The wind whipped through the thick canopy, tearing leaves free and sending them swirling through the air like tiny missiles. The deluge of rain battered the ground in relentless sheets, transforming the soft grass and moss into a muddy mire. The storm’s violence had caught her completely off guard, and it took her a few seconds to throw up a magical shield to protect herself from the worst of it.
A sudden pressure in her chest left her feeling breathless. Panic surged through her as she remembered the last time she felt that same uncomfortable feeling. Even as that realization struck, the protection bubble around her sparked and shimmered, then it disappeared completely, once again leaving her at the mercy of the storm.
Just like the night of the welcome party, her magic had failed.
That was confirmed the moment she tried to teleport herself to safety. She realized that her worst fear had come true. None of her magic was working, not even her connection to her mate. Being unable to contact Remy through their bond was even more alarming than anything else. Her magical lifeline to her mate had somehow been severed, which was something that shouldn’t have been possible.
That meant something was terribly wrong.
As the cart was dragged forward by the wind, she needed to make a quick decision. She was powerless in the face of the raging storm and needed to get to safety. Without her magic, her options were dwindling. She considered trying to take theportal back to the main level, but she wasn’t even sure she could activate it without her magic. Besides that, she had already been dragged away from where she had entered the sublevel.
Sheets of rain and the driving wind obscured everything, making it nearly impossible to locate anything in the chaos. It also made her a target for flying debris. Hesitating was reckless, but she was torn between trying to find an escape or seeking shelter. Leaving the cart behind, she decided on the latter and ran toward the cover of a large tree.
She knew she wasn’t safe there while bolts of lightning were tearing through the sky, but she really didn’t have any other option. With her back braced against the thick trunk of the tree, she closed her eyes and shouted a plea.
“Please, help me!”
She wasn’t sure if she was begging her mate or the gods themselves. Either way, she honestly didn’t expect a response. That’s why it came as a complete surprise when the tree trunk parted, and she fell backward into a dark hole.
The barrage of noise coming from the storm faded a little as the hole in the tree trunk knit itself back together again. It was dark inside, but after a few seconds, several glowing flowers bloomed on the exposed branches, unfurling so their soft glow lit up the space.
Glancing around, she realized that she was in the heart of an ancient tree that stood as a living monument to nature’s power and resilience. Rather than a solid trunk, the massive base was actually composed of countless entwined aerial roots that formed a fortress-like wall. The tree’s thick root system extended upward, creating a network of pillars that enclosed a small world hidden within its embrace.
The tree was familiar to her since it was native to the Fairy Realm. It was known as a giving tree since one could essentially survive from it alone. The flowers that grew on the branchesbloomed into delicious fruit, and the thick verdant vines that wrapped around the roots and branches were filled with sweet water.
The enclosed area was large enough to comfortably fit half a dozen people, though there was no sign that anyone had ever been invited inside before her. As the storm continued to rage outside, she was safely tucked away from the wind and rain.
The tree had answered her plea and had offered her shelter.
Even though her magic wasn’t working, she placed her hand on one of the branches and pressed her forehead against another, hoping the tree could sense her gratitude through her touch.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “Thanks for your kindness.”
In response, several of the vines and branches began to move until a small bench appeared against the wall of roots. She gratefully collapsed onto the seat provided for her and wrung some of the water out of her hair.
A wave of dizziness swept over her as she felt that strange sensation of tightness in her chest again. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and focused on taking slow, measured breaths, hoping to steady herself and ward off the discomfort. It almost felt like she was having a heart attack, but that made no sense. It was more than a physical ailment if it was restricting her magic.
What she was experiencing was baffling, and there was no logical explanation for it. Unlike the evening of the welcome party, she hadn’t had anything strange to drink, nor had she consumed anything from an unknown source. The cause of her symptoms remained a mystery, leaving her feeling uneasy and even more vulnerable.
She tried reaching her mate again, but still got no response. At least, Remy knew where she was. If she went missing, he would definitely come looking for her. That in itself was a comfort. But she required help for more than just herself. Shedidn’t like the damage that the storm was causing the entire forest, but there was little she could do to fix it without magic.
She was startled when she felt a vibration against her leg. Reaching down, she pulled her phone out of the side pocket of her leggings and stared down at it in disbelief. Not only was her phone on when she knew she had turned it off before going to class, there was no way it should have power at all in the greenhouse.
Magic interfered with the tech, but somehow, it was working.
Unlocking the screen, she noticed that there was no signal down in the sublevel. But somehow, she had gotten a new notification from the Arcane Assist app. She had almost forgotten about the mysterious magical app, and it had obviously known she had needed a reminder. It had been able to help during her time of need before, so maybe it could do it again. Tapping on it to open the app, a message appeared.
Welcome back to Arcane Assist! Are you in need of assistance?
Hell, yeah, she was.
Starla had no clue how the magical app was able to work when she was essentially in a dead zone, but she couldn’t waste time wondering about that now. She tried to figure out what to ask for, then decided to try fixing the most pressing issue first.
Can you make the storm stop?
There was a brief pause, then a new message appeared.
Sorry, unable to assist with that request. Would you like to request some other type of assistance?
