Perhaps he saw his father, or the early part of his life when he had been truly happy. She squeezed his arm tighter.
Shaking himself out of it, Zev patted her hand. “I’m all right.”
Klyde had managed to calm Lucenna down, but she continued staring at the trees, shaking her head. “Oi, look at me.” He cupped her teary face, his bright blue eyes holding hers earnestly. “The forest will show you anything to lure you off the path. It’s not real, but I am.” He put her hand on his cheek. “Feel that? Pure pompous mercenary. Come back to us, Lucenna.”
Zev and Rawn gathered on either side of them, making sure she didn’t try to escape again.
In the distance, Dyna heard the soft trilling of a flute. The gentle melody made her breath catch. She knew that song.
This damn forest.
It only played tricks.
A laughing young woman with dark hair ran past, holding onto the hem of her gown. A male with white wings chased after her, laughing too. Dyna’s pulse drummed. What was a Celestial doing here? She followed, watching him corner the woman in a gondola made of white stone. She squealed with laughter as he nuzzled her neck.
The young woman noticed her there and her green eyes met Dyna’s. They stared at one another, both too frozen to move or say anything because she was looking at a woman with her face.
A perfect mirror reflection.
Then the male turned around. Dyna stumbled backward with a sharp gasp.No, no, no.She ran away, only to find herself alone in the forest. The path had disappeared. When had she left it?
“Dyna, where are you?” Zev’s faint cry echoed in the far distance.
“Zev, I’m here!”
“Lady Dyna!” Rawn called out in the opposite direction. The others called for her, and their voices came from everywhere all at once.
Dyna’s breath was loud in her ears as she ran towards the closest voice, but the trees seemed to stretch beyond her. Everything looked the same. She whimpered at the sharp pain stabbing her side, and she continued to run into the fog. Lost before she ever knew what was happening.
No.
Dyna refused to let the forest take her. She stopped and stilled her heart, listening to the voices.
Find me. Find me. Cassiel…
The world snapped into focus, and a firm hand clamped around her arm. It hauled her out of the trees, and she collapsed on the ground, heaving for air wildly.
“Thank you,” she said breathlessly.
But the quiet only stirred with a passing breeze. Her murky vision cleared, and she found no one. Who had pulled her out?
“Hello?” Dyna called.
The bushes rattled loudly as her Guardians burst out, running to her.
“Gods, Dyna.” Zev hauled her up. “Are you all right? One second you were behind me, then you vanished.”
“The forest.” She stared at the trees. The mystical haze that had hovered over it before was gone. “It … tried to take me away.” Dyna studied them, seeing the enchantment had left their eyes, too. “What happened? How did you manage to leave the path?”
“We had some help.”
“Oh dear,” a voice said with a soft, bell-like laugh. A glowing yellow butterfly fluttered around Rawn’s head. “Thank the Gods, I found you in time.”
With a burst of glittering gold dust, a dark-haired girl in a dress made of pale pink petals appeared before her. Dyna stared at the beautiful, pointy-eared girl with dusky skin and a diadem on her brow. Translucent yellow wings fluttered behind her, dispelling golden dust into the air.
“Princess Keenali…”
The fairy gave her a bright smile, her hazel eyes glittering. “I wondered when I would see you again.”
