Alpha Warriors of The Cause - Tamara Rose Blodgett Page 0,61
right before it releases her, the hold tightens.
Beth drops to her knees when the pressure of the wooden grip loosens, and she immediately throws up from the pain.
“Oh my God, Beth.” Maddie moves forward.
“Stay there,” Beth says then retches again. She hangs suspended over her own vomit for a moment then wipes her mouth. She spits out the vilest of her regurgitated food and rises to her feet shakily.
The tree organism’s veins pulse with the emerald of the foliage all around them.
Bulbous wood stabs deeply into the ground, feeding it. The “roots” grab at the forest floor, sucking whatever is beneath directly into the creature’s circulatory system. The veins stand out in stark relief against the deeply furrowed, grayish-brown bark.
“You know—” Jacky starts, and Beth holds up a hand, fighting back another urge to vomit.
She swallows her pain and fear. Beth's shoulder aches as though it were nearly torn from its socket. When her eyes reach the top of the tree, a sort of face looks back at her from above. Slowly blinking eyes regard her. Eyelashes made of leaves float softly up and down as the tree stares.
Jacky whispers, “It's like a leech. Yʼknow, it sucks the life out of everything.”
Beth agrees.
“Be silent, male of sector Three,” it commands.
Jacky slaps his hands over his ears and retreats a step.
The tree's slender neck swivels with deliberate precision toward Beth.
“Do you know what I am?” it asks Beth.
I do, and I fear you.
Beth finds her mettle. I am Reflective.
Her heartbeat speeds, and her palms are damp. She answers in a powerful voice, “I do. I believed your kind to be extinct,” Beth adds, though it's not strictly necessary.
She's never wanted so badly for Jeb. Even traitorous longing for Slade's presence enters her mind.
During Beth's study of the sectors—and she knows the least about One—she had read of the enchanted forests and instantly dismissed their importance. So few had been reported that Beth didn't place value on the small amount of literature and merely skimmed it.
However, the pockets of magical forests were supposedly the one universal in all sectors. No matter how hard the papiliones searched, they never found one on their home world.
“We hide in plain sight, and we are few,” the tree replies, seeming to grow more regal before her eyes.
“Okaaaay, that's great,” Jacky begins, and Beth's peripheral vision catches Maddie elbowing him in the ribs. “Hey!”
“Shut up!” Maddie hisses.
Beth's eyes flick to the sun filtering through the clustered canopy, quickly assessing how much daylight remains. Maybe two hours before nightfall. She can jump them at night; the moon is waning but over half.
But night holds more danger than she might be able to escape.
Rows of teeth appear in a split of bark beneath a knothole that serves as a nose. The teeth are such a startling view that Beth recoils.
“Whoa!” Jacky hauls Maddie behind him protectively.
“You require safe passage?” it asks.
Beth nods, knowing just enough to understand that she might not survive the payment.
“Your arm.”
“What? No way, Jasper. Remember what I said about the leech thing?”
“I must have permission, or the pact will not come to fruition.”
Beth nods.
“Hair or blood?”
“What. The. Hell?” Jacky whispers.
“What does blood give—” Beth swallows, “Give us?”
The willowy but muscled tree looks at the two Threes and back at Beth. “Blood will buy you protection and passage.” What passes for eyebrows shift high on the trunk.
Maddie gives a little moan of pure terror in the background.
Beth knows precisely how she feels.
“Hair as lovely as yours is worth only safe passage.”
Jacky steps forward. “Don't hurt Jasper. You can take my blood.”
“No,” Beth says in a low voice of authority. “I am Reflective. I shield you, not the other way around.”
“Screw the Reflective shit. Your world's a clusterfuck. Just let me help.”
“I would not take blood from you, male of sector Three.”
“Uh-huh,” Jacky crosses his arms. “What? My blood isn't good enough?”
The tree's lips tilt, making it look as though it's smirking. Bark shavings fall to the ground.
Jacky stays where he is—a testimony to his bravery.
“No,” the tree replies as though Jacky is dumb. Beth knows he's anything but. “You are male.”
Beth instantly looks at where the tree's crotch would be if it were humanoid.
Maddie lets loose a hysterical giggle.
“Ah…” Jacky starts, experiencing a rare speechless pause.
“Our reproductive organs do not manifest except when mating.”
“TMI. Tree humping.” His hands massage his temples. “Damn.” He turns to Beth. “He's all yours.”
Of course he is.
“Okay, blood then.”
Jacky puts his hand on her arm, his hazel eyes swimming in conviction.