His limb-eyebrows bounced again. “You have all shown respectably worthy traits during your time in the Blood Forest. But I am not sure if you are worthy of finishing the task you are truly here for.”
“Why?” King Elon’s back straightened sharply. “Our kingdoms are prospering. We are wonderful rulers. And we only want to keep our people from dying, from the realm being destroyed.”
Tree Man’s shadow leaves ruffled, and his voice boomed and shook the ground further. “Because I have not decided yet.”
When the leaves stopped rustling, I asked delicately, “What must we do to prove our worth to you? Please, help us understand. We want to save our beautiful realm.”
“You, I like,” Tree Man stated quietly. “If they were only more like you. While you spoke to the rat, another slayed the deer. While you offered your ointment to help, the same person stole it from your bag when you weren’t looking. While you explained your abandoned feelings to one, that person did not truly listen. While you were near death, two stood to take your only nourishment.”
I had wondered where my ointment had gone.
The tender-hearted, genius queen was a thief.
I think I liked her better for it.
I shook my head in the charged quiet. My resulting smile was small. “I am not perfect, either. None of us are. We all have our faults, just as the Fae do, just as you do. Just as the sun in the sky does. That doesn’t mean we aren’t worthy of what we have when our whole hearts are for our people tolive. We are perfectly imperfect royals doing the best that we can—just as you are doing your best with the talents you have been gifted.”
The five rulers didn’t move. They didn’t even breathe.
They knew they had screwed up and were hoping I was able to smooth it over in the royal way of politics since Tree Man only liked me. When we were home, I was going to rub that in my father’s face a little bit—justa little bit. Though it could as easily have been me who had messed up with hidden eyes watching us all the time. I had merely been lucky.
Weweren’tperfect.
But wewereworthy of our people. Of our realm.
The rulers did everything in their power to keep the peace.
Tree Man’s shadow hair swayed in the breeze. “You truly believe they are worthy, too?”
“Yes, I do,” I stated without hesitation.
The shadow leaf hair swayed up and down—a nod. He stated, “I will agree then. I will take all of you up to the peak of the mountain.”
“Thank you,” I stated breathlessly.
“You are welcome.” Tree Man grinned, the bark pulling tight on his mouth. “Don’t be frightened of what comes next. And donotmove.”
The mountain rumbled under our feet.
We instantly braced our legs further as Tree Man started to grow. Up and up he went into the air until his roots were pulled from the earth, slithering around us as they emerged. The branches—the arms—of Tree Man suddenly swept down.
I stifled my shout in the back of my throat when a lone, thin branch slithered around my waist. My feet left the ground, and then up and up I went into the air, being cradled in the arms of Tree Man.
My wide eyes darted back and forth, making sure I wasn’t alone in this. Once I could see past the shadow leaves, I hissed a relieved sigh through my teeth. The five rulers were all with me in the air, held protectively by their own branch.
I turned my attention to the view.
Oh my Fae.I couldn’t look away.
A tear almost slipped from my eye. There was so much beauty inside the Blood Forest from this vantage point.
The black trees were blooming flowers in the sun.
The thick mist was the protective grass swaying lightly.
The blue stream was the ivy curling through the flowers.
The running animals were the colors of the petals.
