Page 35 of Burn Bright
Behind us, the men moved noisily. Evaron's blond hair gleamed like a halo, though he wore the same stark hunting leathers the rest of the mendid.
If Evaron dies, then all your problems goaway...
What?
"Doesn't it seem wrong?" I blurted, falling into place beside Cas as we jogged through the trees, and trying to shake off the morbid thought. Maybe a part of me was more bloodthirsty than Ithought.
"It's the way of the world. The strong make the rules. And the king isstrong."
"It doesn't have to be. And I didn't take you for a man who just gave in." It was clear I couldn't fool Cas, but could he be an ally? "I had a dream lastnight..."
I quickly told him about Galina and everything she'd said, though I kept the details vague enough so he wouldn't be able to find the Well ofTears.
"It knows we're coming for it. What if we kill the firebird and it upsets some sort of cataclysmic chain of events? What if the Darkness rises? People woulddie."
"You had a dream, Neva," he said sharply. "A dream sent by a witch. What if she was lying? Witches aren't known for their benevolence. And why would she protect the firebird? What's in it forher?"
He doesn't want to believeyou...
"She wants to protect the forest." My protest sounded weak, even to myears.
No. Galina wanted me to be her successor. That's what she really wanted. She'd spared my father nearly twenty years ago, so he could give birth tome.
So why didn't she want us to hunt thefirebird?
Don't trust Galina. Killher.
"What is with the killing?" Imuttered.
Cas stopped in his tracks, a frown darkening his brow. "What do youmean?"
I blushed. "I don't know. Nothing. I feelweird."
"Weird, how?" His voice turned insistent. "I feel strange too. Kind of...hopeless."
Our gazesmet.
"I want to kill everything," Iblurted.
"That's not normal." He drew his axe, and searched the woods around us. "Something's messing with ourminds."
And there was one creature that could dothat.
"Shit." I pressed my fingers to mytemples.
"The witch has to be close," he said. "Be on your guard. Any thoughts that don't seem normal, any slight wavering in your vision... We know she can pull you into a dream, but she might be able to lead us into a trap too. Have you got any salt? Oriron?"
I withdrew my dagger. "Only this sort ofiron."
"Make sure you're touchingit."
Silence fell, unbroken by any sort of bird song. There were fewer evergreen trees here, only the stark bones of those whose leaves hadfallen.
And right in front of me was an enormous ash tree, which still held all of its leaves. Its base was almost as round as one of the tables in theinn.
"That tree shouldn't have all of its leaves," I said, taking my dagger and scratching the bark ofit.
"Not an illusion," Cas said, but he looked up too. "And you're right. That's not a normal tree." He tugged a leaf off it, revealing a couple of black spots. "It's alsosickening."
