Page 4

Three

Thornix

The vines erupted from the ground at my command, wrapping around the dire wolf's legs before it could lunge at Acacia. I felt the creature's savage intent through my connection to the forest, its hunger a red haze that threatened to overwhelm my senses.

"Stay behind me!" I shouted as I wove the elements of my realm into a protective barrier. The dire wolf wasn't alone as I sensed its pack circling us, their movements disturbing the natural flow of energy in my territory.

Acacia, to my surprise, didn't cower. She grabbed a fallen branch, brandishing it like a weapon. "I'm not helpless," she snapped, her green eyes blazing with defiance.

I would have admired her spirit if the situation weren't so dire. "This isn't like the terramares," I said through gritted teeth, forcing more power into the vines as the dire wolf snapped at its bonds. "These creatures aren't bound by your human laws."

The rest of the pack emerged from the shadows. Five more wolves, each larger than a horse, their eyes glowing with unnatural hunger. I cursed under my breath. I should have sensed them sooner, should have been more attentive instead of focusing on my frustration with my unwilling mate.

"What are they?" Acacia's voice wavered slightly, but she held her ground.

"Dire wolves," I explained, slowly moving us toward a massive oak I could feel humming with ancient power. "They're not natural predators. They're twisted by dark magic. The forest itself rejects them."

As if to prove my point, one wolf lunged forward, its saliva sizzling where it hit the ground. The grass withered and died on contact. Acacia gasped, finally seeming to grasp the gravity of our situation.

I pressed my palm against the oak's bark, drawing on its strength. The tree responded instantly, its branches creaking as they bent protectively around us. But the wolves were too hungry, too corrupted to be deterred by natural barriers.

"When I tell you to run," I whispered to Acacia, "head straight for the hollow cypress to the north. Do you see it? The one with the blue moss?"

She nodded, her knuckles white around her makeshift weapon. The wolves circled closer, their movements coordinated with intelligence that sent chills down my spine. These weren't ordinary dire wolves. Someone or something was controlling them.

"Now!" I shouted, simultaneously releasing a burst of pure forest energy that temporarily blinded our attackers. Acacia sprinted toward the cypress, moving faster than I'd expected. I followed, using my connection to the forest to slow the wolves' pursuit.

But one of them was quicker than its pack. It broke through my defenses, charging straight for Acacia. Time seemed to slow as I watched in horror, knowing I couldn't reach her in time.

Then Acacia did something that left me speechless. She turned to face the wolf, swinging her branch with perfect timing. The wood connected with the creature's sensitive nose, causing it to yelp and stumble. The delay was all I needed.

I thrust both hands toward the earth, channeling every ounce of power I possessed. The forest responded with devastating force. Roots burst from the ground like serpents, entangling the wolves. Trees groaned as their branches became weapons, striking with deadly precision.

The wolves fought back viciously, their corrupt magic clashing with the forest's pure energy. The air crackled with power, and I felt blood trickle from my nose as I maintained control over so many elements at once.

"The cypress!" I gasped, my strength wavering. "Get inside!"

This time, Acacia didn't argue. She ran for the tree, which opened its trunk at my silent command. I backed toward it slowly, maintaining the forest's assault until she was safely inside. Then I dove in after her, sealing the entrance just as the wolves slammed against it.

We stood in the cypress's heart, our breathing heavy in the confined space. The tree's natural defenses would keep the wolves at bay, but I could still feel them circling outside, waiting.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, wiping blood from my nose. The power drain had left me dizzy, but I forced myself to focus on Acacia.

She shook her head, then surprised me by asking, "Are you? That was intense."

I managed a weak smile. "Nothing a few hours of rest won't cure. Though I must admit, you impressed me back there. Most humans would have frozen in terror."

"Yeah, well," she shrugged, though I caught a hint of pride in her voice, "we terramares humans aren't as helpless as you seem to think."

I studied her in the dim light filtering through the cypress's living walls.

Leaves tangled her hair, dirt covered her clothes, and she still clutched that branch as if her life depended on it.

Yet there was something undeniably beautiful about her in that moment.

A wild strength I hadn't noticed before.

"I'm beginning to see that," I admitted. "Though I wish you hadn't had to prove it under these circumstances. Those wolves shouldn't have been here. Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

I pressed my hand against the cypress's inner wall, extending my senses through the forest. "Dire wolves are territorial. They don't usually hunt in packs, and they never come this deep into nymph territory unless something drives them here."

"Or someone," Acacia suggested, surprising me again with her insight.

"Yes," I agreed. "Or someone."

We fell into silence, listening to the wolves prowling outside. I could feel Acacia shivering slightly in the cool air of our sanctuary, but she made no complaint. Instead, she asked, "How did you do that? With the trees and roots?"

"It's not something I do," I explained, gathering my strength to create a small ball of bioluminescent energy for light. "It's more like a conversation. The forest and I speak the same language. I ask, and it responds."

"But it drained you," she observed. "I saw the blood."

I nodded. "Controlling so many elements at once is taxing. Usually, our interactions with the forest are more subtle. What you saw was like shouting instead of whispering."

"And the wolves? You said they were corrupted by dark magic. I thought—" she hesitated. "In the terramares, they teach us that magic is just advanced technology. That it's all explainable by science."

I couldn't help but laugh, though there was no mockery in it. "Your people see what they want to see. Magic is as real as the air we breathe, as fundamental as the earth beneath our feet. It's the language of life itself."

Acacia absorbed this in silence, her expression thoughtful. Finally, she said, "I suppose I have a lot to learn."

"We both do," I admitted. "I'm not used to teaching anyone about our ways. Most nymphs are born knowing these things."

"And most humans are born knowing how to use a fork, but here we are," she retorted, a hint of her earlier spark returning.

Despite myself, I smiled. "Point taken. Though I hope you'll forgive me if I prioritize teaching you survival skills over dining etiquette."

"Speaking of survival," she glanced at the cypress's walls, "how long do we have to stay in here?"

I extended my senses again. "The wolves are still out there, but they're growing restless. Once the sun rises, they'll be forced to retreat. Dark magic doesn't fare well in daylight."

"So we're stuck here all night?"

"Afraid so. Unless you'd prefer to take your chances with the wolves?"

She shot me a look that could have withered a lesser being. "I think I'll pass. But you should rest. You look awful."

"Such concern for my wellbeing," I drawled, though in truth, I was exhausted. "Don't worry. The cypress will alert me if anything tries to break through."

Acacia settled herself against the curved wall, still holding her branch. "I'll keep watch anyway. Just in case."

I wanted to argue, to tell her she needed rest more than I did, but something in her expression stopped me. This was her way of contributing, of proving her worth. Who was I to deny her that?

"Wake me if anything changes," I said instead, allowing myself to sink into a light healing trance.

As my consciousness merged with the forest's awareness, I found my thoughts dwelling on Acacia. She was nothing like I'd expected—not a weak, helpless human to be protected, but a warrior in her own right. Perhaps Broaka had known what she was doing, after all.

The night passed slowly, marked by the steady rhythm of Acacia's breathing and the occasional howl from outside. Each time the wolves made their presence known, I felt her tense, but she never showed fear. Instead, she remained vigilant, her grip never loosening on her makeshift weapon.

As dawn approached, I emerged from my trance, feeling somewhat restored. Acacia was still awake, though her eyes were heavy with exhaustion.

"The wolves?" I asked softly.

"Getting restless," she reported. "They've been pacing more frequently for the past hour."

I nodded, impressed by her attention to detail. "They'll leave soon. The sun's about to rise."

Sure enough, as the first rays of dawn filtered through the cypress, we heard the wolves retreat, their corrupted energy fading from my awareness. Only then did Acacia finally lower her branch.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, not meeting my eyes.

"For what?"

"For saving my life. And for not treating me like I was useless."

The admission seemed to cost her something, and I understood why. Pride was all she had left in this strange new world.

"You saved yourself as much as I saved you," I told her honestly. "That move with the branch? Most trained warriors wouldn't have had the courage to face a dire wolf head-on."

She finally looked at me, a small smile playing at her lips. "Most trained warriors probably wouldn't have been stupid enough to try."

I laughed, surprising both of us. "Perhaps not. But sometimes stupidity and bravery look remarkably similar."

As we emerged from the cypress into the fresh morning air, I saw our surroundings with new eyes. What had started as a simple lesson in forest navigation had become something more of a test of trust, of courage, of understanding.

Looking at Acacia, dirty and exhausted but unbowed, I realized that perhaps the Sacrarium's magic hadn't made such a mistake after all. She might not have been born to the forest, but she had its spirit in her heart.