by Nicole Hall
Her fingers stilled. She’d forgotten about that. “You were at risk of losing control of your magic. I gave it a focus.”
He tipped her head up so he could see her eyes. “What was the focus?”
She struggled to find the words to explain. The magic had been redirected into him, between them, but without any specific intention.
“Balance,” she finally said.
“Okay, can you explain that without sounding like a mystical harbinger?”
She snickered. “Probably not, but I can try. The sigil literally means balance, but it doesn’t give any intention to the spell. It’s like…” She trailed off as she searched for the right comparison. “Like a holding pattern. The magic waits until you need it for a purpose and then comes forth.”
“Balance, huh? So if I’m about to slip on the ice outside, it’ll keep me upright.”
“No, you’ll still fall on your very nice butt. It’s a metaphorical balance.”
“Why that in particular?”
Zee gave him a dry look. “I was a bit distracted at the time. It was the first thing that popped into my head.”
He nodded soberly. “I understand. I can be extremely distracting. Speaking of that, are we still going to dreamwalk with Lana?”
She sank back down and put her cheek against his chest. The idea was exciting because she hoped to finally get some concrete answers, but they’d fought before Zee had left.
The memory was sharp and painful. She’d been in her cottage, putting on her leather armor and preparing to leave to confront Torix. A quick knock at the door preceded Lana barging in without waiting for permission. She’d stopped short when she saw Zee getting suited up and put her hands on her hips.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting dressed. Can you get the last bit for me?”
Lana sighed and expertly looped the catch. “We talked about this. The humans will stop Torix’s servant, Torix will remain behind the barriers, and we’ll celebrate Samhain with a little party.”
Lana gave a shimmy that sent the glittering strips of fabric at her waist swaying. “We got that cider you like.”
Zee put her hand on Lana’s bare shoulder. “The others can have a party, but we need to be ready. Torix is making his move tonight, and I don’t know if Sera and her group will be enough. As my second in command, you need to take this seriously and armor up.”
Lana’s face closed down, and she shrugged Zee’s hand off. “As your second in command, I’m telling you we need to stay here in the protection of the Glade and let the humans handle Torix’s minion. You nearly died putting the barriers back up this last rotation. It was a miracle you made it back here, and now you want to face off against him when he’s potentially at his full strength?”
“Yes. It’s our duty to protect the people who live in this area, not just ourselves. You think he won’t come after us if he manages to regain his power? And what about Evie? Her sacrifice shouldn’t be in vain. If we can isolate the servant, we can use their power and connection to him to add another layer of defense. Together, we’re stronger than him, but we can’t do anything from in here.”
Lana took a step back, shaking her head. “No, Zee. Evie made her choice. You’ve been obsessed with Torix for the last seven years, training incessantly, bringing in new technology, manipulating the humans. It has to stop. He can’t break the barriers even if the humans fail, nothing can now that they’re renewed properly. We don’t need another layer. The worst he can do is unleash a slightly stronger human on other humans. It’s time to let it go and enjoy the harvest.”
Zee couldn’t believe what Lana was suggesting. They’d worked closely the last seven years to protect the Fae and the humans together, but now she wanted to abandon them? A dull pain ached in her chest as she realized that Lana had been indulging her this whole time. And why not? It had been partially Lana’s fault that Torix was able to call a servant in the first place.
Zee grabbed a hold of her anger, pushing the pain away. “I’m disappointed you won’t participate in cleaning up the mess you helped make.”
Lana scoffed. “Let’s be real. Your main concern isn’t the humans. It’s Ryan.”
“What nonsense are you spewing now?”
“I see the way you look at him.”
“He’s a means to an end.”
“He’s a distraction, and he has been since you made your deal with him.”
Zee schooled her face so her surprise wouldn’t show. “What makes you think we have a deal?”
“I saw you with him the last time he was here. The spell is distinctive, though I don’t remember there being so much touching in other iterations.” Her meaning was clear, and Zee didn’t deny it. She’d embellished the spell a bit. Physical contact did make it stronger, but she could perform it from across the room if she needed to. At the time, it had been a harmless bit of fun. They renewed the spell once a year, usually just after Samhain, and it gave her an excuse to touch him.
Lana crossed her arms and laughed dryly. “It’s hard to keep secrets among us, but you’ve done an excellent job. It made me wonder what other secrets you’ve been keeping.”
“None.” It wasn’t a lie. She couldn’t lie, but the truth was often a grey area. “And the deal with Ryan has provided us with much needed improvements.”
She snorted. “And now the cost comes due. You expect us to throw ourselves into harm’s way to protect your pet.”
Zee straightened and pulled on her power, letting it flash in her eyes and fill the room. Lana was powerful in her own right, but Zee was stronger. Zee had taken a chance on her after Lana’s mistake with Chad, but now she wondered if she’d made the wrong choice.
“I won’t make you fight if you’re not willing, but you will not undermine me by your cowardice. Go and enjoy the party. Take your fill of the magic offered by the Wood. But remember this night was in part your doing. I certainly will.”
Concern flashed across Lana’s face, but she didn’t get in Zee’s way. She’d made her choice.
Zee left Lana in the cottage and marched out of the clearing with her chin high. The peak of Samhain was approaching, and she needed to get to Torix’s clearing. She called a trod at the edge of the Glade, and stepped onto a path lit by tiny, glowing sprites. An image of Ryan flashed across her mind, dark hair tousled across blue eyes, lean body gleaming with sweat from sparring practice. She steeled herself to remain aloof as always.
There were many truths in any given situation, and she’d still been telling herself that her feelings for him were a passing attraction. Apparently, she was capable of lying to herself if not anyone else.
Ryan must have sensed her unrest because he rubbed his hand up and down her back, pulling her out of her memories. Lana had been right. Zee had wanted to stop Torix for good this time, but more, she’d wanted to protect Ryan, and she’d been willing to put her people in harm’s way to do it.
She’d do it again in a second if it kept him safe.
He was still waiting for an answer about the dreamwalk. After that disastrous parting, Lana might refuse to speak with her, or worse, not respond at all. That last option that had her hesitating. If she couldn’t connect with Lana, it could be because Lana wouldn’t let her or it could be that something had happened to her. There was no way to know. They could try again at a later time, but Zee was already anxious.
She took a deep breath and prepared herself for whatever answers awaited her.
“Lana should be asleep by now. I’ll put myself into a trance and reach out to her using your magic. I’ve never tried this using another person’s power before, so I’m not sure of the effect it will have on you.”
“I’m not worried.”
His easy response was a far cry from his usual attitude toward magic, and Zee wanted to rejoice in his openness. He trusted her with the thing he most feared, and not the way he had before when he’d needed her to seal it. She basked in the special gift. He had confidence in the wom
an who liked donuts and had trouble navigating text messages instead of the warrior princess. She hadn’t embraced that part of her until now.
Ryan yawned, oblivious to her realizations. She pressed a kiss to his chest and started relaxing her body parts, one by one. The open bond allowed his magic to rise to her call as if it were her own. She pulled it into herself, a shimmering crimson cloud, and sent herself toward Lana’s mind.
For the second time in five minutes, the Glade appeared around her. The hazy, disheveled clearing had changed drastically from the last time she’d been there when it had been tidy and warm. Clouds blotted out the sun, and a cold breeze made her shiver, dancing through a pile of dead leaves near the closest cottage.
Zee peered down at herself, not surprised to see her leather armor over the long-sleeved shirt and leggings she’d been wearing earlier in the day. She reached up and touched her hair. It was tightly braided again in loops and tucks. Lana most associated this vision with her, so it was how she appeared in Lana’s mind.
The clearing was empty at first, but she didn’t have to wait long. Lana emerged from the cottage and spotted her right away. “Zee, thank goodness.” She was dressed strangely in soft pants, almost sweat pants like the ones Ryan lounged around the house in, and a loose tunic. Her blonde braids sagged and came loose at points.
Lana ran over and embraced her. After spending so much time with Ryan, Lana seemed tiny. Her head came up to Zee’s chin. Zee put her hands on Lana’s shoulders and pulled her away.
“What’s happening here?”
Tears gathered in Lana’s eyes. “Our magic is sealed. It has been since Samhain. The barriers are gone. Torix is gone. The trods aren’t working.”
“Is anyone harmed?”
Lana shook her head and pulled herself together. “No. Some minor aches and pains, but no serious injuries. Not yet. Zee, we’re starving. We can’t harvest without our magic, and we don’t have any human food. The forest has provided some sustenance, but it’s barely enough. The Wood has cursed and abandoned us. Where have you been?”
“I’m trying to find a way back. The Wood sealed me as well, and the trods won’t let me through to the Glade.”
Lana snorted delicately. “There’s not much of a Glade to speak of. Without the protection of the Wood, winter set in.” She shivered. “I didn’t realize it could get this cold.”
Zee considered telling her about the snow and the lights in the trees and the joys of real food, but it wasn’t a comparison she wanted to make with the dreary landscape around her. Her people had been suffering while she spent her days safe and comfortable. “We need to find out how the Wood was able to do this.”
Lana cocked her head. “Don’t you mean why?”
“I know why. The barriers were broken, and with them the pact we had.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think that’s the whole reason. Before my magic was sealed, I could tell there was something wrong, an irritation in the Wood. It happens sometimes when the magics are out of balance, but it usually self-adjusts.”
Zee frowned. “Why haven’t you ever told me about this?”
“It wasn’t important. You know magic moves in cycles, it’s why we harvest when we do, but it ebbs and flows regularly as well. When something interrupts the flow, it feels like a tiny wound to me, so my inclination is to heal it. I’ve learned to ignore it though.”
Zee stared at the trees, unseeing, and let the new information settle in. It reminded her of the main reason she’d chosen Lana as her second. Her deep reservoir of knowledge. Everything she’d said made sense, and Zee had been blind for not seeing it earlier. Sera’s actions could have been a catalyst that offset the flow of magic in a way the Wood couldn’t immediately fix itself. But why seal all the Fae and remove all access? And why was the Wood attempting to trap power now? It was an extreme reaction, and unlikely to restore the proper flow.
“Zee?” Lana laid a hand on her arm. “Where have you been?”
Lying naked in bed with Ryan. It was the answer she couldn’t say, and the answer she wanted to return to. Lana, for all her knowledge, was bitter about what she thought was an obsession with a human. Zee needed more information. She was missing something, and she wanted Lana cooperative. Obsession or not though, she wished Ryan were there with her, even if it was a horrible idea.
It took Zee a moment to realize she was watching Ryan actually saunter out of the trees toward them. Her thoughts must have called him into the dreamwalk. Zee’s eyes widened as he approached, and Lana turned around to see what had caused that reaction.
He moved past Lana is if she weren’t there, and stopped in front of Zee. The heat in his eyes warmed her. “You called.”
“It was an accident.” Lana was going to get her answer after all.
He crossed his arms and smirked. “Even a warrior princess makes mistakes sometimes, huh?”
He looked fierce and strong, and so much more real than the world she’d lived in her whole life. Unfortunately, it was Lana’s dreamwalk, and Zee couldn’t afford to be ejected.
Lana’s gaze swung back and forth between them. “You were with him.” She shook her head. “I should have known.”
“It’s not like that, Lana.”
“Don’t grey area me. I can see the marks on your neck.”
Zee’s hand rose without thinking and covered the red rash that Ryan had caused. She didn’t care if Lana knew she’d been with Ryan. Their relationship was nothing to be ashamed of, but Lana’s disdain hurt. She’d dismissed Zee as soon as she’d seen Ryan. Anger clouded Zee’s judgement, and she spoke without thinking. “I would never abandon our people for a dalliance with a human.”
She felt the moment Ryan heard her. A blow to his chest that echoed into her, locked as deep into his magic as she was. Zee reached for him, intending to explain, but he stepped back away from her hand and kept going all the way to the edge of the clearing. Out of hearing of her argument with Lana, but not enough to pull her home.
Lana didn’t notice Ryan’s movement as she narrowed her eyes on Zee. “For a random human, no. For him?” She raised her arms and gestured around her. “Look at what you’ve left.”
The nearly empty village was devoid of the normal bustle of Fae life. No one was training, animals lay listlessly shivering in the sun, doors and windows were shut tight. It was like a plague had swept through. Zee was torn between trying to help her people and trying to relieve Ryan’s pain from her careless words.
“We’re starving. We have no magic to protect ourselves, heal ourselves, feed ourselves. We’re helpless and exposed without the barriers around us. I had to institute a curfew and tell people to stay in their homes. We’ve been rationing what food we can find from small groups scouting the forest.” Lana’s words brought her attention back to the tiny, angry Fae in front of her.
Zee shook her head. “I thought it was only me because I was in the trods when it happened. It never occurred to me the Wood would seal all of us.”
A smile tipped up Lana’s lips. “Not all of us. Chad was spared.”
“Seriously? Chad, out of everyone?”
Lana shrugged thin shoulders, but didn’t reveal her thoughts on the matter. “He’s not as strong as he once was, but he retained access to a small amount of his power. We can’t figure out why. He’s been using what little magic he has to help the Glade cope. We all hoped you’d come back, tell us what to do, save us.” Her eyes shifted to Ryan, far enough back to almost be in the trees, and back to Zee. “I guess you were busy.”
“Dammit, Lana. I can’t come back. The trods are closed to me. You have to find a way to leave the Glade. I can’t come to you without my magic.”
She spread her hands. “You’re here now.”
“At Ryan’s will. You need to lead our people out of the Glade.”
Lana was already shaking her head. “No. It’s too dangerous. You know what’s out there, and you said yourself that Torix was free somewhere.”
Zee
closed her eyes for a moment. Lana’s innate stubbornness would hamper any attempt to help. If she’d determined that the outside world was a threat to their people, she’d keep them in the Glade at all costs. They needed their magic back. All of them.
“What was Chad doing on Samhain that spared his power?”
Lana’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know, and I don’t appreciate your insinuation.”
Zee took a deep, calming breath and loosely grasped Lana’s hands. “You trusted me once. Chad could be the key to unlocking the seals. We need to know what he did that was different.”
Pain flashed across Lana’s face at the reminder, but she schooled it again. “He told me he was celebrating like the rest of us. He found a private copse of trees and drank his fill from their magic. The next thing he knew, he weakened and returned to the Glade. It became immediately obvious that we were sealed and you were missing, but we didn’t realize until several days later that he could still use his power.”
She pulled her hands away and stepped back. “That’s all I know. If you’re not planning to come back to us, I have duties to see to. Tomorrow is Yule, and we’re without a harvest.”
“Lana.” Zee met her eyes. “I will return.”
Their gazes held for a moment then Lana tipped her head to the side. “I guess we’ll see.”
Zee was unceremoniously shoved out of Lana’s dream. She opened her eyes to find Ryan lying stiffly beneath her, staring at the far wall. His hand had stopped on the small of her back. He was physically there, but she could feel him retreating behind his shields.
She rolled to the side, and he immediately got out of bed. Ryan pulled out clothes, tossed them on the bed next to her, and went into the bathroom. The shower came on, and Zee wilted. She searched her mind for where to begin, but she kept returning to the look in his eyes when she made that stupid comment to Lana.
The bond wouldn’t let him hide his pain completely, but he was trying. It still washed over her in waves. They needed to regroup and discuss the Wood, the Fae, Chad, any potential avenues for repairing the damage Sera had done. Lana had reminded her that Yule was approaching, and with it another rush of elemental magic. Zee worried at the Fae attempting to live in an increasingly dangerous Wood when it would be at full power.