Blood of the Maple

by Dana Marie Bell

  Parker could go either way.

  The dryads lined up in front of the platform, with Parker in the middle. Mina spoke up again. “Dragos. You have a weed that needs pulling.” The familiar words had Parker smiling once more. Mina tsk-tsked like she was chastising a child. “Why weren’t we notified?” She tapped her foot, ignoring the renewed mutters of the crowd, her attention concentrated solely on the mayor.

  “Did Amara tell you of Terri?” Dragos rested his chin on his hand. Any sense he was actually in charge had fled the moment Mina and company set foot in the town hall. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes away from the dark-haired, dark-eyed dryad.

  “No. We became aware of it when the tree exploded in the market. When the wolves attacked Amara—”

  “What?” Parker clenched his fists. Dragos’s fascination with Mina could wait. Fury flew through him. Someone had attacked his sotiei when he wasn’t there to protect her.

  “Down, boy.” Amara stroked his arm. “I took care of it.”

  “Boy, did she.” Ash’s evil grin was alarming. “They’re dangling from the trees like furry fruit.”

  “Are they dead? Did she kill my mate?”

  The naiad who’d been carted out by her werewolf mate at Monster Movie Night stood, wringing her hands.

  “No. I killed none of them.” Amara tightened her grip on his arm.

  “Although she would have been well within her rights.” Mina’s glare scraped the crowd raw. “They attacked without provocation or warning. Had she been anything other than what she is, she would be dead.”

  Parker saw red. Only Amara’s touch and the soft chant Brian began kept him from losing control over his beast, hunting down that furry fruit and picking it until it bled. “Who?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Amara took his head in her hands and faced his beast. “It’s done. If they haven’t learned their lesson, perhaps a night helpless in the woods will teach it.”

  “Where they’re vulnerable to anything that comes along,” an anonymous voice yelled. “And who is to say she didn’t kill them and is standing here lying to us now?”

  Ugly murmurs began yet again. Dragos was preparing for the moment when Parker finally lost it.

  Ash faced the townsfolk. “We saw everything. Amara was the victim, not the entire wolf pack of Maggie’s Grove.”

  All the wolves? All of them? “Even Jason?” Parker growled.

  Amara started. “Jason?”

  “Right here.” The wolf waved, his face red. He had a fresh scar along one cheek, the mark of a claw. Parker hadn’t damaged the were; had Jason’s alpha done that? “I didn’t go. I didn’t think it was right.”

  Huh. The only wolf who would survive this was the one he hadn’t expected to act sensibly. “Good.”

  “Parker. Let it go, sourpuss.”

  That got his attention. He stared at Amara, and the beast receded at the sight of his sotiei’s smile. “Sourpuss, eh?”

  “I humiliated them, proved I’m stronger than all of them. Let them live with that.”

  He ground his teeth. He really wanted someone to hurt, but he bowed his head. “As you wish.” He lifted her hand to his lips, his eyes on the crowd. He wanted everyone to know that only Amara could stay his wrath. Maybe it would make them think twice before taking her on.

  Besides, if she had left the entire Maggie’s Grove wolf pack dangling from the trees, his wife had proven beyond a doubt that she could take care of herself. Let them chew on that for a bit.

  “What’s being done to bring the witch to justice?” Mina returned their attention to what was important: finding and stopping Terri.

  “We’re going to try to lure her into the open.” Dragos relaxed only marginally, meeting Mina’s challenge head-on. “We could use Parker and Amara as bait.”

  “Not Amara.” Parker spoke without thought, his first instinct to protect Amara.

  The elbow that dug into his side was sharp and pointy. “Yes Amara.”

  He glared at her.

  She glared back. “Don’t you growl at me, mister.” They both ignored the startled chuckles of the townsfolk. “She killed Ken. I want her to hurt.” There was horrible pain in her eyes, pain that should not be there. She’d truly loved that boy.

  He had to find Terri, and soon, before she did any more damage.

  He cupped her cheek and tried one last tactic, knowing it would fail. “I won’t be able to control myself if she harms you. You know that.”

  She leaned into his caress. “Then don’t. Feel free to kick her ass big-time. Please. I want to watch. I’ll even bring popcorn and a video camera so we can relive the happy moment over and over.”

  “So? How are we luring her out? Are we using this meeting? Because if I were her, and unafraid to attack in public, this is the first place I’d go.” Greer walked the rest of the way onto the platform, his blond hair glowing brightly under the lights.

  “We need the wolves.” Dragos stared at Greer. “Amara, please free them.”

  “No.” Mina held up her hand, imperious down to her toes. “The wolves stay where they are. They attacked Amara. They need to be taught a lesson, a hard one.”

  “And if they don’t learn it?” Dragos followed Greer with his eyes, frowning slightly when Greer stole Dragos’s seat. He seemed puzzled by the dryad with the easygoing smile.

  “Hi. I’m Greer. And you are?” The dryad held out his hand to Kate. She ignored him, shuffling papers on the table, but the tense set of her shoulders screamed her disdain. Greer shrugged and put his hands behind his head, but Parker caught a brief glimpse of mischief and wondered what he was up to.

  “Then they find another place to hunt.” Kate sniffed, scooting away, but Greer grabbed her seat and pulled her closer, to her dismay. “They could always try heading west. Say, Alaska?”

  “No, they couldn’t.” Ash hopped onto the table. He crossed his legs and blocked Kate’s view of the crowd with his broad back. “The feral dryads living there already know what happened, and they’re a little more aggressive than we city folk are. Not a single wolf would return if they went there.”

  There were gasps in the crowd. “What?” The naiad was on her feet again. “Why?”

  Mina turned on the woman. “You idiot. You fool! Haven’t you been listening? The pack attacked a dryad in the woods, and not just any dryad. They attacked a fucking hamadryad!”

  Amara stiffened. “A what?”

  Where had Parker heard that term before?

  Ash’s mouth went tight. “Glinda knew you were different, but she didn’t understand how different. We tried to explain it to her, but she was afraid of what you might be subjected to if you found out what your true purpose is. You were far too young to take up your duties when you first shifted. You could have been killed.”

  “And until you felt ready to talk with us, we couldn’t interfere.” Greer’s expression was serious for once. “You weren’t old enough, and Glinda wanted you to have as normal a childhood as possible. As she was your guardian, we were forced to comply with her wishes, whether we wanted to or not, until you came of age.”

  “She came of age years ago,” Parker pointed out.

  “Not for a tree, she didn’t. Schwedler maples are full grown at—”

  “Twenty-five years.” Parker groaned even as Ash nodded.

  “And that is when we could have interfered despite Glinda’s wishes. Until then?” Ash shrugged. “We were forced to stay away, no matter how badly we wanted to teach her, bring her into the fold. She’s…precious.” The awe on his face when he looked at Amara had Parker’s hackles rising.

  Greer kicked his feet up on the table, narrowly missing Kate’s coffee cup. “A hamadryad is literally one with her tree in ways no ordinary dryad can possibly understand. It’s like the psychics and sensitives among humans. They have senses normal humans don’t. You commune with your tree the same way a normal dryad does, but when your life or the life of something you care about is in danger, you can be partly tre
e, using the strength and stamina of the forest to protect and defend. You are a guardian in the truest sense of the word, and to attack you is to attack every dryad, every tree and plant, every elemental in that forest. The only reason those wolves who attacked you lived is because you chose to show them mercy. If you hadn’t, the forest would have finished what you’d begun. With or without you.”

  The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

  Mina piped up, her gaze raking over the townsfolk. “There is no being rarer than the hamadryad, not even the Meliae.”

  Parker cleared his throat. Mina winked at him. “Except vegetarian vampires.”

  Parker made sure he had a good grip on Amara’s elbows. “So basically you’re telling me she’s a weretree.”

  The dryads gaped. Amara rolled her eyes.

  Greer threw his head back and laughed, nearly tipping his chair over.

  “Uh. Yes. I suppose that’s one way to look at it.” Ash looked like he wanted to laugh too, but he didn’t.

  “And you three are?”

  The dryads exchanged a glance.

  “Oak, Birch and Ash—we rule the forest and all its inhabitants,” Ash answered. “In the same way the alpha rules his pack, we rule the creatures who call the forest home.”

  “And Oak rules them all.” Ash, Oak, Birch and Yew were the four sacred trees among the druids, with Oak reigning supreme. So where was Yew?

  Mina nodded. “Very astute.” She raised her chin proudly. “And that means Amara is under my command.”

  Parker stiffened at that but quickly let it go. It was no different than a ruling prince of a coven of vampires or a high priestess of the witches. “I’ll take good care of her.”

  Amara snorted, but Mina looked delighted. “I know you will. But first we need to take care of your problem.”

  Parker heard a gasp and a thud.

  “Sorry,” Greer muttered, helping Kate to her feet. Somehow he’d managed to knock her chair over, with her in it. “Here, let me get that for you.” He brushed at Kate’s skirt, specifically her rear end.

  “Greer.” Dragos took a step forward and reached for him.

  Kate’s skirt hit the floor. She shrieked and covered her black lace panties with her hands.

  “Oops. So, so sorry.” Greer bent over and tried to pick up the skirt. His backside collided with Dragos, knocking the vamp back. Greer pulled, and the sound of fabric tearing filled the air. “Uh-oh.”

  “Greer!” Mina snapped. “Stop playing and pay attention.”

  Greer handed the ripped skirt back to the half-naked woman. “It will only take a moment to repair it, Mina.”

  “No, Greer.”

  Dragos reached for Greer again, but the man danced aside.

  “Dragos, do something!” Kate shrieked, holding the ruined skirt in front of her panties.

  Parker’s eyes damn near crossed. The woman had a hell of a set of lungs on her.

  “I take it back. I like this town.”

  Greer leaped over the table and landed lightly next to Mina. “I say we take Parker and Amara into the woods, set them loose and let Amara deal with Terri. It should only take a couple of days, right?” Mina shot him an irritated look. “What?”

  “That won’t do.” Parker tugged Amara close again, unwilling to go any longer without her sweet touch. “I’ve got a bit of a sunlight allergy, remember? A few minutes too long and whoosh, crispy Parker.”

  “Right. Sorry.” Greer actually blushed, looking more embarrassed than when he’d accidentally ripped Kate’s skirt off. Parker wondered what the hell that was all about. “Ash?”

  Ash was staring at something in the crowd, or possibly someone. His shoulders were tight, his hands loose. If Parker didn’t know better, he’d swear the man was hunting.

  Ash’s head whipped to the left. His eyes narrowed, his nostrils flared and he placed himself firmly in front of Mina.

  Fuck. He was hunting.

  Parker immediately went on alert. He sniffed the air, hoping to sense whatever was making Ash so tense.

  “Ash?”

  Mina grumbled when Ash didn’t answer. He kept his focus on the crowd…or the wall behind the crowd. He grasped Mina’s wrist and kept her behind him when she tried to move past.

  Something tickled the back of Parker’s throat. It tasted foul, fetid.

  Rotten.

  “Terri.” He started searching for that elusive stench, that horrible taste. She wouldn’t be in the crowd itself. There was no way she could blend in with so many supernaturals. But she was powerful enough to damage the building and everyone in it without ever having to come inside. “Can we get everyone out?”

  “No! I’m half-naked!”

  Parker turned to Kate, who was still struggling with her skirt. The zipper had apparently broken. “Bloody hell, woman. A witch with a vendetta is somewhere nearby, and you’re worried about your fucking togs?”

  An ominous creak reverberated through the wooden floor. The lights flickered. A cracking noise was swiftly followed by the sound of pebbles hitting the ground.

  “Oh shit.” Amara, eyes wide, stared at one of the walls. “She’s using the garden around the building to bring it down.”

  “Parker,” Terri’s voice crooned, coming from everywhere at once. “Come to me, my love.”

  “How the hell is she doing that?” Brian gagged. “Gods above, I can feel her in my head. It’s like my brain is coated in slime.”

  “Everyone out!” Parker bellowed, using what power he had to force everyone to obey.

  There was a stampede toward the front door, but when the first wave of people hit it, the door refused to open. It was jammed shut.

  “I’m really beginning to dislike this witch-bitch of yours, Parker.” Dragos stepped off the platform into thin air. “We need to take her down before she kills the entire town to get to you.” He held out his hands, and a screeching noise, like branches being viciously scraped across a car, assaulted their ears. Dragos was trying to force the doors open telekinetically.

  He was failing. And he looked utterly stunned by that fact.

  Parker refrained from telling him he wasn’t the first person to underestimate the witch.

  “Uh-uh, naughty, naughty.” Terri giggled. “I’ll tell you what—give me Parker and I’ll let you all live.” Plaster rained down on their heads; women screamed as a huge crack appeared in the ceiling.

  “Out of my way, everyone.”

  Parker turned to find Amara had assumed her hamadryad form. She lumbered toward the door, the townsfolk scattering away from her like sheep before a wolf. She placed her hands on the door and shoved, straining against the weight. Dragos resumed using his mind to help, but nothing happened. Whatever Terri was using to barricade the door was tough.

  Plaster landed on Parker’s head. He looked up to find the ceiling riddled with cracks. A sharp snap had him cursing, but it was breaking glass that got him moving. He peered out one of the windows, using his enhanced night vision to see how bad things were.

  All he saw was a sea of writhing green. He snapped his head back as a thorn poked through the window, damn near taking his eye out.

  “Oh no, you don’t.” A tendril wiggled through the broken panes, wrapped around the lintel and snaked up the wall. Wherever it went, it left tiny cracks behind, which branched into more cracks. “You can save them from this. Just come outside. Join me, Parker.”

  Soon the wall would be nothing but cracks and would fall, killing anyone in the way. Sprays of pollen formed and burst, drifting in the air. “We’re in deep trouble.” He bit his lip, thinking hard. The vampires could get out by misting, but that would leave everyone inside to face the fate Terri had in store for them. Knowing Terri, any vamp who demisted on the other side would be facing something horrific, and they’d be without protections of any kind. Enough puncture wounds would kill a vamp without ever touching his heart. She had to know that. She was crazy, but she’d never been stupid.

  He couldn�
�t use fire. Burning the foliage would only enclose the victims in an oven, baking everything and everyone along with the vegetation. He had no way to freeze the plants, unless…

  He grabbed the naiad who had stood up for her wolf mate. “Can you freeze water?”

  She shook her head. “No. I can move water, but I can’t boil it or freeze it, not without help.”

  “From what?”

  “For boiling? A stove. For ice, I like my refrigerator.”

  Smart-ass. “But you can influence water?”

  “Yes,” she drawled, obviously thinking him a madman.

  He tugged her over toward the window. “Can you work with the water inside the plants?”

  She gasped. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” She rolled up her sleeves. “Stand back.”

  Parker obeyed and hoped she got it right. If not, they were all dead.

  Amara pushed and pushed, but nothing happened. The door remained stubbornly shut. “I need help!”

  A pair of hands joined hers, their stony grip sure and steady. “I’m here.”

  Rock. She’d recognize those hands anywhere. “Thanks.”

  “Me too.” Another pair joined Rock’s, pale and small, the nails bright red. She hissed as she pushed. Amara recognized her as one of the vamps who’d cried out that she was guilty.

  “Anyone else who wants to help, see if you can find another way out.” She couldn’t run the risk of doing more harm than good. Too much force could take the entire wall out.

  She pushed, her muscles straining, and considered taking out the wall anyway. Soon it would be too late. The creaks and groans of the building told her the structure might soon fall on their heads, killing everyone inside.

  Then something happened. The plants on the other side of the door quivered. She could feel their pain, but they were tainted, weeds of the worst kind, and she felt very little sympathy for them.

  The door moved.

  “Bad Parker. No cookie for you.” The voice had grown more distant, weaker. Terri was losing strength.

  “Keep pushing!” Whatever was happening, the plants were losing their strength. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed a withered, limp leaf falling to the floor. “What the hell?”