her direction.
Diana bristled. She didn’t have any supernatural powers, but she was far from helpless. She might not be a significant asset, but she was confident that she wouldn’t be as much of a hinderance as he made out.
The troll was such as asshole that he didn’t even acknowledge her offense as he continued making his case.
“If not for yourself, then maybe consider for the human. Though I do not trust her and care little for her wellbeing personally, I am sure that you desire her safety. You know how those creatures are,” Raskyuil said. “The strix will use any distraction to aid in her attack, including targeting your little human here. If required, we could use it to our advantage. I could slit your pretty human’s throat to distract her long enough for you to deliver the blow that will allow you access to her cavern.”
A terrible sound burst from lucomo as he stalked toward the troll, the pale orbs of his eyes blazing as the trees shivered, plants rustling and twitching as if threatening to attack. A good head taller than the troll, the silvanus prowled around him, long claws extending from his fingertips. His lips pulled back from wicked teeth in clear warning. Even his hair seemed to float on a current of energy, his black antlers as a void that promised the utter absence of light and life in contrast to the blinding white luminescence he emitted.
Diana shrunk back as she watched the exchange.
“You will not threaten or entertain any idea of harming Diana,” the lucomo growled, his voice echoing over itself as he spoke with crackling energy.
From the corner of her eye, Diana could see the vacant-eyed hamadryads approaching, their lips parted and mouths gaping in silent screams. They seemed to thin out, becoming even more wraithlike in appearance as they stepped further away from their trees. Long fingers became skeletal as they reached toward the troll. Diana whimpered low as Raskyuil dropped to one knee. A cold sweat broke out over him as he wilted in the face of the lucomo’s displeasure.
“My apologies, lucomo. The suggestion was ill thought of, but only for your benefit. I swear I will not raise a hand toward your human.”
The glowing white lucomo’s eyes, so like that sightless glowing orbs of the hamadryads in that moment, narrowed. “Swear to me then, Raskyuil, son of Agranok, that you will protect this woman from harm. You will place yourself before her in danger rather than before me. You will treat her with care and consideration as you would bestow upon me.”
“I swear it!” the male shouted, his head bowing low as the trees bent their branches toward him, insidious vines creeping forward from among the branches and rising from the ground.
Diana watched their progress in horror as they crept up the male’s legs. The trees drew closer as if to swallow him whole.
“Please,” she choked out. “Please do not hurt him. He didn’t do me any harm, other than a foolish idea bid in a moment of desperation in hope that you would not leave without him.”
The lucomo paused, his head tilting as he turned and fastened his eerie eyes on her. “You would stand for him?”
“He is your friend, and obviously loyal to you. This will not earn any trust toward me. He has pledged his vow… Now enough.”
His faced darkened, and Diana felt her throat close in fear, certain that she made the matter even worse. The animals whined, their pacing loud over the forest floor. Finally, his eyes drifted close and he sighed.
With that gust of air that expelled from between his lips, the forest settled once more and the vines fell away, releasing Raskyuil. The troll fell to his hands and knees, his entire body shaking as he whispered fervently to himself. He looked at Diana, his expression guarded and wary, but it was perhaps an improvement on the thinly veiled hostility that had been there before. She only hoped that she had planted a seed of trust between them. Either that or she had been a fool to stop the lucomo. She hoped it was the former.
When the lucomo opened his eyes, Diana was relieved to see, as they settled on her, that they were normal again. A confused frown marred his brow. He prowled to her side to stop just in front of her. His stared at her for a time, taking her measure before finally reaching one hand out to trail his fingertips,