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"Yes," I lied, stepping back. "Look, I know what happened between us was intense. But it doesn't change anything. I'm still here because I have to be, not because I want to be."

The hurt that flashed across his face made my chest ache, but I forced myself to continue. "I appreciate you protecting me, teaching me about the forest. But let's not pretend this is something it isn't."

"And what is it, exactly?" Thornix's voice was dangerously quiet. "Because from where I stand, you just used forest magic to help defend my territory. Magic that shouldn't be possible for a human to access. Magic that responds to you because you'reconnected to me, to this place, whether you want to admit it or not."

I opened my mouth to argue, but no words came out. He was right—I had used magic. The forest had responded to my call just as it did to his. The implications terrified me.

"That doesn't mean anything," I finally managed, my voice weak even to my own ears. "It's just a side effect of whatever happened in that grove."

Thornix stepped closer again, and this time I couldn't make myself move away. "Is that what last night was? Just a side effect?"

My breath caught in my throat as memories flooded back. His hands on my skin, the way the forest had sung around us, the feeling of completeness I'd never experienced before.

"I don't know what last night was," I whispered honestly. "I don't know what any of this is. And that scares me more than any monster."

His expression softened. "Acacia..."

"Don't," I cut him off, wrapping my arms around myself. "Please. I need time to think. To figure out what's happening to me, to us."

For a long moment, he just looked at me, his ancient eyes full of emotions I couldn't untangle. Finally, he nodded.

"Rest," he said softly. "You used a lot of power today. We can talk more when you're stronger."

I fled into the tree-home, grateful for the excuse to escape. But as I curled up in my bed of moss, I couldn't stop thinking about the way Thornix had looked at me, or how natural it had felt to call upon the forest's magic to help him.

Everything was changing, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for it. Part of me wanted to run back to the terramares, back to a world I understood. But another part, a growing part, craved thewild magic of this place, the freedom and power I felt when I was with Thornix.

Seven

Thronix

Corruption spread through my territory like poison in the bloodstream. The trees whispered warnings as dark magic seeped through their roots, tainting everything it touched. Dawn was still hours away, but I couldn't wait any longer. The monsters would strike at moonrise, and I needed to be ready.

My hands trembled as I pressed them against the ancient oak that served as the heart of my domain. Through our connection, I could sense every disturbance, every shadow that shouldn't exist. The thought of these creatures using Acacia as bait made my vines writhe with fury.

"You're doing it again," Acacia's voice cut through my dark thoughts. I turned to find her testing the balance of a spear she'd crafted from ironwood and crystal shards. "That thing where you try to carry the weight of the entire forest on your shoulders."

"It's my duty," I replied, though her presence already lightened something in my chest. "This territory-"

"Is your responsibility, yes, I know." She rolled her eyes, but there was fondness in her expression. "But you're not alone anymore."

The simple statement hit me harder than any physical blow. She was right, I wasn't alone. For the first time in centuries, I had someone fighting beside me, someone who understood the forest's song in her own unique way. The thought of losing her consumed me.

"Hey." Acacia's hand on my arm pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. "I'm not going anywhere."

I covered her hand with mine, marveling at how small and delicate it seemed compared to my bark-rough skin. Yet I'd seen those hands craft weapons from forest materials, tend to wounded animals, and channel magic that should have been impossible for a human. "Promise me you'll be careful," I said, my voice rough with emotion.

She smiled, that fierce, defiant smile that had first caught my attention in the Sacrarium. "Only if you promise the same."

Before I could respond, a wave of wrongness swept through the forest. The corrupted dryads were on the move, their twisted magic leaving trails of decay in their wake. Shadow wraiths drifted between the trees like toxic mist, their very presence causing the youngest saplings to wither.

"They're here," I growled, feeling the forest's pain as my own. "Remember the plan?"

Acacia nodded, gripping her spear tighter. "I'll take the high ground with my bow. The crystal arrows should work against the wraiths."

I wanted to tell her to run, to hide somewhere safe until the battle was over. But I knew better now. She was a warrior in her own right, and treating her as anything less would only push her away. Instead, I pulled her close for a fierce kiss.

"For luck," I murmured against her lips.