Savage King: New Worlds - Milly Taiden Page 0,60

large bowls and containers she’d seen when the village was preparing to eat.

They had trailed the creek the entire way, which made gathering water much easier than in the previous location. The swift moving creek had grown into a wide slow-moving river.

Children and adults returned with berries and apples; the same as what she and her cousins ate on their way to the tribe. The gardens they had were left behind. No doubt burned to a crisp.

Wren realized the dinner tables in the village wouldn’t be here. Nobody had brought the tables along, obviously. They would have to eat on the ground. She thought back to the time with Avery in the Crystal Kingdom and how the elves used the tree limbs and roots to create tables and chairs. Could she do the same?

Zee had told her she had magic ability to control the trees, which the Gnoleon couldn’t do. She could believe the connection considering how the forests comforted her when young. She spent a lot of time climbing and sitting among trees. But magic?

She’d never done anything strange with “magic powers” on Earth. But, then again, she wasn’t on her home planet anymore. How would she know if she didn’t try?

Wren looked around and saw everybody busy doing something, except for her and her two cousins. “Hey,” she said to her friends, “go find some way to help.” To their credit, they jumped in and helped with food prep. She slowly shuffled to the closest tree and leaned against it nonchalantly.

Letting out a deep breath, she placed both hands on the smooth trunk. Well, if she had magic, now was the time to show it. In her mind, eyes closed, she replayed the meal gathering in the elven villages.

The palm of her hands tingled, but she didn’t feel the tree move to lower branches or lift roots. Zee and Haml were wrong. She was just a plain human from a non-magical world.

Her mate must’ve noticed what she was doing. Just as she was about to give up, his warm familiar body pressed against her back, hot hands covering hers against the bark to keep her in place. She felt as if her heart was being pulled from her chest.

No, that wasn’t right. She wasn’t being pulled, her heart was pushing, spilling out an invisible force she’d never experienced. How had all that been locked inside her? The feeling was beyond words even for a wordsmith like her. How about a Niagra Falls of emotions and. . .power?

Her legs wobbled and shook, didn’t feel as if they could support her anymore. Her arms became impossibly heavy, her forehead falling against the tree. Suddenly, she was weightless and floating through the air. No. That wasn’t right either. Zee’s scent surrounded her. He was carrying her. Why was that?

Then warm softness enveloped her, taking her down into sleep.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

During the next two days of travel through the jungle, Wren had remained at Zee’s side as he led them safely along a trail he’d discovered in his isolation.

Nobody, including Zee, had said anything about what happened when she tried to use her magic. After passing out, she slept through until the next morning. With the rush to get on the road, or trail as it were, she didn’t get to ask him what the result had been. Had she made a fool of herself?

Since her attempt at using magic, the air around the villagers had changed. Before they had been welcoming and friendly but always kept their distance. Now she felt as if they wanted to include her. What had changed and why?

On top of that, old worry stirred in her. Would she and Zee remain together? He was the alpha of a village. They needed him. She didn’t belong in this world. She was the alien the tribe had been nice enough to take in. But they had made it clear that she wasn’t welcome as the mate of their leader.

Without slowing, Zee sniffed, then gave her a concerned expression. “What is wrong? I scent your concern.”

She frowned. “That nose is not fair. If I can’t smell you, you can’t smell me.”

“I agree,” he said, “I will stop breathing for you.”

She thumped him on the bicep with a flick of her finger off her thumb. “Don’t be a smart ass.”

He chuckled lightly then went quiet, waiting on her to answer. She sighed, looking around to see how close the others were. “I just don’t know what’s going to happen with us.”

He