Page 87 of How to Woo the Undead

Austin stared down at her. “I’m so sorry.”

“No,” she laughed harder, coughing as smoke rose from the back of her throat. “You are not. But that is alright. You talk like him. And I like that at least the last person I spoke to is just like him. For I’ve spent an eternity wishing I could talk to my hunter just one more time.”

She coughed so hard it rattled her whole frame. Austin climbed to his feet, pulling her up and into his chest. Cradling her bridal style in his arms, he hugged her tight. “I really talk like him?”

“You were never scared of me. And you have this kindness in your heart that no one deserves,” she wheezed, flopping herhead against his chest. Her gaze lingered far away, but her fingers stayed curled around his shirt. “Before the flames go out, can you walk me back into the trees? I want to feel my forest one last time.”

“Yeah,” he murmured. Petting her hair, he turned away from the city and bound toward the woods. Flying over busted streets, dying trees, and plants reaching out with one last weak plea toward their grove witch, he bound into the forest. She reached a shaky hand out to the trees as he slowed to a stop. Branches drooped down to touch her palm.

The trees said their goodbye as the sunlight broke over the horizon of King’s Fall. He felt the golden rays kiss his back. An array of reds, oranges, and pinks glinted off Sabine, making her a fire lily in his arms. Smoke poured out of her ears and mouth. It filled the canopy of trees for a long time. Then just as the plumes of silver died out, he felt Sabine go limp in his arms.

Austin walked a little further, untangling the branches from her wrist. Hyacinth said that she could heal under her tree, so he headed toward the house. The sound of people approaching stopped him in his tracks. He guarded Hyacinth close to his chest until he saw the Lord Commander and Smith emerging from the dewy trees.

Smith coughed up another puff of smoke. “Tree’s dead.”

“Yeah,” Austin nodded at the limp Hyacinth in his arms as proof, “I noticed.”

“Either of you two want to explain what the fuck just happened? And how is it that Smith was able to light the bleeding tree on fire when I couldn’t even approach it for the last few days?” Aravis jabbed his thumb claw over his shoulder. Austin would have loved to say the Lord Commander looked even the littlest bit relieved, but his face was pinched up in the middle. A bone stuck out of his hair and he was missing a few feathers, plusthere was the soot stain across his cheeks.Though, I think I win.In terms of who had it roughest, Austin was the one with thorns embedded in his skin, scratch marks, and holding the dead body of his true love in his arms.Yeah, I win.

“Hyacinth became a grove witch.” Austin hoisted his flower up a smidgen, as if proving his point.

“When she struck a contract with the necromancer’s willow in the yard of Rosemont Manor, the tree that Sabine struck her deal with weakened.” Smith continued with hands propped up on his waist. He also was covered in soot and blood, but showed no signs of a fight thankfully. “You couldn’t touch the tree before because Sabine had full control of it. The terrible storms, the locusts, the blood, all of that was her.”

“But when Hyacinth put down roots, she ripped up the old ones. She said she thought Sabine was gone but I realized that Sabine wasn’t gone because the tree was still there. Sabine was so distracted fighting you and me that she didn’t even think to protect it.”

“It’s her soulstone,” Sebastian Rosemont’s voice echoed over all the trees. All three of the men in the woods froze and lurched out of the way as Sebastian strode forward. Dahlia Rosemont on his arm, the pair strolling through the trees. “Grove witches are much like Lich’s in this aspect. Their power is cataclysmic, but without their soulstone, they are nothing but smoke. By destroying her tree, you allowed her spirit to finally move on.”

Austin stared at the pair as they stopped at the center of the circle. Sebastian turned to Austin. With a gloved hand to Austin’s bicep, he spoke a single phrase, “Good work, my boy” and Austin’s heart soared. Then he focused the beak of his mask upon Aravis. “We’ll be taking our leave of the city, Lord Commander. My beloved and I fixed the fence, so to speak, and I disintegrated all the dryadsrunning amuck.”

“And what of Sabine?” Aravis grumbled, nodding to the dead woman in Austin’s arms.

“Sabine’s dead,” Dahlia shrugged, giving Aravis a cheeky smirk. “You put down that Smith and Austin killed her before she could cause more damage. Crediting yourself, of course, for figuring out she was that unknown serial killer that plagued King’s Fall for so long.”

Aravis scowled, arms crossed over his chest. “If Ieversee her inside King’s Fall again, I will have her rendered into divine dust. You hear me, Sebastian? I’m done. No more eldritch abominations, no more horror gods, and No! More! Undead bullshit from you! Or I swear to the dragons above…”

He trailed off as Sebastian clamped a hand on the large man’s broad shoulder. Sebastian hummed, “It’s been a long night, Aravis. That’s quite enough grandstanding. I shall expect you over for official introductions and dinner soon. How’s next Friday? I’ll set it up with Serias and Hazel. They’re far more agreeable than you.”

“Oh! Oh, ask Hazel to make that zucchini bread again. I want her recipe!” Dahlia piped up before taking Sebastian’s arm once more. The Lord and Lady Rosemont lead the procession back to the manor, leaving the bristling but defeated Lord Commander in the trees behind them.

Austin felt a little guilty about leaving Aravis with another mess to clean up. However, as he set Hyacinth at the base of the willow, watching her sink slowly beneath its roots, he found he couldn’t find the energy to care. All he had the energy for was curling up at the base of the tree and waiting for his true love to come back out once more. He folded his arms over his chest, crossed his legs, and sank back against the thick bark of the willow.

Sleep took him soon after. Rocked gently into the abyss by the feeling that he’d done what he was made for…protecting the people he loved.

Chapter Forty-Five:

Hyacinth

Creeeeeaaaaaak.Snap-snap-snap.Creak.

Hyacinth crawled out of the hole beneath the tree, following the amber light of a setting sun through the dangling branches of her willow. Her nails were caked in damp soil as she clawed up the last few inches. Knees pressed into soft moss, little flowers blooming around her as a welcome.You’re back! You’re alive!Like they were cheering her on. Hyacinth climbed to her feet, stretching out her back. With a few delightful snaps and cracks, she felt her body relax once more. Her muscles warmed with new life.

Well…new undeath.

New dead-life?

She baked happily in the setting sun and tried not to think about what it meant to have healed her undead body. Movement caught her attention and a soft giggle trickled out of her. Hyacinth knelt beside Austin as he shifted in his sleep. Wrapped up in a blanket of moss and leaves, baby’s breath opening around him and scenting the air. Roses and black dahlias bloomed outside the willow, welcoming her home. Austin snorted in his sleep before letting his head lull to the side again. Hyacinth pushed up on her knees, pressing a soft kiss to hischeek. He was warm and slightly damp from sleep, obviously having sat out here in shade of the tree all day.

“Knock, knock…” A soft, feminine voice filtered through the tree branches behind her. Hyacinth turned, her wings knocking some of the dancing foliage aside. She stared at a woman lingering outside the fence. Hyacinth climbed to her feet, ducking out of the tree. A dark-haired woman in a purple dress with a belt of potion bottles stepped up to the fence. The crow perched on her shoulder cawed loudly before setting its three eyes on Hyacinth. Whoever she was, she smiled broadly and gave a sweet, swift wave. “Hello.”