But this magic was two combined—dryad and wizard. It was not supposed to be possible. It was not supposed to be controllable. It was absolutely not recommended to ever try combining the two. And yet, here it was in all its impossible, huge, flashy glory.
The great tree wobbled and wove, moving down toward the fishing hole. That much lumber strolling across the swamp was undoubtedly screwing up all sorts of things under the water. It was re-routing currents and smashing things growing deep in the muck. It was wrecking the nesting and feeding places of fish, crawfish, and gators.
Card was probably destroying the fishing holes Lilt Keyva was so keen to observe, while simultaneously doing exactly what she wantedandsaving the old tree.
It was wickedly brilliant.
The tree paused, creaking as it seemed to teeter one way and the next in indecision.
Then the tree lurched drunkenly to the side. It crashed into several smaller trees that cracked and groaned, before it came to a thumping halt.
Roots flailed for just a moment more, almost like the big old tree was waving at me, then the roots curled downward, burrowing for the earth beneath the swampy waters.
“Subtle as a whisper, my ass,” I said.
The silence was a solid thing, an echo of nothingness in my skull that went white noise. For a moment, that silence was thicker than the mud the tree had dredged from the swamp.
Then that silence was broken by a single, male voice. “Fuck, yes! Did you see that, Ricks? Tree walking.”
He let out a whoop of laughter, and all the fear and adrenalin in me punched out in laughter too.
I was relieved and horrified and so very impressed by what he’d done.
I didn’t know what price he would pay for slinging around that much magic—both magics—and holding that kind of influence over something so ancient.
“Ricks?” he called out. “Ricky?” That last was said with a thin note of panic.
“I’m right here,” I yelled. “I’m fine. But you are an absolute menace.”
“That was...not what I expected.” Lilt Keyva leaned on a large rock behind me. She was just as clean and stunning as before the side show. She’d somehow avoided all of the muck falling from the sky.
“He might be an in-the-box problem,” I said, “but he’s an out-of-the-box thinker.”
I trudged out onto more solid ground so I could make my way down to the newly re-planted ancient tree.
I didn’t hear Card moving my way. I only had minutes, at most, before he passed out from the power load.
The tall grasses slowed me as I picked my way through the muck toward the tree. There might be sinkholes and gaps in the earth since an entire damn tree had just taken an entire damn stroll through the weeds.
In front of me, the tree loomed large. It fit there perfectly, plenty of sky and space around it. The smaller trees it had bumped on landing even looked happy taking shelter under its canopy.
Card was nowhere to be seen. “Card?” I called. “You still alive?”
He staggered around from behind the roots. “Hey, Ricks.” The words were slurred, drunken, or injured. “Hey.” He took one more step. “Tree? Sooo. Tree.”
His eyes rolled up into his head.
“Oh, for the love of...” I sprinted toward him.
He toppled forward and face-planted in the muck.
I squatted and pulled his shoulder, heaving him onto his back. He was out cold and weighed a ton.
“You always think juggling dryad and wizard magic is going to be easy. And now look at you. You are unconscious.” I wiped the worst of the mud and leaves off his mouth and nose, so his airways were clear. “At least you’re breathing this time.”
“This wasn’t what we agreed upon,” Lilt Keyva said. She’d moved a little closer.
I stood from my crouch and looked around. “Your view of the fishing hole is clear. You can see the banks from your rocks now.”
