Page 50 of Dryad’s Treasure

“Directly send him our way,” Henry supplied. “Fuck, you’re probably right.”

Martin’s palm heavily landed on my back, grounding me. “I’m afraid to say that there is little more we can do, and doing nothing, in this case, might be the best option.”

Henry stood and stomped his foot. Hands fisted on his hips, his gaze drifted to the side. “I just hate seein’ Jima so upset. He still hasn’t transformed back into his humanoid form. Jima hasn’t stayed a ferret this long in, oh, I don’t know, but it’s been years. Most likely decades.”

“He finds comfort in his smaller form,” I supplied. “Sometimes, I’d rather be in my wisp form and at others, I’m happier as I am now.”

“Same,” Martin agreed. “I love my oak form. I find a special kind of peace when my roots are settled deep into my birth soil, but I wouldn’t want to give up this form either. They are two halves of the same whole. Should one disappear, I would be incomplete.”

Henry waved us off. “You shifters are a strange lot.”

Martin bristled. “I am not a shifter. Neither is Gray.”

With a shrug, Henry stood. “Can’t see what the difference is. You both shift into another form. In my book, that makes you shifters.”

“I—” Martin’s words vanished, swallowed by a look of utter confusion. Finally, he settled on “that still doesn’t make us shifters.” Even Martin knew it was a lame argument.

“Whatever. It don’t make me no never mind what you wanna call yourselves. I’m goin’ back to my burrow to get some well-deserved shut-eye. Let me know if that ancient-ass wyvern female gets here and we’re all about to get roasted. On second thought, don’t wake me. Maybe I’ll sleep through it. Dyin’ in your sleep don’t sound too terrible to me.” I balked at the nonchalance those words were spoken with.

Martin and I watched Henry lazily pull himself back through the hole in the wall. His lower half got caught for half a second. Long enough I almost stepped in to help, thinking of giving his bottom a push. I didn’t get a chance to even take a step before his flailing legs toppled over, disappearing behind the wall.

Quietly standing there, Martin finally shook his head and said, “How about we drop these off with Keir, get something to eat, and head back to my quarters. I could use some time in the dirt.”

I couldn’t think of a better ending to this worrisome day. “Sounds perfect. If you don’t mind, I could use some wisp time also.” I’d loved coming aware cradled within Martin’s branches, the gently soothing song of his soil filling me.

“Then let’s do just that.” Martin leaned down and pressed his lips to my temple. As he pulled away, I heard him scoff, “Shifters. What a ridiculous notion.”

Twenty

Martin

It was raining, the wetness welcome. Trees didn’t mind the rain. Water was life. Without it, my birth soil would perish and so would I. Moderation was the key. Sun and water, both essential to life. Too much of one and too little of the other led to death. Gaia truly was an amazing goddess.

Steady rain beat down on my spread canopy. Gray’s wisp form didn’t seem to mind the rain either. I noted the drops passed through him, hitting my bark. I wasn’t certain if Gray was truly asleep in his wisp form. I’d tried speaking with him earlier and only gotten a somewhat incoherent hum in response. That might have bothered me if Gray’s spark of magic hadn’t been filled with such immense contentment.

The wind rustled my leaves, but it was a mild shimmy. The day wasn’t filled with storms, but the constant, steady rain that kept the clouds low and the air humid.

I was and wasn’t surprised when Keir entered through the door leading to my small bit of heaven. Raindrops splattered down on him and Keir simply lifted his head, turning his face into Gaia’s natural shower and releasing a heavy sigh that seemed to come from deep within his toes.

“I always enjoy coming to see you, Martin. I’ve often wished there were more areas within the compound like this, where one might easily enjoy nature’s bounty. Perhaps, if we survive the coming days, we might look into altering the compound somewhat. If there still is a compound to retrofit when the wyvern finish with us.”

While I couldn’t directly communicate with Keir in this form, I could move my branches. Doing just that, I allowed a few of my leaves to rake across his cheek. Keir leaned into the touch, cupping my leaves with his thick hand. “Thank you, Martin. You’ve always been a steady, reliable presence. I mean that as a compliment. There is something to be said for personalities like Hikaru. While I love the kitsune dearly and wouldn’t ask him to change for the world, those more temperamental individuals are balanced by individuals like you.”

I didn’t exactly preen at the compliment, but it did fill me with a sense of pride. I knew many considered me boring, but Keir was right. Constant and steady weren’t bad traits.

Moving closer to my trunk, Keir leaned a shoulder against me, settling in as the rain continued to dampen his body and clothing. “Don’t transform. We’re fine like this.” Tilting his head, Keir stared up into my canopy, a pleased grin lifting his lips. “It looks like Grayson has settled in well. I’m happy for you, my friend.” Keir gently patted my bark. “I would not have bet on this particular pairing, but that does not lessen my joy.”

Turning, Keir’s back pressed against my bark as his body slid down, now crouched on the ground and heavily leaning into me. “I keep thinking that perhaps it was a mistake to contact Lazarus—to contact any wyvern. They were clearly unaware of the eggs. I could have done nothing. I could have kept quiet and kept the eggs safe. From what I understand, wyvern eggs can stay dormant for decades, centuries even. They require a steady source of warmth, but beyond that, little else. It is a small miracle they didn’t perish shortly after Alethia did, when her fireplace went dark and cold.”

Using the same branch as earlier, I shook it back and forth in the negative. Keeping the eggs a secret wasn’t something Keir could do. It wasn’t something any of us could do.

“I know,” Keir answered, reaching out and stilling my shaking leaves. “I could not have lived with the knowledge. One way or another, these wyvern eggs seem hell-bent on killing me. Either I die quickly returning them to their family or I die slowly by keeping the knowledge of their existence a secret. I suppose I picked the faster route. I simply hope I haven’t condemned the rest of you in the process.”

Keir became quiet as his body soaked in the rain. The patch of soil he sat within had to be muddy. Keir didn’t seem to mind. Head tilted, he stared once more up into my canopy. “It’ll be a few days. That’s what I came here to tell you. It will be a few days before Thalia arrives. Lazarus informed me that Thalia lives in Eastern Europe and can no longer make the journey to North America in her wyvern form. They are in the process of moving her to the nearest airport. A private jet will deliver our savior or condemner.

“The waiting is torture. I asked Lazarus if Verona Perez could be contacted. She’s closer—in South America—and younger as well. My understanding is that all female wyvern can speak with eggs.” Keir let loose a mirthless chuckle. “Lazarus shot that idea down quickly. Seems there might be some bad blood between the two of them. Lazarus didn’t go into detail, but the amount of smoke he let loose when speaking Verona’s name was telling. And so, we wait.”

Keir lightly tapped the back of his head against my trunk. I got the feeling he would have hit his head harder if not for concern of harming me. “I hate waiting,” Keir reiterated. “I feel like that’s all I do anymore. Sit around and wait for bad news.” Keir flinched. “I’m sorry, Martin. I don’t mean to be so maudlin. I just… It’s been a rough past few months, and I have no idea if my actions are making things worse or better.”