by Tenaya Jayne
“Why was he trying to provoke you?”
“Because it was what I needed. He worked me into a rage that was so overwhelming, I have never felt the likes of it before or since. Redge, who was watching, said he could actually see the moment the pressure exploded inside me. Ithiel stopped his attack and stood still in front of me. I was going to kill him. Logic was gone, focus was gone, and all that was left was murder in my heart. Even now, I don’t know exactly what he did to me in that moment that would have been his death.
"I couldn’t breathe. It felt like I had been plunged deep underwater, you know, sort of, compressed. And my hands were clasped around a hot solid surface, a burning, pulsating sphere.
‘In your hands is your rage; objectified, weaponized. Use it.’ Ithiel said.
At first, I had no idea what to do. That was all he said. Every other master said to conquer your anger or it will conquer you, and all other sorts of little catch phrases that really are no help. So, after a moment of consideration I decided to act on whatever instinct came to me."
The energy emanating from Syrus as he recounted his memories dazzled Forest.
"I broke the sphere between my hands and the shards absorbed through my skin. I felt it running up through my arms and into my chest and that was where it stopped and collected. I was able to breathe again and there was Ithiel waiting to finish our fight. I had never been able to overtake him in a fight before, but now it was easy, pathetic even. I triumphed over him quickly. He asked for me to help him up from the ground and as I grasped his hands, that was when it happened.”
“What? What happened?” Forest asked, totally absorbed.
“Again, I don’t know what he did, but…I don’t have the words, Forest. I can’t describe it. What it felt like to transform, but there was this terrible roaring. It wasn’t until later that Redge told me I was the one roaring. Every scar I had achieved in fighting broke open, and I turned red with my own blood. So, Ithiel named me The Sanguine Mage.”
Forest was overwhelmed by his story. She was ashamed that she had ever treated him with disrespect. And in awe at the way he had treated her, in awe that he needed her. She felt a huge surge of pride; her mate was a powerful mage. And she almost told him right there that they were mates, almost. But she felt unworthy. Forest lay silent in the wake of his story, not trusting herself to speak.
“Are we going to make it in there?” he asked gesturing toward the trees of the Wood.
“Of course,” she said quickly.
“I’ve never been there. The wolves had taken back possession of it long before I was born. As a kid, I was always sore about it. My history tutor taught me all about it though.”
Forest snorted. “I bet I know the history better than anyone else in all of Regia.”
“That’s quite a boast. How could you make such a claim? My history tutor is seven centuries old. He has grandchildren older than you.”
“I can make that claim confidently, because I was taught the history of the Wood by someone who has lived there for eons.”
“What?”
“When I was a girl, I would often go into the Wood to escape my life. I could go on for hours about my childhood memories of the Wood. On one particular day, I was terribly upset, and I wandered deep into the interior, deeper than I had ever gone before. I found a tree there with an attractive sitting place in its roots. I nestled down there and cried and talked to myself about my troubles. Before long, I accidentally fell asleep with my head resting against the trunk.”
“What were you so upset about?” Syrus asked.
“I don’t remember.”
“I don’t believe you, but go on.”
“I began to hear a whisper in my sleep. It was such a beautifully gentle voice, like the wind through the trees. When I woke up, Shi was sitting beside me, holding my hand.”
“Shi?”
“It’s more of a sound than a pronounced name, but I call her Shi for short when I’m not addressing her directly. It’s more like, ssshhh-hhiii. Like a mother hushing her baby.”
“Who is she?” he asked.
“Shi is the ghost of a Dryad. She’s the keeper of the Wood. As soon as we set foot inside the boundary, she will know we are there. She may be a ghost, but you do not want to screw with her. I’m the first person she has shown herself to in thousands of years. Being able to call her my friend is the greatest honor of my life. I’m hoping she will be willing to direct us to Maxcarion. ”
“That’s amazing, Forest! I had no idea there were Dryad ghosts. I can’t wait to meet her!”
“Ah…well…there might be a problem with that.”
“What?” Syrus asked.
“She, ah, doesn’t like vampires much.”
Syrus was quiet a beat, his face twisted a little. “Oh how sweet. The two of you are joined forever as sisters in your mutual hatred of vampires. Terrific. I can just imagine it now: You going into the Wood as a girl and ranting for hours with a tree about how vampires suck…metaphorically.”
“Don’t be a twit. I hated vampires long before I met her; it was just some common ground we share. Maybe if you’d stop being so petulant I might say some nice things about you to Shi if she shows herself to me, and then you could have the chance to meet her.”
Forest could tell that under his nasty expression was a strong childlike excitement to meet Shi. Forest could feel her face heating up as she thought about what Shi might think about Syrus. Shi would know everything there was to know about him as soon as he crossed into the Wood. She would know that he was Forest’s mate. How would Shi respond to that tidbit of information?
“What does Shi look like?” Syrus asked.
“A tree,” Forest said shortly.
“So, you woke up and the tree-ghost was holding your hand?”
“No you moron, I was resting against her, but she appeared to me in a corporal form. She doesn’t appear very solid though. She is so beautiful; I used to wish I could look like her. She doesn’t resemble any other race I’ve ever seen. A woman-tree. She’s very tall and skinny, twig-like arms and legs, and her hair is like the dropping branches of a weeping willow.”
“What is a weeping willow?” Syrus asked.
“Oh, sorry, it’s a tree on Earth.”
“I’m glad you don’t look like that.”
“Why?”
“Because, that might be beautiful, but I don’t want to make out with it.”
Forest hesitated for a moment unsure how to respond to his remark.
“Umm, anyway Shi became my friend. I spent lots of time with her in my adolescence. She told me all about the Wood’s history. I’m just hoping that she will talk to us. ”
“Why does she hate vampires?” Syrus asked.
“If your history teacher was worth his salt, you wouldn’t have to ask that. It’s a long story and one filled with pain, so I’ll give you the short version. Your great great great great great grandfather—there are probably more greats in there, but you get the picture. Anyway, your grandfather King Leramiun is the one who brought the Dryads to their demise. He was the one who saw the potential lure the Wood could be for his enemies and began to work tirelessly on creating the perfect maze of death. Lots of Dryads were simply cut down like common trees. Those that were spared were only spared for a different death. Leramiun brought the shadow sand into the wood. The effect on the unwary traveler was exactly what Leramiun hoped for, but the Dryads ended up being collateral damage. The introduction of shadow sand into their ecosystem made them instant addicts. The addiction was deadly. Shi was the last to die.
“Her prejudice against vampires is perhaps slightly ignorant. She has judged a whole race from the actions of few.” Forest was quiet for a moment. “As have I,” she added quietly. “Some of you are halfway decent.”
“Praise indeed,” Syrus said dryly, giving her a little squeeze. “It’s going to be dangerous in there, isn’t it?”
“Maybe…probably…yes. Yes, I'm afraid it’s going t
o be very dangerous. Are you sure you want to go through with it?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” he said. “I don’t want to live the rest of my life without ever looking in your eyes.”
“Oh, come on,” she said annoyed.
“Are you really going to keep up this ruse? I wonder how long you can deny this…this…”
“All right! I admit it. There’s something between us. It doesn’t mean anything. You’ll get over it once your home. I mean really, you’re the prince! You can’t make me your princess. It’s ridiculous.”
Syrus made a little grunt in the back of his throat. “Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Okay. I’m done talking. I’m going back to sleep for a little while. Are you all right?”
Syrus chuckled. “No, not at all.”
“Are you able to keep watch?” she huffed. “Or are you too sleepy?”
“Go back to sleep. I’ll wake you when I feel tired.”
“You might want to move away from me now. I might start dreaming again and attack you without meaning to.”
His arm tightened around her. “I’ll risk it.”
It took Forest a while to fall back asleep. Reason told her to pull away and finish her sleep in her own space, but her heart argued that she should relax against Syrus and enjoy this stolen time because it would be an anomaly in her life. Hell, they might die tomorrow. Pull away! Pull away before this memory just becomes another brick on your wall of pain.
Forest rested her cheek on his arm and sighed. The stupid sucker made her feel weak. She didn’t need him. She just needed to get through the next day or two and get back to her crappy status quo. If Leith could see her in Syrus’ arms, he’d kill them both. Well, he’d kill her. Leith wasn’t even close to being strong enough or skilled enough to hurt Syrus. That thought alone caused her heart to win over her reason.
Once Forest was back asleep, Syrus relaxed and tried to work through his tangled thoughts. His chest ached against her back. She was so much smaller than he was; taut, formidable, and bitter but she was also soft and fragile; skittish like a small child who had been abused. She had admitted she felt there was something between them, and her actions had confirmed it. But he knew there was still a deeply rooted hatred she had for his kind. Syrus was fed up with not knowing why. How was he to change her bad opinion if he didn’t know what direction it came from?
Well, he wasn’t going to find out tonight. He sighed contentedly and lightly kissed her hair again.
Forest came awake slowly. The sunlight penetrated through her closed eyelids. How could the sun be up? She opened her eyes and gaped with shock. She was face to face with Syrus, lying in his arms, and he was fast asleep. She jerked out of his hold and smacked him hard on the shoulder.
“What? What is it?”
“Syrus! How could you fall asleep on your watch?” she demanded. “We could have been slaughtered! I can hardly believe we weren’t.”
“Oh,” he said thickly, sitting up and rubbing his face. “Sorry. Holding you made me feel so peaceful.”
Forest’s mouth hung open. “I…you…peaceful…sleeping…” She spluttered. “How can you just sit there rubbing your eyes like nothing happened?”
“Something happened?” he gasped in mock horror.
Forest was so mad she couldn’t speak or even look at Syrus while they packed up their stuff. Syrus acted oblivious to her rage. At the very least, he could have the decency to act sheepish and shamefaced for falling asleep on his watch, but he didn’t. He ate his breakfast with the casual nonchalance of a man on vacation. Forest had to keep unclenching her fists as they ached to pummel him.
“Get over it!” he ordered. “I can feel your hate gaze, Forest. I was wrong, I’m sorry. Now can we move on? We’re about to enter the Wood and your attitude is far more likely to get us killed than anything I’ve done. Focus on getting us to the wizard, and you’ll be rid of me in no time.”
Forest’s fists clenched again. She wanted to pummel him for being right. She looked at the tight line of massive trees and sobered. She took a few deep breaths, trying to let go of her anger. She watched Syrus pull his arms through his backpack straps and adjust his T-shirt, the trees at his back. They were here. This was the beginning of the end of their time together. And before she realized what she had done, Forest had gone to him and pulled him into a tight hug. He hugged her back just as fiercely. She knew as well as he did they were trying to reassure each other.
She let go reluctantly. “All right, once we’re inside we need to make a beeline for the Heart. The outer rim is the most beguiling, and we’ll need to get off the trail as soon as possible. It’s good that you’re a vampire and immune to shadow sand. It’s also good that you’re blind; the beauty won’t stall you or lead you in the wrong direction. It is a shame, however, that you won’t get to see the Heart or the Waterfall of Silverlight.”
Syrus shrugged. “I’ll see it on the way out. You’ll show me, won’t you?”
“Of course,” Forest said lightly. It was the most awful and painful lie she had ever told.
Forest felt the surge of power through her veins as they crossed through the invisible curtain draped over the wood. She watched Syrus as they entered. He shivered, and she could see his senses pique and roll through him.
“Wow,” he said under his breath.
“If you think that’s something, wait till we get to the Heart. The power you’ll feel there is, well, hard to describe...overwhelming. As we get deeper, you’ll understand why the Heart repels instead of drawing. I’m sure Maxcarion will have made his home near the Heart.”
Forest’s heart expanded as she threw her head back, looking up through the trees, and taking deep breaths. It had been so long, so very long, since she had beheld the beauty of the Wood. She had traveled to some of Earth’s most beautiful places, but nothing she had seen there could compare to the transcendent heartache caused by beholding the glory of the Wood.
Syrus reached for Forest’s hand. She took it easily. For a few moments, Forest allowed herself to daydream they were doing nothing more than taking a morning stroll. If she wasn’t careful, she would fall victim of the hallucinatory power of the outer rim and lead them in circles and probably into the hands of a few wolves. The amount of time that had passed since she had been in the Wood made her more sensitive to its seductive power. The dust particles floating on the air were tainted with shadow sand. It entered her lungs as she breathed, reaching in with soft skilled fingers that tickled and stroked the hidden desires buried deep in her mind.
Forest shook herself, she had almost walked right passed the fallen tree with the branch that looked like a man’s arm, where they needed to turn and pass under, off the trail.
“How do you withstand against the sand?” Syrus asked.
“I know where it’s concentrated on the ground, so the only problem for me is what's floating around in the air. I have to remind myself to stay focused when my mind starts to wander, but that’s about as bad as it gets for me. I think the amount of time I spent here in my formative years gave me some level of immunity.” Forest laughed darkly. “Either that or it made me toxic and my system hardly takes notice of it now.”
“Did you use it when you were a youth in revolt?” Syrus asked with a little smirk around his mouth.
Forest chuckled. “I’m still a youth in revolt, but no. I’ve felt its effects transdermally a handful of times. But I only tried snorting it once. One nostril of that stuff was enough for me. Becoming lucid after that was just too depressing. I see why so many become addicted. And I almost fell into it; it would have been so easy. But I had ambitions and being a sand junkie wasn’t one of them.”
“Before I became a mage, I welcomed any addiction that could grab me. It used to irritate me something fierce that I was immune to sand. I tried it once too, just to see if it would have any effect at all on me.”
“Did it?” Forest asked.
“Oh, sure, it had an effect, but it was far fro
m the desired one. Mostly just a lot of sneezing and blowing gritty snot from my nose for the better part of an afternoon.”
Forest laughed and had to cover her mouth with her hand. “Don’t make me laugh, Syrus! We have to be quiet.”
“Sorry.”
“The first time I ventured into the Wood alone, I was a child. I got stuck on the outer rim and did nothing but walk in circles for hours. When my mom found me, she said I was totally glazed. I have this fantastic memory of those hours. It’s too bad it was only a cluster of hallucinations. I was rather disappointed when I learned that nothing I experienced that day actually happened. Watch your head, Syrus. There are some low branches here.”
“So, Leramiun created a toxic, living labyrinth.”
“Yes,” Forest said. “That is very much what it is.”
Shi drifted silently overhead, watching them as they traveled the hidden path she had taught to Forest many years ago. She was bemused by the situation. How could it be that her little Forest was the life mate of the vampire prince? Even though Shi had a fierce desire to talk to Forest, she held back, not feeling she could trust herself to behave the way she considered an ancient should.
Shi examined Syrus thoroughly, grudgingly pleased with his internal makeup. She did not object to him being paired with Forest, except for the fact that he was a vampire. Why did Forest always get tangled up with suckers? She examined the newness of their relationship and their incomplete connection. It wouldn’t be incomplete if Syrus knew they were mates, but he was still holding his tongue and keeping his secret. Shi might grow to have some affection for him, but for now, she would remain silent. She would watch over them and keep them as safe as she could.
Chapter 15
Netriet’s cheek pressed against the cold stone floor. Her breathing was shallow and labored. Sweat beads glistened on her forehead and cheeks as she trembled with a fever. Horror assaulted her as the memories of the last round of Philippe’s experimentations on her surfaced. In his attempt to master the workings of the collar, she lost her left arm.
