn’t need his words to understand his desperation for her to choose him and save herself. Her footsteps sounded loud in her head as she approached him, but no one tried to stop her. Even if she wanted to, she didn’t know how to break her bond with him.
Dru would normally be panicking, but Hollis hadn’t known the answer to her question about the vessel. She’d guessed. Her response had been speculation at best. The dryads had followed generations of tradition based on nothing more than Hollis’ command.
