She stared at the fruit for a minute beforebiting deep. Purple juice trickled from her lips and down her chin.Her eyes danced with merriment when they shot to me. “It’sdelicious!” She wiped the juice from her mouth, and the branch thathad offered her the fruit slid away. “You can let me go,” she saidto me.
Reluctantly, I released her from my hold.I’d seen the trees infuriated; this was far from that. I resistedthe impulse to snatch her back when she stepped further away fromme. She ate the fruit as she moved through the trees, touching eachone of them and laughing when they caressed her.
The trees themselves seemed to laugh astheir leaves fluttered, creating a musical current in the air. I’dnever seen anything more beautiful than her as she threw her armsout to her sides when the leaves and branches shifted over her.Blue light swirled over her skin, illuminating her eyes and face ina magical glow as her power swelled over her.
“Kobal.”
I turned at my name coming from deeperwithin the woods. Through the trees, I spotted Bale and the othersstanding fifty feet away and refusing to look in our direction.“You can come forth,” I said in response to Bale.
I turned my attention back to River whenthey started forward. Corson and Bale stepped beside me. Corson’sbreath rushed out of him, and Bale gawked at River.
“What are they doing?” Hawk inquired andtook a step forward. Healthy color tinged his cheeks, the linesthat had been etched around his eyes and mouth yesterday had eased.Vitality and control exuded from him once more. He may not likewhat he’d become, but he couldn’t deny what he was and what hewould have to do to survive.
Beside him, Magnus stood and stared beforethrusting back his shoulders. “They are greeting their queen,” hesaid.
“Did they ever do this to you?” Baleinquired of me.
“No. I’ve never seen this before,” Ireplied.
River laughed when one of the brancheslifted her hair from her shoulder before allowing it to spill downagain.
“Is a calamut tree beingplayful?”Corson demanded.
“She feels their life force and they likeit,” a skellein said from behind me.
“Have they ever done this to the nymphs?”Corson asked.
“That’s a question only the nymphs cananswer,” the skellein replied as he took a drink from hisflask.
“Get one of the nymphs for me and bring themhere,” I commanded.
The skellein bowed his head before turningand slipping into the forest. Another branch turned over to offerRiver some more fruit, but she waved it away. When a branch dippedlow to nudge at the backs of her knees, she sat on it. I took astep forward when it rose high into the air, lifting her into thecanopy.
My heart pounded in my chest as I ranforward to stare into the trees. I’d tear the thing down with mybare hands to get to her if it became necessary. “River!” Ishouted.
Her laughter floated down from above. Theleaves danced and swayed as their music grew and their movementcaused a breeze to drift over me. With a ripple of motion, Riverwas lowered to the ground once more and placed down ten feet awayfrom me.
Her face was aglow with happiness; herradiant smile eased some of the stress in my chest. The snap of atwig drew my attention away as the skellein returned with a treenymph. The woman froze; her rosebud mouth parted as her gaze ranover the trees interacting with River. A red flush heightened herporcelain cheeks, and her blonde hair fell forward to shield herbare breasts.
“The others must see this,” shewhispered.
“Have you ever experienced anything likethis before?” I demanded of her.
“No, Your Highness, I have not, but thetrees are a life force all their own.”
“That they are,” Magnus murmured.
My lips clamped together as I turned tosurvey the odd spectacle once more. River lifted her hand to toucha branch when all around her they went as still as the gargoylescould become. So fast that I barely saw them, they all pulledinstantaneously away from her. River frowned in confusion, her handremained in the air as a rush of movement filled the forest and anew, putrid scent drifted to me.
“River!” I bellowed.
Lowering my shoulders, I charged toward heras the trees creaked before heaving forward. Their leaves flattenedagainst their bark as the ends of the branches drove deep into theground. River threw her hands up and stumbled back as rock, forestfloor, and dead leaves shot into the air around her from theimpact.
The branches that didn’t drive themselvesinto the ground, crisscrossed through the air in an intricatewebbing system that created a wall directly in front of River. Ileapt over the pool of fire and embraced her against me. Somethingroared through the darkness and crashed into the thick wall thetrees had created.
River gasped as through the crisscrossingsections of trees, red eyes glared at us. The creature holleredagain and leapt at the branches. Leaves rattled and the wallswayed, but it held firm as the trees sought to protect her againstthe threat on the other side.
“What is that?” River inquired.
