The Gable Forest

Koldis couldn't help his wandering mind. Couldn't help the thoughts that replayed every moment from the night before. The feel of Taylynn's flesh beneath his fingers. The small sounds she made. The taste of her lips—

"Not long now, I think." Her voice jolted him.

"You think?"

"It's different when the forest isn't guiding me," she explained.

He pressed outward with his mind, felt a collection of skittering consciousnesses. Squirrels and chipmunks, concerned about their foraging. Rabbits. Birds, too. Even the distant flicker of a unicorn.

What would it be like, he wondered, to have so few cares? He couldn't fathom it. His entire life had been spent caring about one thing or another, and those cares had only gotten worse.

"I think...yes. Just here." Taylynn stopped at the edge of a clearing. He came up behind her, pressing close against her back. He couldn't help himself, couldn't help the shiver of eagerness that raced over his skin. Gods! He was lovesick.

At the center of the clearing there was a tree—not the king tree. It was stunted, its trunk and limbs gnarled with age. There was a gaping hole in its center. He knew without knowing, that the stones were hidden within the tree. Or, that they should be.

He took a step around Taylynn. Her hand shot out, fingers wrapping around his wrist. He froze. "Wait," she warned. "Let me check the wards."

"I thought the forest—"

"Do you want to get sliced to bits based on my assumptions?"

"For what it's worth," he said, grudgingly, "I trust your assumptions."

He trusted her wholly.

She sighed, shaking her head. Then she lifted a hand and moved forward, as if feeling the air. Her hand dropped. "As I suspected. Nothing."

"So the protective wards are all gone?" She nodded in confirmation. "But the stones?"

"Let us hope they're still safe. Stay here, I'll check."

He fidgeted, watching with his heart in his throat. She strode across the clearing and stopped at the gnarled tree. Her arm delved into the hole at its center, disappearing into its trunk, all the way to her shoulder. A small cry of relief fell from her lips.

"All good?" His own relief was palpable.

"All good," she said.

A twig snapped. His eyes snapped up. From the far side of the clearing, a slithery voice said, "Excellent. I would have been most displeased."

Taylynn went rigid, her arm still hidden within the trunk of the tree. Koldis bristled, his hand going straight for the hilt of his sverak. The undergrowth parted. He blinked. Somehow, knowing what he would see still didn't prepare him for the gut-wrenching shock of it.

Kane emerged, his movements hindered. At first, Koldis couldn't tell why. Then he spotted the body Kane dragged behind him, bound and gagged.

"Kane," Taylynn hissed, though she didn't move, didn't pull her arm free. Like she was afraid to. Koldis growled, low in his throat, a warning.

His first thought was to protect his mate.

Taylynn's eyes settled on the prone figure Kane dragged. "Oh, gods! Pelwynn! What...what have you done to him?!" she demanded.

"I've poisoned him," Kane said, a triumphant smile spreading across his lips. "One of my own unique concoctions, I'm afraid. There is an antidote. Just one dose. I'll give it to you, if you hand over the stones. Otherwise, I'm afraid he's minutes from death."

Poison?! Koldis glanced down at the prone figure. His stomach twisted. There was no denying Kane's words. The veins in Pelwynn's body were blackening, making his skin look marbled.

"No," Taylynn gasped, the blood draining from her pale face. It was clear that whoever this Pelwynn was, he meant a great deal to the princess. Which meant he meant a great deal to Koldis, too.

His skin flushed hot with anger. This was the sorcerer who'd taken Claire from them. Who'd sent her through a portal back to her world, forcing his king to follow after. The same sorcerer responsible for killing Cyrus.

Spots prickled his vision. If Kane had the antidote, he'd be carrying it somewhere on him. He could kill him and acquire it. He took a step forward, drawing his blade.

"Ah, ah ah," Kane chided, holding up a hand. A glass vial caught the light. "One step closer and I smash it."

He swore under his breath, frozen with indecision. His eyes darted to Pelwynn, dying on the ground. The sprite was ancient, his movements sluggish. Pelwynn's eyes were wide.

"There now." Kane turned his attention back to Taylynn. "Retrieve the stones and toss them over."

"You think I believe you?" she spat. "That if I simply hand them over, you won't vanish with the antidote?"

"You have my word."

"The word of an asarlaí," she scoffed.

"I'll leave it right here with him," Kane said, his voice calm. "All you need to do is toss me the stones."

Pelwynn had enough strength to frantically shake his head. Taylynn caught the movement. Her features softened, turning stricken.

He swore under his breath.

Had Saffra had been successful? It was impossible to know if she'd managed to capture the other three stones. But if she hadn't, handing over the remaining two would be the end of it. They'd lose everything.

"Give me a moment," Taylynn managed, showing a sort of hesitation he wasn't used to. She turned away from Kane, from Koldis, pressing her forehead against the old tree. He could picture her face, eyes shut, willing answers into existence. He could picture her indecision.

He knew what her answer would be, what she would choose. He couldn't fault her for it. Sacrifice one sprite for an entire kingdom? It sounded mundane, and yet, even the death of one person felt like too much.

Even Pelwynn was begging her with his eyes. Begging her to make the correct decision. Shaking his head with a silent plea.

"All right." Taylynn lifted her head. "I've made my decision." She freed her arm and stepped away from the tree. There was a flash of something in her hand before it disappeared into her pocket.

"Stupid girl," Kane hissed with anger. The glass vile shattered in his palm, its contents dripping uselessly onto the ground. A sob rose from Taylynn's throat at the sound. At the certainty of Pelwynn's death.

"I'll kill you for—" Koldis's words were silenced.

"Take her," Kane growled, issuing a command to some unknown observer.

Koldis had only time to blink before the forest erupted. He cried out in warning, sprinting to Taylynn's side. A hissing, ripping sound filled the air. His stomach plummeted. He'd heard it before, once, when he'd first come here. He knew what he'd see before he saw it. The clearing filled with bodies of roots, twisting and moving with inhuman speed. The root men. Sentinels of the forest. Only—

"What have you done?!" Taylynn cried, shock limning her features.

"It was easy to twist them to my needs, without the precious protection of your forest."

The bodies were easily eight feet tall, their faces empty and unseeing, mouths yawning open. These sentinels were responsible for caring for the forest. They distributed reincarnated souls from the king tree, giving life to the forest. Lending a sentience to so many trees.

Now, they were under Kane's spell.

The closest sentinel lunged. Its body was made entirely of roots that snaked over the forest floor as it moved. A hand reached for Taylynn's throat. He cried out, slicing through the air and removing the arm.

"No!" Taylynn screamed, her voice pained, as if he'd harmed something precious. Didn't she understand? The forest's sentinels were not what they'd once been.

"We don't have a choice," he cried, slashing out again and again. He had to protect her—had to protect his mate above all others. Had to protect the stones she carried.

She simply stood, gaping, as if she couldn't quite believe what was happening.

Kane had taken something precious and used it against her, relying on her disbelief to stun her. The move cost them. Taylynn shook herself and managed an angry cry, stepping backwards. She lifted her arms and began to sing.

It was too late. A sentinel came from behind and snatched her up, its roots growing, weaving about her body until she was caged. Angry fury burst form her lips.

"Do something," he shouted, slashing and hacking at the powerful sentinels.

A root twisted around her mouth, gagging her. She choked. She could do magic without words, but she was too busy gasping for air, trying to breathe. To stay alive.

Heat and pain erupted along his arm. He swore, spinning on his heel, driving his sword into the closest sentinel. Hot blood dripped down his bicep. More roots lashed out at him.

His breaths came faster, more ragged as he hacked at the roots surrounding them. One of them snaked into Taylynn's pocket, groping. Kane only laughed. "The magic of your people cannot harm them, Princess. They are of the forest. But keep trying. I do love the sight of your pointless struggle."

Koldis roared, surging forward with renewed determination, fighting through thick roots to get to her, but it was no use. There were too many of them. His next step was stationary. Roots crept around his feet, snaked around his legs. He struggled. He hacked at them, muscles straining. He roared with fury.

A quick movement made him glance up. A small pouch flew through the air. Kane caught it with a deft hand. "No!" he roared, redoubling his efforts.

Kane tossed it into the air then pocketed it. "Thank you," he said, sparing a single glance for Pelwynn. "It's a shame, really. He might have lived."

Koldis roared again, his gaze darting between Taylynn's stricken face and the sorcerer who held her attention. All the while, he cut at the roots holding him in place.

A wall of water appeared, a portal. The vial that had carried it dropped to the ground, forgotten. Kane offered them a cutting smile then stepped through. Taylynn screamed in fury. The sound of it shook the trees. He caught a glimpse of cave walls through the water before the portal disappeared, taking Kane with it.

He hacked himself free, stumbling forward. "Don't...don't kill them," Taylynn rasped, right before he beheaded the sentinel who had held him hostage. "Please! I can...I can..."

Tears were streaming down Taylynn's face. He only just realized that with Kane gone, the sentinels had fallen still. Taylynn dropped to the ground with a thump. Before he could go to her, she was scrambling forward, crawling towards Pelwynn.

"Pelwynn," she breathed, pulling him into her arms. "Pel?"

He dropped to his knees beside her, his mind racing. "Is there any way to save him? Surely you can..."

"I...I..." She cradled the sprite's body against hers, rocking him, smoothing his white hair from his wrinkled brow. "The poison. I... I don't know." Her eyelashes fluttered, blinking back tears. She began to sing, her voice cracking. Words poured forth in a language he hoped to one day understand. They spoke of sorrow and desperation. Their plea made tears of his own spring to his eyes. He blinked them back.

One minute stretched into two, into three. Her voice grew more frantic. Still, nothing happened. If anything, the black veins beneath the sprite's skin worsened. Pelwynn's glowing marks dimmed, fading. Taylynn's voice faded too, falling silent as another sob wracked her body.

"Tay...lynn," Pelwynn breathed, lifting an arm. His hand shook, strained. "Do not cry for me, Princess."

"I'm sorry," she breathed. "I don't know how to save you."

"You cannot, child. I am past that. Save your breath...for something that matters."

"But...but he got them," she cried. "He got the stones anyway, and I could have...I..."

I could have saved you, were the words she didn't speak. Koldis swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He glanced between Taylynn and Pelwynn, helpless to do anything. He'd never seen the spriten princess reduced to tears. The sight of her sobbing, struggling for words, made his breath catch. "Tell me what to do," he begged her. "How can I fix this?"

"You can't!" Her breaths caught on another sob. "Even my magic won't..."

"Stop this," Pelwynn managed, brushing a finger over her tears. His hand dropped, limp. "I am old, child. My time was coming. We both knew this."

"But the tree," she managed. "The fruit. How will we...how will I..."

"You won't." Pelwynn's words carried a finality that made Taylynn's expression break further. "Bury me near my cottage, will you? I'd like my body to feed the garden." A keening wail broke from Taylynn's lips. "Tell Claire that...tell her that I am sorry I did not say goodbye. She's to have my cottage, if she'd like. And you'll care for her, won't you? See that she becomes the queen this kingdom yearns for. Be her sister and her friend? Help her with her magic, when she needs it. I..." Pelwynn's voice faltered, his eyes turning glassy. "I am proud of how she turned out, that I could do this one thing to mitigate Isabella's mistakes," he decided. "She is...strong. She will endure...even though I must...must go..." Pelwynn's eyes shifted to Koldis. A smile spread across her lips. "I'm glad you found my Taylynn, Drengr. She needed someone...someone like...you. You'll care for her, yes?"

"Of course," Koldis rasped, his throat thick. "Always."

"Good. She has a wild spirit, my Taylynn, but deep down, she longs to be tamed. The two of you will do well. Yes. Yes..." His words died.

"Pelwynn, no..." Taylynn sobbed, curling over him.

"Goodbye...child," he breathed. A ragged breath followed, then Pelwynn fell still.

A scream tore through Taylynn's throat. The world around them rustled uncomfortably, sensing her grief. Chills made his skin prickle.

The sound of slithering roots made him jerk. He looked over his shoulder to see the last of the root men retreating. Kane's disappearance had given them their bodies and minds back. He wanted to destroy them, simply for existing, for costing them the stones. But...he couldn't think of that now. Couldn't think of what would happen now that Kane had the missing two. He could only hope that Saffra had been successful, because if she'd failed...

No. He wouldn't acknowledge that. Wouldn't think about Taylynn's expression the other night, when she'd told him what would happen. How the kingdom would fall.

For now, his only thoughts were her sorrow.

He knelt with her for a long while, rubbing circles across her back. Eventually, the world darkened and he bid her come away with him. He carried Pelwynn's body cradled in his arms, following as she guided them back the way they'd come.

They buried Pelwynn where the ancient sprite had requested, in his beautiful garden surrounded by proud trees. He hadn't known Pelwynn's importance until Taylynn had explained. Only then did he realize the gravity of Pelwynn's death. Pelwynn had been Claire's secret tutor. The one who'd taught her how to use her sprite magic when Marquinn had failed.

Now he'd never get the chance to thank him in person. He could only shovel dirt, one mound at a time, to show his gratitude. No magic was used—it didn't feel right to make this easy. With every movement, his heart cracked a little more. He pictured Claire's grief, pictured her expression when he finally told her what had happened. His queen would be heartbroken.

But even more than that, they had failed.

💕❤️💕Don't forget to heart this chapter!❤️💕❤️



Hello Bookdragons!

Okay, I really didn't want to but, I felt like I had to. I'm sorry. If it helps, I cried a little during that whole final scene.

Sigh.

On a happier note, the next chapter is from Jovari's POV and it's really just a happy fun chapter to lighten this darker one. Yup, you heard me, we're heading back to Claire and the gang!

--Mel