Page 396 of Kingdoms of Night

“A party of humans and one fae arrived.”

“Armed?”

Viridi shook his head. “Why are we dryad elves so quick to think of their aggression? No, two were shipwrecked, and the other two arrived to be of help to them. One is Prince Werian of the Agate Court. He is in the company of his wife, Princess Rhianne.”

“The one the redheaded Khem trader told us about?” Felix squinted into the forest canopy. His scar looked more pale than usual, his coloring wan because he hadn’t rested long enough in his tree.

“Yes,” Viridi answered, attempting patience with his scroll-loving friend.

“Is the Agate Court still a sub-kingdom of Lore?”

Another tolerant laugh left Viridi. “It is. Now, stop your mind from gallivanting into information no one but you and your beloved Juno care about and listen.”

He told Felix all about Father and Isa’s party.

Felix’s big eyes studied Viridi’s face. “You are deeply drawn to her. This is what you felt when you were distracted.” He gripped Viridi’s arm. “Eh, there’s more you’re not saying. She can’t be your…”

“She is.”

Mouth falling open, Felix stared. “She is your fated mate.” His face stretched with a wide smile. “See? I told you that you shouldn’t give up hope. This is wonderful!” He hugged Viridi roughly and Viridi clapped him on the back.

Breaking away, he thought about how to explain his trepidation. “I still don’t know what is wrong with the jeweltrees. The poor woman is fated to mate with a man destined to become a monster. That’s in addition to the fact that Father will fight this match with tooth and nail.”

Felix blew out a breath. “Love is never easy.”

“It’s not easy for you and Juno?”

“For now, but it’s so new.”

Viridi nodded. He’d seen enough of mates to know there was almost always fighting even in the pairs that stayed together. Having a mate was a complicated situation full of passion and worry and knotted desires.

Felix spun dryad magic in his palm, the fresh green light sparkling brightly. He sometimes toyed with magic when he was in deep thought. “What are you going to do? Will you tell her everything?”

“I don’t think it would do her any good.” Viridi ran a thorned fingertip gently down a pine branch, encouraging the tree to grow with a swirl of warm magic. “I’m not sure what to do. Not yet. I’ll take care of her as best I can for now and decide as things progress. I hate that she is in danger because of me.”

“It’s fate,” Felix said. “She might surprise you with her strength. Not everyone is fated for the Thorned One.”

Viridi wished he wouldn’t say the title like that. “I set a waking dream on her.”

“You what?”

“On both of us, actually. Quite accidentally,” Viridi said. Waking dreams could lure the recipient and turn them into obsessed lovers. It was an old art and very dangerous. Viridi wished they weren’t a skill his folk had.

“How did it feel?” Felix asked.

Viridi ran a hand over the back of his neck as the memories heated his blood. “Too real. Not like a dream, but like truth. Her body pressed against mine. Her breath was warm. It was terrible.”

Felix laughed. “Terrible? Sounds rather lovely to me.”

“You know what the waking dream can do.”

“I do.” At least Felix seemed abashed at being excited for such a dangerous happening.

Viridi straightened and took a deep breath. “As soon as she has rested from her ordeal, I’ll apologize.”

“I bet she didn’t mind it too much. You’re a good elven man. Anyone would be lucky to have your attentions.”

“Thank you, my friend, but that is only true right now while I have my mind firmly in my control, and well you know it. Can you promise to do your best to protect her from Father if I must leave, if the trees take hold of my senses? Or if I manage to persuade Father and the rest of you to leave for the Pearl Isles?”

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