AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ansar presses his left palm against an indentation in the center of the door. It swings open, revealing a vast chamber.
It isn’t just an ordinary chamber. It’s a natural cave, with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and mineral deposits shimmering in the walls and the natural stone floor.
I recognize them at once.
Serpenstone.
It’s little wonder they’re able to keep Aralya contained in here. The sheer amount ofserpenstonein this cave is staggering. It affects me too, dulling my senses, making me sluggish. It’s as if a heavy weight is pressing down upon my shoulders. I almost drop to my knees.
But I’m fortunate to be half-human. Theserpenstonedoesn’t affect me as badly as it would if I were a pureblooded vampire.
It must be dampening Ansar’s magic, too.
“Go inside.” I prod him in the back with the tip of my blade.
Ansar enters, and I follow.
And stop dead in my tracks as I catch sight ofher.
For the first time in my life, I encounter a pureblooded dryad.
At last.
Relief surges through me. It’s really her. She’s alive.
They’ve locked her in an infernal cage—made of dampening iron and inset with thousands and thousands ofserpenstonegems. The structure is domed like a birdcage and large enough to contain a person at full height.
She hangs suspended from the top of the cage, her wrists and ankles bound in dampening shackles, her body clad in rags and bound again in shimmering threads, into which more tinyserpenstoneshave been woven.
Her eyes are closed.
Her expression isalmostpeaceful, but twisted into a slight grimace, as if she’s in silent agony.
I stare at her.
It’s impossible to draw my eyes away.
She isn’t like anyone I’ve ever seen before.
She’s so very clearlynotof this world.
Her hair is verdant green; the color of emeralds, of lush jungles in the rain. It’s so long it hangs down to her ankles.
Her skin is like polished oak, luminous and ageless.
And in her ageless features, there are unmistakable echoes of Finley.
My chest tightens.
This woman has endured so much. I can’t bear to see her like this.
“Ansar,” I say softly, both awed by the dryad and disgusted at what they’ve done to her. “You will release her life-thread.Now.”
He laughs. “You know why I can control her like this? It’s because she’s half-dead. It’s the only bargaining chip I have. You really think I would release her so easily? As I told you before, you take her place in there, and I’ll release any thread you want.”
“All right.” I sheath my sword, releasing him.
Ansar spins around in surprise. “What are you—”
