“That is to be expected,” the dryad said. “Do not concern yourself with human affairs. It is dryad business we must tend to.”
“We should keep moving,” he said, recognizing from the expression on Taimi’s face that the suggestion was a lost cause. “Your mother can find us in the city.”
Taimi’s face lit up when the dryads reappeared. He had no way of winning this argument.
And where Taimi stayed, Ranger stayed.
Taimi.
She was watching the news when she detected the whisper in her mind.
Taimi.
She schooled her face into blankness but caught an edge of Ranger’s furrowed brow. He stared at her and she regarded him in return, unwilling to admit what echoed inside her head.
Taimi, come back.
She paused in surfing and set down the remote, twisting her fingers around each other. She shook her head, hoping to dislodge the plaintive voice of her mother.
She dared not respond, of course. She couldn’t take the chance that her mother could find her if she answered. While Miranda had never used this trick on her before, it didn’t surprise Taimi that she had this sort of ability. There might be some sort of range on her mother’s telepathy, and if she replied, it would tell her mother she was close enough to find. But for some reason, she didn’t tell her friends that her mother was trying to track her.
I just want to know you’re all right.
All her life she’d done as her mother had told her, believing that however odd the form, she had Taimi’s best interests in mind. She was having a hard time reconciling that woman to the one who had allowed a gun to be used on them. Ranger could have dropped her, and she had no idea if she would have survived a multi-story fall. They had been willing to kill Taimi and, or, Ranger to stop her from escaping. She’d done what she had to do.
Then why did she feel so guilty?
“There’s nothing to watch,” she said. “I’m getting hungry.”
“Your body has gotten used to its dual form,” the older dryad said, eyeing Taimi. Taimi schooled her features to reveal nothing. “It is going to take you time to figure out how to move in and out of your tree. You will need to learn that before you can discover more about the dryads.”
“Such as what?” Ranger’s voice was tinged with disbelief and distrust. She wasn’t sure she blamed him.
The other dryad paused, her gaze also on Taimi. She had a speculative air, as though she knew Taimi was hiding something.
“As a dryad, Taimi should have two forms and not two merged into one. Like us, she has a tree form and a human form. She should be able to do what we did in the forest. It is unnatural for her to either be one or the other. Abnormal and dangerous.”
Ranger’s brow furrowed, and he swung his attention to the dryad. “Why is it dangerous? She’s done it for sixteen years. She’s been fine so far.”
“We are dryads. We are meant to be among our trees, and tend to them, but not be the tree. Being forced into one or the other deprives both of their needed growth. If this persists, soon her tree will continue to sicken and begin dying. And that is where the danger lies.”
Something that felt like a stone lodged inside the pit of Taimi’s stomach.
Ranger raised an eyebrow, incomprehension lining his face. “So, she’ll learn how to be a tree when she needs to be. I don’t get it.”
The dryad shook her head. The rock in Taimi’s midsection turned into a boulder.
“Why do you think we have been so anxious to get her off of the rooftop? We cannot undo this madness forever—the spell we broke will reassert itself before too long. We must find a way to make the change permanent. Taimi and her tree are bound. They have been together too long in this unnatural way. It is one of the reasons we had to get Taimi away from the witch. Her tree must be nursed back to health.”
She had a sudden, sickening awareness of what the dryad meant. Ranger began to pace. She smelled smoke and wondered if his dragon was lurking. She waited, afraid of what the dryad was about to say. Finally, the silence had gotten to be too much.
“She means that if my tree dies, so do I.”
Chapter 6
He’d had time to absorb what the dryads and Taimi were saying, but Ranger couldn’t believe it. That couldn’t be all of it. No way.
The doorbell rang and he flinched. When the women didn’t move, he went to the door.
His aunt Lizzy stood there, unkempt in wrinkled clothes and windblown hair. He hugged her, pressing his body against hers and drinking in her familiar scent.
“Thank you for your help,” Lizzy said to the others. “There is still a great deal happening. I got here as soon as I could.”
The woman cleared her throat, casting a glance at the other two dryads. “There is still much risk. The trees tell me that Melinda is abusing several of our members trying to find her daughter.”
Ranger shook it off. “Never mind that. The dryads said something about sickness and death. That Taimi would die if she couldn’t break the spell forever.”
“I was worried about that. Is it that dire?” His aunt looked horrified, and Ranger swore under his breath. He was hoping she would have the answers he couldn’t bear to ask the dryads.
“Yes,” he affirmed. “They,” he pointed at the dryads, who stared at him, “they said that unless they find a way to make this separation lasting, so she can interact with her tree as needed, they’ll both die.”
His heart pounded at that notion. Taimi had become important to him. He wanted to protect her and shield her in ways he had never imagined he could feel about someone else. Not that he would tell her that. A guy had his pride, after all.
“I hoped that wasn’t going to happen,” his aunt said. She turned to the older dryad, who still said nothing. “We’ll have to figure out something. Don’t underestimate Miranda. She is clever, and desperate. Right now, she thinks of you as a stupid boy, and does not think she needs to do much to find you. That will change if you continue to stay ahead of her. Things are reaching critical mass.”
Ranger nodded, unsure of who to trust, except Aunt Lizzy. He still wasn’t sure about the dryads, despite their help. It was due to them that Taimi could even move in the nighttime. He owed them. Taimi owed them.
“So? What’s the plan?”
I will die.
The words pounded through her even while she observed the night sky. Taimi had an urge to flee, to go north, all the way into Canada, all the way up to…she couldn’t remember the name of the place where there were more dogs and moose than people, but there. Where she could marvel at the millions of stars in the sky. Maybe there, among more trees than she could count, she would be safe.
Without my tree, I die.
The older dryad came out into the backyard, bearing cups of tea and a plate of store-bought cookies. Taimi was going to refuse, but then she picked up one of the cookies.
“You have questions,” she said.
Lips trembling, Taimi nodded. “Is that why my mother kept me as a tree at night? To protect me?”
The older dryad sipped her tea, her gaze in the distance. Taimi could hear rustling inside, normal activities of day-to-day life. Ranger was still deep in conversation with his aunt. Both of their phones were charging, although hers was still off. The house wasn’t big enough for all of them. The dryads lived further north where there was more space, but Taimi had been told when word got out about her escape, they rushed to the designated safe house. This place.
“Your mother kept you as a tree to control you. She tricked the Hamadryads long ago and they have not forgotten. I can’t say the reasons why she does the things she does, just that she does them.” She studied Taimi, worry lines creasing her forehead. “You miss her. It is part of the compulsion. She has not let you go, whether or not you are with her. You must be strong, Taimi, or all is lost.”
“What’s your name?” In all the events of the last few hours, she hadn’t learned who the women were.
“I am called Dáire,” she replied and took another sip of tea. “You need to listen to what I am saying. This will not last. Melinda will find you. All we can do is forestall it. We cannot prevent it. We tried, but we were always repelled.”
A frisson of fear curled through Taimi’s stomach. She studied the handful of trees in the yard.
“That’s why my mother didn’t like taking me to parks,” she said.
The dryad nodded. “We were watching. She could never be certain which was a tree, and which one of us was a dryad.”
Taimi stared at the woman in surprise. “But she’s a witch.”
Dáire snorted, a sound that wasn’t quite laughter. “Do not underestimate dryads. We have our ways. We are not powerless. Also, your dragon’s aunt has some witch power. It will be helpful.”
She didn’t challenge the idea that Ranger was her dragon. “What happens now? What am I supposed to do?”
The woman sighed as though Taimi disappointed her. She flushed, unsure about her feelings for these dryads. They were here for her, but they hadn’t been in her life until now. Why hadn’t they done something before? She had been trapped for sixteen years, and it wasn’t until Ranger helped her, that these others appeared.
She wanted to stomp off, but it wasn’t safe out there. She hated being stuck in the house, but at least she had the night, the sky and stars.
“That is up to you,” Dáire said. “You must find the strength to overcome this. What is it you desire, Taimi? What would you do if you could do anything at all? You are a Hamadryad and that is a precious thing. We are here to help you, but the power must come from inside.”
All her life she’d been spelled, and she had coveted freedom. Now she had it and it meant nothing.
“How?” she asked, aware of how weak it sounded. “All I needed was to do teenage things. I longed to be like Desi, who is fearless and has so many friends. But I won’t ever be normal. Will I?”
Dáire set her cup down in its saucer. Then she shook her head, sorrow twisting her features. “No. You can never be like this Desi. You are so much more, but you have not been given the proper tools to understand that. I am sorry, Taimi. You have a lot to learn and no time.”
Taimi thought about shouting but she had a lifetime of suppressing her feelings. Instead she looked to the sky, where the moon gleamed its cool radiance.
“I guess I don’t need to settle it tonight. I get the stars. That’s something.”
It wasn’t enough, but it would have to do.
He’d given up his friends in Queens, almost exposed his dragon, for this? Taimi didn’t appear grateful for their escape, almost like she resented him for it.
Ranger had an urge to shift and fly. He could go back up to Canada, or to Russia or something where he could fly and pretend that this whole crazy adventure had never happened.
“What’s your part in this?” He focused on the younger dryad. She shot him a curious stare before turning toward the yard where Taimi and the older woman were talking.
“I am Dáire’s tree daughter. We are not of the same kin, but we are of the same type, and in that, we are related. She is like a mother to me.”
“I don’t understand what a tree daughter is, but I do get the part about family. I miss my parents.” His attention went to Lizzy and then back to Taimi. “I think she’s considering going back to her mom’s. What was all of this for?”
The tree woman nodded, sympathy crossing her features. “You did a good thing, Ranger dragon shifter. We dryads can feel the pain of others like us. Your Taimi is still in pain. My tree mother can help her once Taimi understands what she needs. She has had a lifetime of being trapped in her tree, she will need more than a day to adjust to her new reality. There are still many obstacles ahead. You must be patient. This story is far from over.”
Heat bloomed on his cheeks and Ranger ducked his head. With those simple words she had flayed him to the core, showing him how selfish he was being. Taimi had been trapped as a tree all these years and he couldn’t even give her a few hours. Man, was he ever self-centered.
“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted. He sounded like a dork.
The dryad put a hand on his shoulder. It was warm and dry, with a slight roughness to it that was reminiscent of bark.
“All you can do is let things unfold as they are meant to. We dryads have a long time to live and we comprehend things differently than humans—or dragons. Let Taimi understand her nature and aid her when she needs assistance. We could not have done this without you. You and your dragon did what nobody else managed when you rescued Taimi from the roof. Now her life can begin. Ranger, this journey may take you to new and unexplored lands. You are young for what you are facing, but you are the one who was chosen to do it. Taimi will have to face an even greater crisis soon.”
“What do you mean?”
It was his aunt Lizzy who answered. “She’s right. It will not be long before her mother comes. She searches for Taimi in the trees of the city. She will locate Taimi before too long. It’s part of the reason I came when I did. We are out of time.”
Ranger stared at his aunt, aghast. “Then we should run. We can go north. I can get us over the border.”
Lizzy shook her head. “Running will not solve the problem. Taimi must face her situation and deal with it or she, and you, will never be free.”
“Face her mother?”
The dryad nodded. “Even now, she comes. Within a day, two at most, she will find you.”
“I can’t face her. I have no interest in seeing her again,” Taimi lied, wondering what it was she did feel.
“Whether you do or not, you have to find the strength to face the woman who took your power from you. Otherwise you will never be rid of her.”
She glared at Dáire. She was a teenager, for real, she shouldn’t have to be making these sorts of decisions. Parents were supposed to protect their kids, even those who stole them as saplings from the forest.
“For now, let’s prepare as best we can. Although we have held the compulsion back, you should plan on spending some time as your tree. Otherwise it will not be good for either of you.”
From the time she’d been a child, she’d dreamed about being mobile at night. Now she was, and she wasn’t sure what to do with herself, what to say or where to go.
“I can’t decide,” she said, averting her face from Ranger. She bit her lip, the gravity of the situation swamping her with emotion.
They all stared at her. She couldn’t do this. She was not ready.
It had been a mistake to leave the roof. She needed to go back.
He walked with his aunt to the nearby Cluck U Chicken, striding with angry steps toward the restaurant.
“She’s freaked out,” he said, dodging a handful of people on the sidewalk.
“Taimi has been through a great deal of change in the last day,” Lizzy said in a soothing tone. “All things familiar were ripped away yesterday, and as unwelcome as her captivity was, she was also used to it.”
“She can’t be thinking about going back, can she?”
Aunt Lizzy seemed to be considering him for a long moment before speaking. “Sometimes when you are thrust into growth it is terrifying. Now she has to contend with life on life’s terms, with no hindrances. She will be fine, Ranger. She is a strong girl and she will be a wonderful Hamadryad. These are early days, and you must be patient.”
“How can you be so sure?”
His aunt put an arm around him. “Ranger, you have also been through turmoil in the last weeks. We involved you in this because of what you could do but it has taken its toll. Don’t think that we don’t appreciate your sacrifice. You gave up everything to assist this cause. You have to give it time. Nothing happens overnight.” She guided him into the store. “Well, almost nothing. Except a dragon rescuing a tree from a rooftop.”
“We helped her, and she doesn’t appreciate it.”
He placed their order, using it as an excuse to focus on th
e menu. He had a feeling he would get the truth if he did—that if he was being a brat and acting badly.
“She does. Give her time. She’s still in shock.”
“I get that she’s a Hamadryad, but why did you guys go through all this trouble for one tree?”
They waited at the pickup section. His aunt opened her mouth to say something, shut it, and then started again.
“It was necessary. Taimi is a part of the dryads and they could not tolerate her captivity. We had to do something. This is unnatural for her, and without our intercession, she would soon weaken and die. Hamadryads are special. Losing even one would be a tragedy.”
“It’s hard to understand. It’s like she doesn’t even appreciate that she’s free.” He raked a hand through his hair. This was Aunt Lizzy. He could let his guard down with her.
“Trust me. It will be fine. Come on, let’s get back while the food is still hot.”
Something wrong pinged on Ranger’s senses, but he dismissed it as his imagination. Everything was wrong. They were all tired and hungry, worn out from the day’s events.
Ranger almost dropped the bags when he walked in on the scene. Nobody moved when they entered, all of their attention was focused on each other.
Taimi’s mother and two witches were standing in the yard, facing Taimi and the dryads.
Melinda opened her hands toward Taimi, turning her palms outward. Her lips trembled, and there were tears on her cheeks. Taimi couldn’t remember a time she’d ever witnessed her mother like this. She appeared distraught, as though her entire world was crumbling.
This woman had raised her. This woman protected her and cared for her. She was being ungracious.
“Taimi, please.”
This was her mother. She had her best interests in mind. She could trust her mother. Things would be different now. She had been foolish to leave the security of the one home she had, in the company of a boy she just met.
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