Page 103 of Realm of Wind and Vines
Draven nods, a smile on his face. “Yeah.”
All our friends glance between the two of us, noting how close together we’re walking as we make our way over to them. A mix of confusion and hope flits across both Galen’s and Lyra’s features, but neither of them clearly dares to ask the question.
“You sure took your sweet time getting here,” Orion drawls, cocking an impatient brow.
“We, uhm…” I glance over at Draven before finish with, “Got lost.”
Isera slides a knowing look at me. “Your pants are buttoned incorrectly.”
Heat stains my cheeks when I snap my gaze down to find that I did in fact button them wrong in my haste to put them back on.
Orion lets out a dramatic sigh and gives us a reproachful look. “Not only did you waste all of our time by stopping to have hate sex, you also make us look like a ragtag group of losers with no fashion sense. Delightful.”
“Not hate sex,” Draven replies, his eyes glinting. “Just… sex.”
Galen and Lyra suck in a sharp breath. Even Alistair stands up straighter and stares at me with his eyebrows raised in silent question.
“You found a way to remove the magic?” Galen asks, flicking his gaze between me and Draven.
“No,” I reply. A wide smile spreads across my lips as I nod towards Draven. “He shattered it on his own.”
Even Isera raises her eyebrows now.
“But I thought that wasn’t possible,” Alistair says, staring between the two of us. “I thought it was permanent.”
“It is,” I reply. “It shouldn’t be possible. But…”
Trailing off, I look to Draven as we at last come to a halt in front of our friends. Glowing spheres float around us all in a wide circle, bathing the lush green woods in golden light. Draven slides an arm around my waist, resting his hand on my hip possessively.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without the mate bond,” he explains. “Everything Selena was doing, every time I was near her, I could feel our mate bond fighting to reconnect. I was trapped underneath that mass of hatred burning in my chest, but eventually, the connection between us grew so strong again that I could use the mate bond like a rope to haul myself out of that burning hatred.”
“Yes!” Lyra exclaims, a wide grin on her mouth.
There is a glint in Alistair’s green and orange eyes as he levels a knowing look on Draven. “Not surprised.”
Draven raises his eyebrows at him in silent question.
“Someone as annoyingly bossy as you would never let some random magic tell you what to do.” He shrugs. “You earned the nickname I gave you, you know.”
A surprised laugh escapes Draven’s chest, and he pulls me a little closer to his side.
From her place by the tree, Isera meets my gaze and gives me a nod while the hint of a smile shines on her lips. I smile back.
“You’re all finally here, I see,” the Dryad Queen suddenly says from my left.
Twisting my head in that direction, I find her gliding out of the woods. Her hair and her dress, all made of leaves and vines and branches, ripple behind her as she moves. When she reaches the circle of floating lights, the glowing spheres part before her without a word or even a glance from her. They pulse slightly, casting that glittering golden light over her pale green skin.
Draven slides his arm from my waist as we turn to face her fully. Galen, Lyra, and Alistair do the same while Orion, who was already looking in her direction, just remains standing there withthat customary royal and slightly cocky tilt to his chin. Isera remains leaning against the tree, her arms crossed over her chest, but she narrows her eyes slightly as she watches the Dryad Queen who comes to a halt in front of our now loosely formed semi-circle.
“Andyouhave some explaining to do,” I reply, some of that anger returning to my soul. Standing up straighter, I level a hard stare on the Dryad Queen. “Why did you stop me from killing Lavendera?”
Indignation flashes across her ancient face, and she raises her chin but doesn’t respond.
“You promised to help,” I remind her, that sharpness still lacing my voice. “In exchange for us not hurting Lavendera, you promised us help, so the least you can do is answer my question. Why did you stop me from killing her?”
“She’s…” The Dryad Queen clenches her jaw before finishing the sentence with a vague, “One of us.”
I frown at her. “What does that mean?”
