Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
Grayson
I’d rarely felt so damn useless. Standing there, all I could do was watch as Hikaru walked around Martin’s trunk.
Every so often, he’d tilt his head as if considering something.
He and Holland would often speak in soft tones, too light for me to hear as they discussed the situation and how best to go about undoing the damage—if it could truly be undone at all.
“I need to get a better look at this barrier Martin made,” Hikaru said before disappearing, leaving Holland behind.
Holland didn’t seem upset by his companion’s sudden exit.
His gaze was focused on Martin’s trunk. “It’s an impressive barrier,” Holland commented.
“I believe we can say for certain that the magic distributed through the buzzweeds did indeed come from a home-and-hearth pixie. Time will tell if there is truly a bond or if only a barrier was created.”
“Do you have a suspicion one way or another?” Keir asked.
Holland’s slow nod was his initial answer. “I do.” Wincing, Holland added, “I believe it is just a barrier, though as we have all said, to anyone’s knowledge, this is a first.”
“And hopefully a last,” Tabitha said, voice strained.
She’d woken up about ten minutes ago and been brought up to speed.
Tabitha had commented that she wouldn’t have minded remaining unconscious a little longer.
She’d also confirmed that Elvira was fine, but Tabitha herself was too weak to help her manifest. As it was, Tabitha was still lying on the floor, Jima tucked in tightly at her side.
Keir had finally set the wyvern eggs down, nesting them between Jima and Tabitha, determined to keep them warm.
“You’ll get no disagreement from me,” Holland answered. “I can’t see magic like Hikaru can, but I can feel it and…I’m sorry to say that I feel nothing coming from Martin’s tree.”
Fear gripped my chest, wrapping it in icy tentacles. “That’s what I was afraid of,” I answered, my words nearly too quiet for any to hear.
Walking around Martin’s trunk, Holland stood before me, fingers outstretched and two rings flaring to life.
Magic swirled around his blackened fingers.
“You are very different. I can feel the magic in you, and it is more than should be there. It is no small thing that you saved Martin’s magic.
No matter what happens, I want you to understand that. ”
His words should have been comforting, and in a way, they were.
But at the end of the day, I just wanted Martin back.
I wanted to feel his arms around me, holding me close.
I wanted him to fuss over my stamina and health.
I wanted his solid strength, guiding me and anchoring my wisp form, allowing me the freedom to do what my nature desired.
Was I selfish, wanting it all? I didn’t know, and frankly, I didn’t care.
Tabitha’s scratchy voice disturbed my melancholic thoughts. “What of Lazarus and the other wyvern?”
Keir had yet to enlighten us beyond a simple “it’s handled for now.” Inhaling deeply, Keir raked his fingers through his thick hair and answered, “Lazarus is alive, though badly injured. Thalia believes he will recover in time, though there will be scarring.”
“And the eggs?” Tabitha prompted.
Keir offered a tired smile. “It seems Thalia and her wyvern escort have neutralized Verona—her words, not mine. As for Axios, it has been deemed too dangerous for any in their current party to search for him, fearing the same cold could take them as well.” Keir offered me a very satisfied grin.
“As for the eggs… It seems neither Thalia nor the wyvern she brought with her are able to breach the barrier Martin created.”
Henry clapped. “So, if we never leave the place, then they can’t touch us. Works for me!” Henry finished with a sharp cackle that nearly pierced my ear. He’d yet to leave my body and had scampered back onto my shoulder earlier.
“Yeah. Yay.” Jima didn’t sound nearly as pleased. I couldn’t say that I blamed him. Thoughts of never being able to leave the compound didn’t really sit well with me either.
“It’s not going to come to that,” Keir reassured us.
“When we’re finished here”—Keir cringed and offered me an apologetic tilt of his lips considering how crass that sounded—“I’ll head topside with the eggs.
The rest of you will remain behind.” When Jima opened his mouth to argue, Keir held up a halting hand.
“I won’t risk you. Not again. We’ve all lost too much and while I appreciate the support, at least I know that in here, within these walls, you’ll be safe. ”
“But you won’t be,” Jima argued.
“Possibly not. It’s a risk, but one I’m willing to take,” Keir answered. “It’s my responsibility.”
“Like hell it is,” Tabitha answered, coughing into her hand.
Keir walked to Tabitha, crouching by her side and reaching over to lay a hand on the eggs. “You’re right. I didn’t take them, but I am the leader of the council now. All of you elected me to that position when Huxley…well, when Huxley left. It’s not a position I take lightly.”
“Of course not,” Jima all but huffed.
“We would all sacrifice ourselves for one another.” Keir turned his head, staring at Martin’s trunk.
“The proof is right before you. Tabitha nearly drained herself. Jima was willing to go up against a djinn. Henry’s gone out of his way to show Grayson and Martin where the buzzweeds were located to save Grayson as much discomfort as possible. ”
“Fat lot of good that did,” Henry murmured, most likely too low for Keir to hear.
“And Grayson… He’s not an official member of the council, but he’s put himself in danger time and time again to search for what evils Huxley left behind. You have all been willing to sacrifice so much. How can you ask me to do any less?”
When phrased that way, no one could. Nearly all sets of eyes tilted to the ground, unable or unwilling to look Keir in his own.
“That’s a damn good barrier,” Hikaru announced, blinking back into existence beside Holland.
“Too good?” Holland asked.
Hikaru shook his head, a wicked grin pulling his mouth and crinkling his eyes. “Oh, Niki, you know me better than that. Not even pixie magic stands a chance against me.” Hikaru’s tails flicked back and forth, as if immensely pleased by the statement.
The pleasure reflected in Holland’s eyes supported Hikaru’s prideful statement. “I suspicion you may be the only creature within existence who could claim such a thing.”
In answer, Hikaru rubbed against Holland like a cat.
“You say the sweetest things.” With a salacious wink that promised naked action later, Hikaru turned to me, his demeanor becoming infinitely more serious.
“Now, to deal with this idiotic situation that our selfless Martin has gotten himself into.”
I bristled. “What Martin did wasn’t idiotic. It was desperate.” I’d felt that desperation deep into my core.
Hikaru shrugged. “A matter of opinion.” Before I could verbalize a comeback, Hikaru waved a hand at Martin’s trunk and said, “He’s empty.”
My mouth snapped closed. “What does that mean?” My heart raced, adding to the ache in my chest.
“What it means is that the pixie magic is gone.” Hikaru spread his hands above his head, waving them about.
“It’s been disseminated, out there.” His arms continued waving, indicating the barrier above.
“There’s nothing left inside Martin. I searched through every branch, twig, and leaf.
For all intents and purposes, Martin has been hollowed out. ”
I sucked in a painful breath and would have fallen to the floor if Keir hadn’t caught me, placing a steadying hand on my elbow and keeping me from the dirt below.
Head spinning, I barely heard Keir ask, “So, there is nothing we can do?”
A choked sob escaped my lips, and Henry’s small hand patted my cheek. I think Henry tried to make soothing sounds but all I could hear was the rush of blood pounding through my veins.
“Oh, I didn’t say that.” Hikaru’s words sounded muffled to my ears but became crystal clear when I digested them.
“What do you mean?” Keir asked when words deserted me.
Hikaru’s green-gold gaze settled on me. Eyes narrowed, Hikaru closed the distance, a claw-tipped finger gently pressing against my chest. “Martin’s tree form is devoid of magic.
As I said, it’s as if he’s been hollowed out, little more than a husk of wood.
Martin’s a vessel—empty and ready to be filled.
Thankfully, our little will-o’-the-wisp contains the drop of magic that will soon fill our dryad up.
If the pixie magic had remained, we would have had a much bigger problem.
It would have assimilated that last bit of magic as soon as Grayson released it. ”
My hands flew to my chest, covering my still racing heart.
Hikaru pulled away, a sly grin still etched across his face.
“So clever of you, swapping magic like that.” He turned to Holland and whined, “We should do that, Niki.” Hikaru ran his hand down Holland’s chest. “Wouldn’t you like that?
Having a piece of me inside you for eternity?
” Hikaru licked his lips, and Holland’s cheeks flared bright red.
“I have claimed you as my one and only. Our magic is already intertwined,” Holland managed to answer.
“But it’s not exactly the same as having a piece of your magic tucked away inside. Just think of all the fun things I could do with it.”
Holland rolled his dark eyes. “You are the most ridiculous creature ever created.”
“And you love me for it.” Hikaru went up on tiptoes, kissing Holland’s cheek.
“More the fool am I,” Holland answered, that short phrase filled with affection.
Any other time, I might have found their antics entertaining.
But right now, there were more pressing issues at hand.
“What do I do?” I asked. “How do I give Martin’s magic back?
” I stepped closer to Martin’s trunk. It was massive.
Much larger than I’d seen before. It would have to be in order to hold up the canopy he’d created.
Again, Hikaru shrugged. “No idea.”
I’d been reaching my hand out, ready to lay it against Martin’s bark when Hikaru’s words registered. “You don’t know? How can you not know?”
With a huff, Hikaru looked up at Holland and lamented, “Honestly, how am I supposed to know everything there is to know about magic? I’m not a will-o’-the-damn-wisp. How did you do it the first time?”
“I—” My mouth slammed on whatever words I was ready to spew forth.
How had we done it? Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly certain.
I knew both of us had been willing, and when we’d laid our hands palm to palm, it just sort of happened.
Well, not exactly. I’d sent my magic into Martin, left a bit behind, and carried an equal measure of his back to me.
Could the same thing truly work if Martin wasn’t a willing recipient?
Currently, he wasn’t sentient. Hikaru had said that Martin was little more than an empty husk—a shell just waiting to be filled.
Eyes slipping closed, I concentrated on the small bit of Martin’s magic I held. My own magic still surrounded it, protecting and cradling it as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. My magic wasn’t wrong.
“Henry, could you please go sit with Tabitha and Jima?” I asked.
“Not if what you’re plannin’ is stupid dangerous and you’re just tryin’ to protect my wee bit of hide. If that’s what you’re talkin’ about, then no, I don’t think I will.” Although I couldn’t see it, I imagined Henry was standing on my shoulder, arms crossed and chin jutted into the air.
Of course, I could simply pluck him off my shoulder and be done with it.
Most likely Henry would never forgive me for such an offense.
“It’s not dangerous, not to me. I just… I’d like some space and alone time with Martin and his magic.
” I truly didn’t think what I was about to do would be dangerous to me.
What I also thought was that if it didn’t work, then most likely I’d fall to the ground wailing.
I’d be too distraught to make sure Henry was latched on tight and safe.
With a loud huff, Henry grumbled something I couldn’t make out and made his way down my side.
His tiny weight shifted ever lower until he was on the ground.
I couldn’t hear the pitter-patter of his small feet, but when I glanced over, Henry was sitting on Tabitha’s lap.
I wouldn’t exactly say he was glaring at me, but the look was expectant, as if to say he’d done as asked and now I needed to get on with it.
“We’re all here for you. No matter what happens,” Keir said, voice steady.
Inhaling deeply, I looked to Holland and Hikaru.
The warlock appeared mildly intrigued. Hikaru’s tails danced behind him, and he bounced on the balls of his feet.
The interest gleaming in his eyes was, frankly, a little disturbing.
With a tiny wave, Hikaru said, “Go on.” His toothy grin was probably meant to be reassuring. It wasn’t.
Eyes slipping closed, I leaned my forehead against Martin’s trunk, palms splayed against the rough bark.
“I know you can’t hear me, but I’m going to try and fix you.
” I wasn’t certain that was the correct way to phrase it.
“Not that you’re not a lovely tree, but…
I want my Martin back. Call me selfish if you want.
I don’t care. Some might say I don’t need you, that you are a want instead.
Need, want—I don’t give a shit. I just crave you.
You are my treasure, Martin, and will-o’-the-wisps tenaciously cling to their treasure. ”
My magic slowly released its vigilance around Martin’s magic, allowing it to move away from my core. I felt it move down my right arm, hovering within my palm. I prayed this wouldn’t be the last time I felt the warm tingle of Martin’s magic.
Go, I internally whispered. Bring him back.
Martin’s magic slipped through my skin. Its absence was immediately felt, my own magic’s mourning joining my emotional turmoil.
My shaking knees gave way, and I slipped to the ground, my body hitting Martin’s birth soil as I continued leaning heavily against his solid trunk.
I had no idea if what I’d done worked or not.
Had I just lost the final piece of Martin I’d so desperately clung to?
Had I willingly given up my final connection in the futile hope of restoring him?
I had no idea, and that heart-crushing doubt ate at my soul.