No. It’s this place.
The immense gravity forcing my feet farther into the barren earth, the twisted broken squeeze in each breath. The grieving twists of rope. It’s too much.
“Do I need to carry you?” Will asks. He’s trying to joke, but it doesn’t ring true. Not here. Not in this clearing. “Come on, let’s get this filled up with flowers.”
He takes the basket out of my limp hands and gently guides me back to the path. Each step I take away from that tree is easier, lighter. Eventually, I chuckle and rub my eyes to shake off the lingering feeling.
“There we go,” Will says, and smiles down at me. “That place will do that to you—especially to anyone with magic. It’s best to avoid it.”
“You felt it too?”
He doesn’t glance back. “More than I care to admit.”
I don’t know if I should dig further. I don’t know if I can handle any more harsh truths today. From the way they were talking back there, the rumors that blame Will for the tree’s death seem less andless likely, but the only way to know for certain is to ask. And if he wasn’t at fault, then where did those rumors start?
“What happened to it? The tree?”
For once, it’s not me who takes a long time to answer. A shadow falls over Will’s eyes, and I instantly regret asking.
“Ego and desperation. That’s what happened.”
“It feels like death.”
“It does.”
“Was it dark magic?”
“Yes.”
These short answers are most unlike him.
“Did anyone try to restore it using magic? Like the king or someone?”
He attempts a laugh. “I did, actually. Several times. Clearly, I was unsuccessful. A few people who lived nearby tried too, to no avail. It’s a spell that cannot be undone. Only time will tell if the earth will recover.”
Does Bash know that? That Will tried to heal the tree? It doesn’t seem like a topic Will wants to talk about….
I chew my lip. “Do you think Pigeon will be okay?”
“Most likely.”
“Is she from Mithian?”
“No, she’s from Oxburg. It’s a small village in the forest a short walk in that direction. No one lives there now though.” He sighs. “Most of the spell’s impact is kept to that clearing—that’s the epicenter—but over time, the dark magic bled out to the surrounding areas. A few months after it happened, a nearby village noticed rot in their wood. Then their harvests started to sour, and the soil became too acidic. Some people fell sick. I think most places within a half hour walk of the tree were affected badly, while the rest of the forest saw minor damage. Pigeon’s village was one of the worst hit.”
That’s awful…
“It sounded like she was going to attack the trading wagons again,”I say. Meaning I could get back home to find an injured friend. On either side of the conflict.
“Let’s stay out their way, then, shall we?” Will says. “I prefer my days guard free.”
I anxiously rub my fingers down the pleats of my skirt. I actually agree with that. Especially one guard in particular.
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt….”
When I look back up, Will grins at me, and any hint of my sorrow is flung to the wind.
“Anyone? Worried about me too, Princess?”
