Tales of the Feisty Druid Omnibus (Books 1-7): (The Arcadian Druid, The Undying Illusionist, The Frozen Wasteland, The Deceiver, The Lost, The Damned, Into The Maelstrom)
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She nodded. “I’m sorry. Look, I don’t know about all this yet.”
“Ah, here we go,” he said, sitting up.
Laughing, she said, “No. No, it isn’t like that. It’s just… I’ve never once thought of myself as the type of girl to be with anyone. Certainly not my best friend.”
He nodded. “I know that. It’s why I’ve never said anything. But just so you know, this has been a thing since the day I met you.”
She shook her head and sighed. “I had a feeling, but I always pushed it aside. I won’t lie—it scares me a bit. Even more than running into Arcadia and starting a war.”
He nodded. “I understand. How about we make a deal?”
“I’m listening,” she said, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Once this is all over… Once Arcadia is back in Amelia’s hands and we’ve defeated Alaric. Once all of that is settled, you and I will have a serious conversation about this. Whether it’s you telling me you can’t live without me or to fuck off and we’re just friends. I don’t care, as long as it’s what will make you happy, and you take it seriously.”
Her expression turned curious. “But if I decide something as girly as never being able to live without you, does that mean I can’t tell you to fuck off anymore?”
He looked at her incredulously. “What? And deprive me of such sweet words? I would expect it.”
She laughed. “Well, this is sounding better and better all the time. We really would make one messed-up pair.”
He nodded. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Also… No. It’s not girly to tell me you can’t live without me. I would say it to you.”
“That’s your argument?” she asked, giving him the same incredulous look he had just given her.
He laughed. “Point taken. Clearly, I’m the prettier one in this relationship, and far more in tune with my feelings.”
“Oh, Bitch,” she said, laughing.
“But seriously—do we have a deal?”
“As long as nothing changes between us as far as our friendship goes, whether we become something more or not. You really are everything to me, and I don’t want to lose our laughs. Plus, we enjoy insulting each other. You make it so easy.”
“Done,” he said.
They got to their feet, smiling as they sensed something moving through the trees across the river. Arryn stepped forward, her eyes changing to a deep obsidian as she prepared for an enemy to break through.
Instead, it was a little girl.
22
Arryn's eyes faded back to their natural color as the girl dropped down to the bank of the Kalt River. Her hair was a disheveled mess, and her dark skin had a hint of grey to it. From the greyish shade of her kinky hair and the color of her eyes, Arryn knew she was a dark druid child.
"Please," the girl said, raising her hands in a submissive manner. "Please let me cross the river. I came a long way, scared of what I'd find. But you're not bad. You’re not like them. You don't deserve to die."
Arryn looked at Cathillian, and his eyes flashed green as he grew the weeds along the river to reach across the water. They gently wrapped around the girl's waist and pulled her to their side.
As he set her down, freeing her of what could have easily turned into her bonds, she smiled. "I'm different than you. I'm different than them, too, but you don't know me. All you know is that I look like your enemy, but you still trusted me." She smiled again. "You really are good."
Arryn smiled and knelt before the girl. She extended her hand, a look of shock crossing the girl’s face before she cautiously placed her hand in Arryn's. "You can sense the good in others. You must be kind of like me. I always had a knack for reading people, too, and it's even stronger when I touch them."
The girl nodded, her smile growing. "That's the same with me. Sometimes, if someone is really bad or really good, I can sense it without needing to touch them. The druids who came to the Terres Forest are bad people. They plan to hurt you."
Arryn's brows creased. "You came all the way here to tell us this? To warn us?"
Cathillian kneeled then, too. "How old are you? Where are your parents?"
The little girl pulled her hand back, nervously picking at her filthy nails as her eyes turned toward the ground. She shook her head. "They don't like me. But that's okay, because I don't like them either. They're bad people. They hurt other people and take what they want. I'm only eight, and even I know that's not the way things are supposed to be."
That was one of the most horrifying things Arryn had ever heard. A child outcast not only among her people, but from her own parents. Family was everything, and without the people around her she had now, she never would've survived.
This girl was only a year younger than Arryn had been when she had come to the Dark Forest. How fitting, she thought, that it be me the girl found first.
"Are they coming the way you did? Straight through the Forest?" Cathillian asked.
The young dark druid shook her head, her matted curls bouncing as she did. "No. They planned to head south again, back to their land. They’ve got plans, but I think they'll be coming here soon enough."
Arryn felt chills as she realized just how much the girl had been through in her short life, not to mention the bravery it had taken for her to leave everything she had ever known to find people who were the enemy of her own. All that with nothing more than a glimmer of hope they might be better than where she came from.
Arryn scooted forward, giving her a comforting smile as she took both the girl’s hands in her own. "How about we take you back to the village and introduce you to our Chieftain? If you like us, I can promise you’ll like him. He's very funny, and he loves children. In fact, he pretty much is one."
The girl giggled, and Cathillian smiled as he said, "I can vouch for that. He's my grandfather, and sometimes he acts even younger than me. Hell, younger than you."
"After that, we'll all sit down and talk about what you saw and what you wanted to tell us. Then we’ll get some food into your belly, and later I'll bring you back down here to the river and we'll get you cleaned up. I just know there's a beautiful girl under all this dirt," Arryn said with a smile.
The little girl nodded excitedly, and Arryn could sense her happiness. She had never been shown an ounce of acceptance, but that was about to change. Arryn decided right then that she would take responsibility for this girl, just as Elysia had done for her when she was child.
As the sun set on the Dark Forest, the scent of charred wood and oil still lingering in the air, Arryn and Elysia walked Corrine back to the village. It had taken them a long time, and Elysia had to help, but they had finally gotten the young girl’s hair untangled and clean.
She looked like a brand-new kid. Her hair was beautiful and shiny. She had tight, kinky curls, and Arryn loved playing with them. There were other women in the village who had hair like hers, and Arryn couldn't wait to introduce her to them so they could teach her and Corrine how to properly care for it.
The Chieftain said the girl was from Jerick's tribe. While he hadn't gone to the extremes his brother Alaric had, he was still a very cruel man. That much was evident from the things Corrine had told them.
The Chieftain told them that although she had been born a dark druid, that didn't mean she was stuck as one. Over time, if she were fed properly and learned how to use more positive magic, the damage that had been done to her body would be cleansed.
As dark grey as her hair was, he had to assume it would turn to a rich, shiny black, and the grey tint to her skin would vanish, revealing a lovely dark healthy glow.
He was impressed the girl had been able to hold onto her soul while surrounded by people with such darkness. Corrine had immediately taken to the Chieftain, just as Arryn had hoped she would. She laughed at all his jokes, which only made the Chieftain like her more.
Arryn walked her back to her home, and Corrine was startled by what she saw waiting for them there.
"Oh, my," she said when she
caught sight of Snow. "Will she bite me?"
Arryn laughed. "No. No familiar here will bite you. In fact, if you are ever in danger, any familiar in this village will give its life to save you. That's the way it should be. Human and animal alike—we're all family."
Corrine just stared at her for several moments before lunging forward and wrapping her arms around Arryn’s waist. "Thank you."
And then, as if nothing had just happened, she turned and ran towards Snow, stopping just far enough away to be respectful. "Can I pet you? You look soft."
Arryn silently watched as Snow lowered her head, closing her eyes as she offered herself to the little girl.
"Do you want to play with me?" she asked excitedly as she ran her fingers through the tiger’s fur.
Arryn laughed. "Snow isn't really the playful type, not that she doesn't like to. She just prefers to sleep. If you ever want snuggles, though, Snow is your girl. For playing, however…"
Arryn's eyes flashed for a moment as she reached out, searching for her cub, and within seconds she heard the pitter-patter of quick paws running at full speed toward them.
"This is Dante. All he ever does is play. Trees are his favorite, though I don't like him playing in them alone. He always gets stuck."
Dante skidded to a stop in front of the girl, giving her a cautious sniff before approaching with obvious excitement. Corrine reached out with both hands, petting him all over, which he gladly accepted as he flopped onto his back to demand belly rubs.
"I used to get stuck in trees all the time too, but I'm a lot better now. I'll show you how to get down!" Corrine said. "Come with me."
They ran to the closest tree that was suitable for climbing.
"How was it possible that someone didn’t want that child?" Elysia asked as she walked up behind Arryn. "She's perfect."
Arryn nodded. "I get the feeling none of that matters, now that she’s here. Not to her, anyway."
Elysia put her hand on the small of Arryn's back, giving her a gentle pat. "You're right. She's home now." Elysia sighed, a smile spreading on her lips.
"What is it?" Arryn asked.
"It's just amazing, you know. You and Cathillian finally realized the love you have for one another, and five seconds later you adopt a child together."
Arryn's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she turned to Elysia. "What did you just say?"
Elysia laughed as they heard approaching footsteps. Arryn turned to see Cathillian coming toward them, and she directed her shocked expression toward him. His eyes widened in response.
"Shit!" he shouted, turning to run in the opposite direction. "Don't kill me!"
That made Elysia laugh even harder. "Oh, you have no idea how long I've waited for this. Don't be mad at him, child. He was excited and wanted to tell someone. You can't blame him, can you?"
"Logically? I suppose not. But we both know that I will find ways."
The Chieftain walked up behind them, placing his hands on their shoulders. "I hate to break this up, but the time has come. We need to meet around the fire and discuss what we plan to do in the morning. Because after a little rest, we're all marching on Arcadia."
Arryn and Elysia looked at one another briefly before turning back to the Chieftain, nodding in response. As he walked away, Arryn followed him, her brief moment of jokes and happiness gone as the weight of the impending war once again pressed down on her shoulders.
23
Amelia sat next to the fire with Samuel on one side and Celine on the other, watching as everyone filed in, ready to hear what the plan might be. A couple of familiar faces approached her.
"Elon!" Amelia said. "It's so nice to see you. You've been hidden away. Part of me wondered if you hadn't run altogether."
He had spent his time secluded from most everyone. She joked about thinking he had left, but she knew better. A couple of times, she had seen him sitting at the base of a tree in deep thought—more than likely thinking of his son Gregory. She had to imagine if he’d had parchment with him, he would have designed many incredible inventions by then.
He shook his head. "Never. Not until this is finished." He gestured to the man standing to his left. His mentor, Waylon. "We have something for you. Or I guess I should say, he has something for you."
"When did you get here?" Amelia asked, standing to greet the engineer with a smile.
He returned her smile. "I have eyes and ears all over that city. I have had them since Adrien was in power. But when they stopped coming around, I knew something was wrong. You confirmed as much when you came to see me, but it got worse. I decided to get out and do some digging of my own, and I overheard two guardsmen talking about Arryn. They were talking about planning an attack on the Dark Forest, so I left that night."
Amelia nodded. "I suppose with all the excitement, we've been pretty scattered. So, what do you have for us?"
Elon wore a large bag on his back, which he carefully brought around and set on the ground. He opened it and pulled a box free, handing it to Amelia. She gently opened it to see a round disc-like object inside. Her eyes lifted toward Elon again.
"Don't worry," he said. "They're not active. A switch on the bottom engages it. Once flipped, it would need to be placed in the ground to work properly. Just make sure you set it down carefully to keep the charges from detonating."
Waylon smiled again. "I recommend digging the hole, then using magic to set the charge. Levitate it in there. Human hands are very shaky things when scared."
"I know you wanted these to protect against a remnant invasion, but they might come in handy in the war to come. You guys are planning to march on Arcadia. There are a couple of thousand guards in there. You know as well as I do that not everyone will get out alive. If it’s between you—the people trying to save the city—and a dozen or more men getting ready to take your heads and prevent you from doing it, you throw that damn charge and let it take them," Elon said.
Amelia smiled. "Be careful, Elon. I might just start to think we’re becoming friends."
"Why the hell would we do a fool thing like that?" he asked sarcastically. "But seriously—watch your back. If an army of men and women threaten to keep you from doing what you came to do, then do whatever it takes."
Closing the box, Amelia set it back in the bag before walking over and giving Elon a hug. "Thank you. Both of you." She pulled away, making eye contact with the man she had once hated but had now come to respect. "You've made a lot of mistakes, but you've gone to great lengths to make amends for them. Your son would be proud of you. I think we both know him well enough to know that."
Elon pursed his lips as he nodded. He reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning and walking away, taking Waylon with him.
“Elon,” Amelia said, stopping both Elon and his mentor. “Why don’t both of you get some food? Join us for the evening.”
Both engineers smiled, Elon nodding before they made their way over to get some wine.
When the dust had settled from the battles they would face, Amelia knew that she couldn’t just arrest him again. She couldn’t stand the thought of putting him back into a cell to rot.
The man had made many, many mistakes, but he was determined to right them. It wasn’t her place to forgive what he had done to Gregory, but it was in her power to forgive him for betraying the city. After all he had done to help her protect it, she felt a pardon was warranted.
As long as things with Elon continued in such a positive way, the only thing she could think to do that was befitting was to free him. Let him find his son. If Gregory chose to let the past stay in the past, Elon would be able to live a happy life with his son. If not—well, Amelia imagined he would accept that and continue to pay for those wrongs.
Deep down, Amelia hoped for the best. She wanted to see him reconnect with his son.
Everyone gathered around the fire as the Chieftain approached. Instead of the happy expression he usually wore, this one showed only sadness and anger.
Amelia smiled at Arryn as the young woman took a step forward, accepting the position the Chieftain had granted her with great aplomb. Amelia looked at Samuel and he nodded, and together they stood to join their friend by the fire in hopes of creating a plan that would gain them the city and allow them to end Scarlett for good.
After nearly riding their horses into the ground, Scarlett, her magicians, and the Arcadian Guard had reached the city walls in only a day and a half. They knew they would need any time they had gained in the fast ride to recover and to create a plan.
Without a doubt, Scarlett knew the druids would be upon them almost immediately. Possibly in as little as a few hours, though she imagined it might be a bit longer, given the effort they would have had to expend to put out the fires.
She had thought Arryn’s intervention was a possibility, but not quite to the extent it had happened. She had made the mistake of believing she had adequately prepared for such an occurrence—but she had been very mistaken.
Not only had she been wrong in her initial assumption that they were outside the druids’ range, but she had also been wrong about the time they had left before Arryn's return.
How could she have been so stupid? Why did she not think about the animals warning the druids?
She realized it was because she didn't understand nature magic in the least, and certainly hadn't given it the respect it deserved.
Now, the threat of losing everything she had worked for and exhausted herself over for so long was upon her. She couldn't let Arryn win. Not like this.