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I swipe a hand down my face, unsure where to even begin.
Chaya smirks. “That good, huh?”
“The sisters decided to walk to town this morning.”
Her eyes widen. “What? Why would you let them do that?”
“I was out,” I say, feeling defensive at the reminder of the danger I allowed.
“Are they okay?”
“They’re fine.”
“Uh-huh. And you?”
The moon fever. She insisted I should have left today and let her stay to guard the sisters, but my obsession wouldn’t allow it. I don’t bother to tell her that, if the circumstances haven’t changed before the next double moons, I’m going to do more than leave. A few months ago, I locked Styx up to keep her from hunting her mate; she’ll do the same for me if I ask. The problem is I’m not sure the madness won’t be permanent by then. Not to mention I have no idea how to keep a beast like mine chained.
“I handled it.”
I can see she has questions, but she doesn’t press it. “As long as everyone’s in one piece.” She turns to go, adding over her shoulder, “Klyn sent word to meet him in half an hour.”
“He’s back already?” I ask, frowning.
She shrugs as she pads silently down the hall. “’Night.”
Klyn is already waiting for me at the edge of the garden when I make my way out just after midnight. His hooded silhouette is nearly invisible against the backdrop of thick trees, but my senses are keen. Impatience has me quickening my pace to meet him. Half my thoughts are still on Tori and the way she responded to my touch earlier. A touch that only left me craving her even more. The other half are on her words. She agreed to let me help her. To stop fighting me. It’s the closest thing to a truce we’ve achieved, and I don’t intend to waste it.
At my approach, Klyn looks up from where he’s studying one of the rosebushes. His recon mission didn’t last nearly as long as I expected, and I can’t tell if that’s good or bad.
“What did you find?” I ask.
“Hello to you too,” Klyn says wryly.
“Hello,” I grumble. “What did you find?”
“Did you see this?” he asks, pointing to the bush.
“I’ve seen it a thousand times,” I say, impatience making my tone curt. “They’re roses?—”
“Not the roses. These dark vines covering them.”
He moves aside. In the darkness, I note thick, charcoal-colored vines weaving through the branches and wrapping tightly around the rosebuds trying to unfurl. I scowl, ready to blast him for wasting my time on harmless ivy, but my eyes track the vines where they continue creeping beyond the rosebushes. Since the last time I stood here—mere days ago—the vines have wound all the way to the atrium of the garden, choking out several of the lower-lying plants already.
“This wasn’t here a week ago,” Klyn says.
My gaze snaps back to his. “It’s Tori,” I say quietly. “This curse is affecting her gift for plants. Turning them to poison.”
He snatches his hand away. “You’re telling me this vine is poisonous?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I advise not touching it.”
He stares at me for a beat. “Good plan.”
“What did you find?” I ask.
He sighs. “Not the information I wanted.”
I tense, not sure how to feel about that answer. I sent him to the Earth realm in an attempt to uncover anything more about this curse or how to end it. And Klyn’s never returned from a mission empty-handed. “What does that mean?”
