The council climbed on their war elk, and the army continued like phantoms through the forest. They were in those woods to fight this battle. It was inevitable that it was coming, but she couldn’t help but feel a sense of icy dread coil through her veins. The last time she’d had this sense of impending doom was on Quartz Mountain. Avery gripped Savine’s hand around her waist. The soothing warmth of his touch was the only thing that kept her calm.
As they rode through the mountainside, Avery noticed skeletons of decimated trees. Savine’s body tensed as soon as they saw the first tree. By the fifth tree, Savine stopped Jari and directed the other warriors to continue riding. Rue and Weston, who had been riding nearby, both stopped, acting as guards for their commander and prince.
Savine pulled Avery down from Jari, avoiding the massive elk’s antlers. Savine’s words were the faintest echo in her ear. “Draw your magic up with me, commanding life into this tree. The magic they used can be reversed. You can do it.”
Avery nodded. This would be the first time she’d worked her magic with Savine, but she didn’t hesitate. If she could work her magic with Hyacinth or Susan, then she could work with Savine, who she felt such a tangible connection to. Avery took Savine’s hand in hers, brushing her thumb along the whorls of his essence.
Concentrating on that spot deep within her, her magic bubbled to the surface. It got easier and easier with more practice, but forwhatever reason, a green light that did her bidding was still the easiest thing for her to do. This time, she needed to put all her concentration into healing the ravaged tree. While still gripping Savine’s hand, Avery brought her other hand to the trunk. Savine did the same, creating a circle with the tree centered between them. Avery pushed her magic into the tree, willing it to heal. She whispered her own words of healing toward the tree. Closing her eyes, Avery transferred that magical energy deep within her forward.
A gasp came from close behind Avery, and she opened her eyes to see the skeletal remains of the damaged trunk were replaced with the dusty blue needles of a blue spruce. Avery looked behind her and saw Rue beaming with pride.
“You did it,” Rue said in hushed tones.
“We did it!” Avery replied as she looked at Savine. His essence still pulsed with power as he pulled her against his chest.
“You amaze me, little flower. Look at what we did together,” Savine said into her hair.
Avery didn’t let the moment of healing this tree stop her from moving on to the other trees. Together, she and Savine made quick work of the two dozen decimated trees on the ridge before they continued to follow the army down toward the valley below. Rue and Weston stayed close at hand, protecting them from any potential threat, while Avery and Savine made themselves vulnerable as they repaired the injured trees.
Avery’s gasp came out in muffled shock as she crested the ridge and looked at the valley below. Thousands upon thousands of trees stood like skeletal remains. Branches were sheared off, and the exposed trunk of the trees gleamed in an incandescent light as the evening sun faded from the valley.
“Holy shit,” Avery swore. “I don’t know how we can possibly save them all.”
Savine’s speechless face made Avery’s skin prickle. “Savine?” Avery said gently as she touched his arm with her free hand.
“There is evil magic here. Something far greater than should be possible in Aeritis. This destruction…” Savine’s voice tapered off. His words were left hanging unfinished in the air as he dropped to his knees.
Rue pointed down to where the front line of warriors already battled the loyalists. “It’s begun,” she said.
Weston looked down at the valley below. “There’s nothing you can do for these trees. They will need us in the battle, sir,” Weston said.
Savine’s face twisted into something that made Avery take a step back. Would he actually hurt Weston for what he suggested?
“I can hear their cries. I can hear the agony that is coursing through their roots,” Savine replied. His stare looked so distant that it frightened Avery.
Avery took a deep breath and dropped to her knees beside Savine. This was no time for her to let her fears overtake her. Savine needed her strength now. He needed her to hold him together as he mourned his forests and the pain they suffered. “Savine, we may not save them all right now, but we can at least relieve some of their suffering.” Then an idea came to her. She looked at the swaying remains of an aspen grove, three hundred yards down the ridge from where they stood. “If we can save one aspen, surely their connection through their roots will send some relief to all the other aspens.”
Savine looked down at her and gave her a sad smile. “We can try. We don’t give up on these trees. We don’t leave them to suffer. Let’s do what we can until the rebels can’t go on without us.” He turned and looked directly at Weston. Weston’s furry essence swirled, like a beast readying to attack. “You won’t leave your post. You will be besideAvery at all times during this conflict.” He turned his head, his features softening as he looked at Rue. “Both of you. No matter what happens in this battle, you do not leave her.”
Weston let out a disapproving grunt. He wasn’t happy about being relegated to babysitter for the entire battle. His essence continued to swirl irritatedly.
“I’m happy to stay with Avery,” Rue said, flashing a brilliant smile at Avery. Of course she was. Avery loved that fae for her big heart and willingness to help Avery navigate this fucked up world.
Although she couldn’t see the details of the conflict below, it sounded horrifying. Shouts rippled across the valley, echoing up to the ridgeline where they stood. Inhuman roars and screams of pain pierced Avery’s ears. The smell of blood and fire infiltrated her nose. The battle raging in the valley was enough to send a chill down her spine. Thank God she was up here with three capable warriors that had her ass if things got crazy for them. The fighting already seemed pretty damn crazy for the warriors fighting below.
Avery tried to ignore the sounds of the battle as she and the others made their way over to the blanched remains of the aspen grove.
Savine touched the trunks before he pulled back. His face looked haunted as he looked back at Avery. “It is dark magic. Jasper has tapped into something to force his control on the trees. It is beyond what the Goddess would ever give someone through their essence.”
“Then let’s push it out so the trees can have some relief,” Avery replied.
“It is going to take a lot, Avery,” Savine said. “He trapped the trees in some sort of stasis. They’re screaming out in agony from the magic, destroying them from the inside. Do you have the power to push it out? I don’t want tohurt you.”
Avery touched Savine’s chest, reassuring him that she could do this. But she wasn’t really sure. She already felt a heaviness growing within her. Like she could collapse from all the effort she’d just put forth. “I can do it. I won’t let you or your subjects suffer. That includes the trees.”
Savine nodded before taking her hand and touching a gnarled root that surfaced from the ground. Avery did the same. She dug deeper into her magic than she’d done before, pulling up a well of herself that she didn’t know was possible. It felt reckless, like she could collapse from the effort, but she didn’t back down.
At the same time, she steadied herself on Savine and the bit of life that took hold in the aspen's root. With a force that she didn’t know was possible, she sent the magic pulsing out of her veins. It burned her from the inside, like she was searing off a piece of herself and pouring it into the root. Again and again she forced that magic through herself and into the root.
