Page 28

No longer thwarted by iron, the roots of my tree grew strong, plunging deep into the bountiful earth. Green branches reached to the dark sky as new leaves unfurled to soak in the starlight.

As before, I was drawn to the roots, the way they reached into the vast earth. They were finally free to weave through the soil, reaching a deeper well, drinking more than before.

They grew deeper still. Plunging desperately into the earth.

Only the tree was changing too fast and in ways it couldn’t control. Time would ease the discomfort, time would help it heal, if only there was time.

The roots filled my mind with countless passageways, and I found even more…

The roots of the trees had grown interconnected, those of one tree becoming those of the other. At points, there was no telling where the roots of one tree began and the other ended.

My heart raced. It was beautiful how nature adapted. It was terrifying how the trees were joined.

Trapped, tethered, and bound.

My head throbbed, the dream haunting me as memories from the evening before crashed into me.

The shadows. The shards.

The balcony.

And then we had—

I snapped to alertness, looking down. I had never removed the dress; we’d barely made it into the bed.

By Teyr.

Heart racing, I reached for Zayne. Before I even touched him, he stirred, his eyes wide with alarm that mirrored mine. “What—” he croaked, clearing his throat. “What happened?”

I shook my head, and the pounding grew even worse.

Zayne pressed a hand to his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. “Are you okay?”

“Something feels strange, but I’m not sure… You?”

“Let me check.” He stilled, signaling his descent into the underworld.

The action was a normal routine, but why did it feel so different? I didn’t just see him drift away…

The icy chill of the Underworld, the flow of its currents, and the steady, persistent ebb of death. I feltit.

I gasped. “Zayne!”

He blinked his eyes open. “What’s wrong?”

“Death,” I swallowed, still stunned by the power of its grasp. “When you went under, I felt it too.”

He lifted a hand to my cheek, his eyes searching my face. “That’s not possible.”

I leaned into his touch. “I know, but…” The dream. My tree, no longer alone. “I think the tether has changed.”

As he considered my words, I watched as his lip curled with thought and his mind whirred against mine. Concern, doubt, then finally, recognition. His eyes widened. “I feel you, Ayla. Your emotions are inside my heart.”

My stomach tightened, and I shifted away, sitting up and cradling my aching head.

“I never meant to trap you,” I whispered into my hands.

He scooted closer, his concern flooding my mind. He wasn’t alarmed, just curious. But still, every sensation was overwhelming. My emotions were already more than I could manage… and now I felt his too.