“But all the books say a Grove of dryads can make a new one,” Xavier protested. He didn’t like where this was going.
“According to Mother, one dryad leader hated that males were needed and did something to remove any references to Green Men. I don’t know what magic was used, but now there is nothing about male dryads in any literature.”
“That explains so much.” What was he supposed to do now?
“What happens if Rance isn’t there to make the new Grove?” Kat clutched Xavier tighter.
His arm was going numb.
Rance paled. “If I’m not there to help guide the Grove magic, it will suck out their life forces, then become something else.”
“What does it become?” His thoughts from before came back to him in a rush, and he answered his own question. “A haunted wood. That’s it, isn’t it?”
“Mother thought so.” Rance picked at his nails and did not look at anyone. “If I’m not there, they could all die.”
“But what if they attack you?” Kat released Xavier and went to stand beside the teen with a hand on Rance’s shoulder. “You said they didn’t believe your mother when she told them Mother Nature wanted you grown.”
“I know.” He dug the tip of one sneaker into the ash, then slid it back, leaving a stripe across the forest floor. “But I can’t let them die, even if they don’t like me.”
Xavier resisted the urge to join Kat in squeezing the kid.
“We need a contract,” Oliver interjected.
“Yes.” Xavier grabbed onto the idea like a lifeline. “You’re in a good position to bargain with Master Melcori. He'd be open for negotiation as long as he gets the gems. Your blood is more on his wish list than a necessity.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t reassure me,” Oliver said dryly.
Xavier shrugged. It wasn’t his job to make Oliver feel better.
“I should go to him.” Rance stood, his expression set. “If I don’t, the others might die.”
“I wouldn’t advise rushing to your mother quite yet. There are still dryads in your Grove willing to let you burn to death. Melcori wanted you somewhere safe and out of the way, but I doubt he knows about Green Men. If I tell him you are in Moon Pack custody, you will be safe from Melcori and whatever dryad might be out for you. Octavia was the one who made a deal with Melcori to burn down the Grove, but that doesn’t mean she was the only one willing.”
He refused to make any promises for his master. Until he talked to Melcori, this was all guesswork. In the end, Melcori would do whatever was best for Melcori and the rest of the Blood Mages if they aligned with his needs. It was only a secondary concern if it worked well for the dryads.
“How will this affect us?” Kat pointed a finger back and forth between them. Snowflakes began to pop into existence and drift lazily down among the ashes.
Xavier tilted his head back to watch the lacy bits of ice. “It isn’t cold enough for snow.”
“That’s me.” Kat lifted his right hand in the air like a schoolboy. “I can make it snow when I’m stressed.”
“Or even when you’re not,” Anthony reminded him.
“Or when I’m not. It’s just a thing.”
Xavier eyed Kat with appreciation. His new mate packed a lot of power in that unassuming package. Weather magic needed a ton of magical energy. “Impressive.”
He received a shy smile in response.
“What happens if Rance isn’t strong enough to form a Grove?” Silver asked. “He’s quite young, and his core is still forming.”
That was something Xavier hadn’t considered.
Hallea answered, “The Grove will provide most of the magic. It is my understanding that Rance is there to guide it, not make it. If too much magic builds, it should flow back to the other dryads. However, if the other dryads aren’t open to Rance’s power, it could warp the trees around them. That’s where dark fairy tales are born.”
“Great.” Xavier could only imagine all kinds of terrible outcomes if the old Grove’s magic overwhelmed Rance. Maybe Zabria could show him the best path?
“It’ll be fine.” Kat patted Rance’s shoulder. “There are enough of us that we can stop anything too bad from happening.”
