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A keening wail rose over the black woods, haunting and thick with strange rhythms. The sound was unnerving and kept Phae from sleeping. Scuttling sounds came from the trees far overhead and the already-dim light prevented them some seeing what passed through the trees. The moon had not risen yet and the forest grew colder with each passing moment.
“Try to sleep,” Shion whispered.
“Not with that dreadful noise,” she answered darkly. “It cuts right through sleep. Are they getting nearer? I can’t tell.”
“I don’t think so. The calls are random.”
She hung her head, feeling miserable at the lack of sleep and growing fatigue. Her muscles ached, as did her feet. Warmth radiated from Shion’s body and she shifted to press herself closer to him.
“I wish you hadn’t frightened me,” she said after a pause. “Back at the Dryad tree.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Remember that evil tree? The one when we were fleeing through the woods of Silvandom? I was drawn to it by all those blue butterflies. I was sure it was a magical tree—one that would shelter us. It deceived me, yet I could not see it.”
“I remember,” he said simply. He turned to look at her, but she could not see his face. In her mind, she thought of the scars, his brooding eyes.
She rested her head against his shoulder. “I struggled against you, trying to wade into that brackish water. I was so certain you were wrong. It’s difficult to trust emotions. Sometimes they betray you.” She sighed. “I can see why you all deceived me. It still hurts though.”
She felt his fingers graze her hair. His touch caused a shiver down her back. He hesitated and then caressed her again. “I’m sorry,” he repeated.
“It’s all right. I understand now. I just wish I had figured it out on my own. But I suppose that’s a rash thought. Who can outpredict my father?”
“Phae?” Tyrus called to her.
“Yes?” She sat up, smoothing the hair over her shoulder.
“Annon has uncovered some interesting information. We must see how it compares to what you learned from the Dryad in Silvandom. Come closer, all of you.”
Hettie and Aran quickly joined them, huddling in the shadows of the ravine. The wind shook the heavy tree limbs overhead, sending dead leaves spiraling on top of them. Phae hunkered down.
“He learned that at the center of this forest is a promontory.”
“What is that?” Phae asked.
“It’s a mass of stone . . . like a hill that hasn’t worn down over time. The rock is older and suited better to withstand the elements. There are ruins of some sort there, but it is not our destination. Annon also learned where the Mother Tree is and its description. What we are looking for is a single tree, or perhaps two trees that grew into one, for there is a space at the base inside the trunk. A gap. This follows the Mirrowen lore that I’ve heard, where there are portals to that world through fallen trunks or natural gaps. The tree we search for is very old, very squat with many limbs protruding. It is ancient beyond our reckoning and probably very sick and diseased. That tree is at the base of the promontory, so we will need to travel around to find it. It would best be done during daylight, else we could walk right past it.”
Phae felt a stirring of hope at the words. Just at the edge of her senses, she also felt the pain in her abdomen threatening to rouse again. She stiffened with the thought, remembering the agony of previous onslaughts. She needed rest!
“That is good news,” Phae whispered. “What else? Do we know where to find it? What direction to go?”
“Yes. It was not far from the Dryad tree we were at earlier. When the Tay al-Ard refreshes, we can go back there again and head the right way. Roaming the woods at night is too dangerous right now. But we should go at dawn and see if we can reach the promontory before night ends. The longer we stay in these woods, the more hunters the Arch-Rike releases against us. This has been my strategy, to keep them hunting us away from the center. To draw his forces away from protecting the tree. If we can jump over his lines, so to speak, we can rush to the center and there will be fewer guardians.”
“He will not leave it unprotected,” Prince Aran said. “A sizable host will be waiting for us. How many Fear Liaths does he have chained in his service, do you think?”
“I cannot even guess,” Tyrus replied. “Which is why attacking during daylight is critical. Those creatures are vulnerable in the day. Every foe we have faced bears a weakness. I suspect that we will be vastly outnumbered. I have brought certain magics with me to help in such a case.” He gave a quick look to Annon, which Phae noticed. “The sooner we find the tree, the sooner Phae can enter it. Now there is something else you need to know.”
