1

Miguel was walking along the dark village road to his cabin when he heard her whisper to him.

“Not so fast, Miguel.”

He turned to his right and saw Harper standing in the middle of the road. Her shoulder-length brown hair gleamed in the indigo moonlight. “Hasta, what are you doing out alone?” he scolded quietly.

She scoffed. “I was coming to get you and I haven’t been out long, anyway,” she said dismissively. She extended her hand and winked at him. “Come with me. I have things to show you.”

Miguel felt a blood rush that caused him to feel slightly dazed. “Um, we have a bed we can do it in,” he confided, but he already knew what her answer was going to be.

She groaned. “That bed is nothing but hard wood and a bunch of moldy canvas.” She moved closer. “Besides, I want our first time to be special,” she mocked as she embraced him. “Now, let’s go before we wake the villagers.” She whirled away from him and started walking east along the main road.

In the brief instant, before he ran to her, he watched her move seductively away and relished the moment. Then he rushed to catch up. In his peripheral vision, he noticed that she had shoved the big wooden door back over the entrance of their cabin. It dispelled his only fear; that she wasn’t recovered enough.

If she’s strong enough to move that door, she’s strong enough for me, he thought giddily. He caught up with her in the shadows and linked his hand into hers just as the rest of the team was leaving the fire pit.

2

Brett could not believe his luck. He was stuck with Zack again. He peeked at the orc sprawled on the canvas bags he’d arranged on the dirt floor. Zack had told him, not that Brett cared, that the orcs were worried about breaking the beds. So they had agreed to sleep on the ground. Why did they stick me with the jarhead who beat the shit out of me? he thought resentfully. You think they’d cut me a break after doing the watch two nights in a row! Instead, he was struck with the grunt who immediately began interrogating him.

How do you think you’re fitting in, Brett?

You remember our conversation? Right, Brett?

You wouldn’t want me to kill you, Brett, would you!?!?!?

Okay, that last one Zack hadn’t asked him, but he could just as well have. It was obvious to Brett that the grunt took great delight in his overbearing role. He was certain that Zack didn’t really care if he fit in with the team or not. If he cared, he’d see that Brett was doing exactly what he asked of him. He was getting along better with everyone in the group, and then there was Emma. That’s who I really should’ve been paired with!

No. That would have been too soon. Brett knew that. His relationship with Emma was important, and he could see that she wanted more. Still, he didn’t want to rush things. Not yet. He wasn’t going to blow what he already had. Emma was a good girl and good girls needed time.

“Do you think they trust you?” Zack asked Brett, jarring him from his thoughts of Emma.

Brett took a breath and smiled at him, but he wanted to scream. How many fucking times are you going to rephrase the same fucking question!? Instead, he projected the illusion. “Yeah,” he replied, smiling. “Sure, Zack. Lots of trust! I’m definitely seeing an improvement there.”

Brett thought of the sword he had rummaged up from the village shop. He could just wait for Zack to fall asleep and then… POW! He’d drive that blade right through the fucker’s black heart.

But he wasn’t alone anymore. There was Emma to consider now. She was vastly more important than the grunt. So he would pass up the golden opportunity to kill him. He hated doing it, but he wasn’t confident Emma would understand. Sure, maybe one day, Emma would recognize what a controlling asshole Zack was. She might even encourage him to do it. But they hadn’t reached that point in their relationship yet. He’d have to wait.

“That’s good, Brett. I’m proud of you,” Zack replied, interrupting his thoughts again.

What!? You’re proud of me??? I don’t care, you fucking grunt!!! And why can’t you leave me alone with my thoughts??? Once again, Brett repressed his feelings of inadequacy and rage. “Thanks, Zack,” he muttered, hating himself for saying it.

The orc turned over on his side.

I need to get out of this cabin.

Brett rose from the bed and waited patiently for the interrogation.

“Where are you going?” Zack asked, twisting back to him.

“I’m feeling sick. Maybe I had too much fish. I’m going to go out and get some air if you don’t mind?”

Zack surveyed him in the gloom like a jeweler inspecting a cheap diamond. “Knock yourself out, but stay close,” he ordered.

Brett flashed his fraudulent smile. “Sure will, boss.” He hated using that term of reverence, but he knew it would appease Zack and, sure enough, the grunt rolled over. That’s a good Pavlovian dog! he thought sarcastically. Brett dressed quickly, eager to leave the hated orc behind.

3

Jordan lay on his bed, staring at the arched wooden ceiling and thinking about Emma’s wink. He liked Emma, and her vivaciousness reminded him of France. Starting tomorrow, they’d be stuck in the tower for days. Jordan didn’t think they’d have a chance to cash their rain check in there. Tonight had to be the night.

He glanced at his big brother. Ethan was snoring on his canvas bags. If he discovered Jordan had left the cabin, he’d be furious. That was something to consider. Jordan’s relationship with Ethan was at the best point it had ever been. He didn’t want to change that. And Emma was probably tired from the strenuous day. Still, she was the one who’d winked at him.

Was it a signal or just flirtatiousness? he wondered. He didn’t know for certain. He thought of calling out to her telepathically, but she kept her telepathy turned off. There was only one way to find out for sure.

Jordan sat up in his bed and heard the wood squeak. He shot a glance at Ethan, but his brother was still sound asleep on the floor. Maybe it’s easier to sleep when you’re a gigantic, five-hundred-pound orc? He edged out of the bed and planted his pads on the ground. The bed squeaked again, but his brother didn’t stir. He looked at his chain mail laying on the floor. If he put that on inside the cabin, the clinking noises would probably wake Ethan.

So you’re going to walk into the street in your underwear? he asked himself incredulously.

That is an affirmative.

He quietly picked up the mail and tiptoed toward the heavy door. Rather than heaving it aside, Jordan turned the door as if it were on hinges, being careful to keep it upright. He slipped out through the slight opening and pulled the door back inside the frame, sealing the entrance.

If Jordan had turned to his right, he would have discovered he wasn’t alone. Eighty feet away, Miguel and Harper were nearing the end of the village road, with love on their minds as well. Instead, Jordan faced the western side of the village and quickly pulled the mail over his body. Emma was in the second cabin over. He quietly sauntered to it.

The door wasn’t shut completely. It lay open by six inches. He peered into the opening and saw Janna sleeping to his left. On his right side, Emma was lying on her bed. She smiled at him suggestively.

4

As Miguel walked with Harper to the east end of the village, he stopped her. “Harper, this isn’t safe,” he urged.

She tipped her head, concealing her emotions.

He drew her close and something on her arm felt sharp, snagging with his armor. He glanced down and noticed one of her metal studs had caught with his.

She jerked her arm away, pulling it loose, then gazed at him. He saw tears glistening on her cheeks. “It has to be tonight, Miguel,” she said thickly. “After what happened today, I need us to take that step.”

He took a deep breath and exhaled. “Okay, where do you want to go?”

She pointed toward the orchard. “Over there, in the meadow just outside those trees. It’ll be soft and we’ll be under the moon.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “It will be more memorable than doing it in that wooden box.”

“Hasta, what about the Dryads?”

She shook her head. “We have our weapons and our spells. Let’s keep our ears open and we’ll be fine.”

5

Emma winked at Jordan, knowing full well it was going to get his motor running. The last few days have been stressful, she’d thought, and I want the release. So when they’d arrived at their cabin, Emma had asked Janna to leave the door open a crack. She’d told her it was to get some air into the room. The cabin was so hot.

That was partially true. But the real reason was Jordan. She expected him to appear at her door. Janna had agreed, and they’d removed their armor and settled into their beds. At first, it had looked like her plan would fail when Janna just wouldn’t fall asleep. The nurse had lain on her bed droning on and on about her experiences at New York General. Emma liked Janna, but she wasn’t interested in her hospital stories and had wished the nurse would shut up and go to sleep. Finally, the big nurse had fallen asleep and Emma waited for her prince in shining chain mail.

With a stinky canvas blanket covering her curvaceous body, she lay on her bed, staring at the opening and wondering when he would show up. She’d begun doubting he was going to appear at all when he peered into the room.

She glanced over at Janna, who remained asleep. Emma smiled then waved her hand, shooing him away from the door. He backed away from the opening. She snuck out of the bed, grabbing her chain mail. The metal links made clinking noises and Janna stirred in her bed. Emma froze. Then the nurse settled.

Emma squeezed through the opening and slid her chain mail on. She strode to Jordan and whispered in his ear, “Your timing was perfect. Janna just fell asleep.”

He grinned. “So where do you wanna go?”

Emma pointed to the trees north of the village. “Up there somewhere.”

Jordan looked at her skeptically. “You want to do it under the tower?” She nodded. “Aren’t most of those trees pine?” he asked. “That might be very uncomfortable.”

“Come on, fancy pants,” she whispered impatiently. “It’ll be good luck doing it under the tower.”

Jordan shrugged and took her hand. He led her through the garden and they bounded up the steep hill.

6

Something told Brett to lay back in the shadows. It was like an instinct or a voice… or maybe fear. Whatever it was, he followed his hunch and slipped into the opening between his cabin and the barn. A moment later, Jordan stepped out of his cabin, wearing nothing but his canvas undergarment.

What the hell is he doing? he wondered.

Jordan pulled the chain mail over his body, then strode out of Brett’s field of vision. The nurse took a chance and peeped around the corner of the cabin. Jordan was looking inside another cabin.

Pervert! Who is he peeking at?

As Jordan walked away from the opened doorway, Brett saw a leg slip through the opening. He couldn’t tell who it was. Under the moon’s blue light, the leg could’ve belonged to anyone. Then the woman squeezed through the opening, and Brett recognized her. Nooooooo! Emma stood in front of the doorway, pulling on her chain mail.

His heart sank. Brett mewled painfully as he watched them go to one another. They spoke, and she pointed to the tower.

Are they going up to the tower? Why? Maybe they’re going to do some scouting. Maybe it’s not what you think, Brett.

They walked toward him. Brett receded further into the shadows between the two buildings. He studied them as they passed, then peered around the side, watching them stroll into the garden.

Maybe I should call out to them? Ask what they’re up to? Maybe they could use my help.

But he hesitated, afraid they would mock him. Instead, he hurried to the garden, trying to keep pace with them. As he passed the barn, he saw them running up the hill.

7

Miguel stood on the edge of the village, still uncertain, wishing he could persuade Harper to turn back. “You should be resting, you know,” he prodded.

She shook her head. “That’s why I turned in early, silly.” She peered up at the tower. “Tomorrow, we’ll be there and any privacy we have will be gone.” She pressed against him. “I can’t wait that long, Miguel.”

He hesitated for a moment, then telepathed to her, you’ve lost your mind.

She tilted her head sideways and gazed at him, unimpressed. You know, you’re the big sap. Boy bands and all that. Doesn’t this appeal to your sense of romance?

Miguel wasn’t taking the bait. He planted his feet, trying to think of what to say next. With hormones raging through his body, he struggled to focus.

She draped her arms around his waist and gazed up at him. “You’re about to blow your chance,” she whispered. Her warm breath tickled his ear.

That sealed it for Miguel. He knew that Harper would have her way, no matter how much he objected, so he promised himself he would keep her safe at all costs. That even in the deepest throes of their passion, he would listen closely for the siren call of the Dryads.

8

Brett’s climb up the hill was a grueling ordeal. First, he had to scale the fence the Jennings had built around the garden. At the top, he slipped and his calf caught against a sharp edge of the wood, slicing a three-inch gash across his skin. As he cried out painfully, he lost his grip and crashed heavily onto the other side. Grit bounced into his face, reminding him of the pounding he had received from Zack. He spat the dirt out and peered up the hill. He couldn’t see them anymore, but he saw the trees shaking.

They’re in the trees, Brett thought as he jumped up and ran to keep track of them. Why are they taking such a rugged route to the tower? He pushed the notion aside. He just wanted to keep pace with them. Make sure Emma stayed safe. He didn’t trust that Jordan would protect Emma, so he plowed through the rough terrain to keep up with them. His hands sliced open in several places against the thorns and bull thistles.

When he arrived at a thinner patch, Brett stopped and looked at his hands in the moonlight. Long white thistle thorns stuck out all over his hands. The pain was agonizing. A large maggot crawled across his palm. He yelled in disgust and rubbed his hand against his armor, re-aggravating the intense pain from the thorns.

Brett peered up at the treetops to find them, but the trees weren’t shaking anymore. He had lost them. The pain had all been for nothing. Disappointed, he spun toward the village—then heard Emma’s voice nearby. Brett smiled, turned around, and followed the source of the sound.

9

Emma and Jordan found a cluster of maple trees at the apex of the hill. They picked the largest maple and scrambled to the top of the tree. Standing on a thick limb, they could see the entire landscape before them; the forest they’d hiked out of, the orchard in front of it, the road, and the village below them.

“What a panoramic view,” she said appreciatively.

He agreed and wrapped his arm around her waist. As their eyes scanned the scenery, they didn’t notice Miguel and Harper walking toward the orchard.

They looked for a suitable spot. Jordan pointed to a couple of limbs that were entangled. They clambered down and tested the weight.

“I feel like a kid on a trampoline,” he laughed, hopping on the limbs.

She grabbed him by the shoulder and gazed at him seductively. “You won’t soon enough.”

10

Despite his fears, the meadow Harper picked was perfect. It was closer to the orchard than Miguel would’ve liked, but she had insisted on the spot. The ground was carpeted with soft leaves, loosened from the nearby apple and pear trees, and flowers that grew from the spongy earth. They were directly under the moon, which bathed the area in a serene blue light.

She led him by the hand to the center of the meadow, then turned and smiled warmly at him. He kissed her neck and tasted dust on his tongue. He thought of the long day they’d had and imagined his own skin might taste a bit gritty as well. Miguel looked up at Harper, but she was staring at the moon. “I hope we’re the only ones out here,” he said.

“Yeah, me too.” She embraced him and kissed him softly.

“Oh, god, you are magnificent,” he muttered, mesmerized by her beauty.

She smiled, then pulled away from him. “Lay down,” she whispered.

11

At first, Brett couldn’t see them, but he knew Emma and Jordan were somewhere near the top of the tree. He told himself they were surveying the land, looking for the clearest path to the tower, but he realized his assumptions had been all wrong.

They weren’t assumptions, Brett. You were lying to yourself, he thought disgustedly. That was true. Brett had to admit he was stalking them because he suspected they were going to do something dirty.

Please, don’t let it be, Emma. She had been such a lifesaver to him. Someone he could latch onto through all the strife he was experiencing within the group. Brett believed in his heart that he loved her. Why would she love you, you idiot!?

He spotted them. They were climbing back down the tree. Maybe they’re not going to do it, he thought hopefully. But then they stopped. At least, he had a better view of them now. They started jumping on a tree limb. Brett thought that was a really stupid idea. They could break the limb and plummet sixty feet to the ground.

He had to stop them.

Brett didn’t want to reveal himself, but he also didn’t want Emma getting hurt, so he opened his mouth to call out to them. He had intended to ask, “Hey, you guys, can you please be careful?” but as the first word passed his lips, they suddenly stopped jumping. He heard himself say the word, “Hey—” but it sounded more like a choke and quickly trailed off.

Jordan removed his chain mail. Then Emma’s. Then…

Noooooooo!

Consumed with rage, Brett shoved his mangled fuck-finger into his mouth. He had intended to bite down on it, but a thistle thorn that was still attached to his finger skewered his tongue. For a moment, he lost sight of them as he staggered, frantically pulling the thorn from his tongue. Brett returned his gaze to the treetop. What he saw removed the last vestige of his sanity.

12

Emma and Jordan rested on their wooden ringlet near the top of the maple tree. He was lying on his side, nestled into her, watching the soft wind feather her blonde hair. Despite his cavalier demeanor, Emma was the first woman Jordan had slept with since Abebe.

“If anyone heard us, we’re going to be in big trouble,” she said casually.

“Yeah, I would think that’s probably very, very likely.”

She glanced at him and snorted. “Well, there’s a definitive statement if ever I’ve heard one,” she teased. Instead of contesting her remark, he leaned forward and kissed her. Emma moaned. “Don’t get me started,” she said. “I can do it again, you know?”

“We’d probably break this limb and go plummeting to our deaths,” he mused.

She slapped his arm. “Don’t say that! I wanna come back here.”

They became quiet, enjoying the afterglow and the calm atmosphere. Jordan gazed at Emma, appreciating her natural beauty. Her green eyes sparkled in the indigo night. God, I love whoever designed this game, Jordan thought to himself. Replying to her previous comment, he said, “That sounds like another rain check.”

She glanced at him mischievously. “Who says I’m coming back here with you?” she taunted.

13

Their coupling was everything Miguel could have wished for. Laying on a bed of flowers, he reached up for her. She countered, linking her hands into his and pressing his arms to the ground. Harper leaned down and nibbled his shoulder before returning to her mounted position, still squeezing his palms. She started to sing softly to him, a tune he recognized but couldn’t recall. “Naaanananaaa, nanaaaanana…”

I know that tune! What is it, Harper? he telepathed, but she shook her head and continued singing the melody. Her voice was amazing. Her cadence was so delicate, she sounded almost angelic. Miguel never realized Harper had such a lovely voice.

“Naaanananaaa, naaaanananaaaa…”

It came to him. He remembered the song. It was part of that really old stuff he had told her about.

“I got the disease…” she chirped sweetly to him.

He chuckled. “Hey, I thought you didn’t know about—”

“It’s scary for sure…” she continued singing.

“About… about… the Pear Tree Family,” he finished haltingly. At that moment, Miguel understood the horrible mistake he had made. Harper didn’t know the band or the song. And she wouldn’t have led them back to the orchard. He searched desperately for the diamond-shaped scar below her collarbone. It wasn’t there.

How could I have not noticed that? he thought. But he knew the answer. He was under the Dryope’s spell. Then he remembered the familiar sound he’d detected back at the fire pit. It was the same music he’d heard in the orchard. The music that lulled them into the monster’s spell.

The hands that held him to the ground turned into rough chunks of wood. Harper’s blue eyes cracked open like a pair of hard-boiled eggs, exposing larger eyes behind them. The Dryope’s cobalt eyes bulged forward and the remains of Harper’s eyes landed on Miguel’s chest in four different pieces. The severed pupils darted around their white half-ovals, erratically looking for something to focus on.

He struggled against the wooden claws that held him to the ground, but the beast was too powerful. Miguel cried out to Harper telepathically. Hasta!!!!! I’m in trouble! Help me, help me, Hastaaaaaaaa!

14

Harper slept on her right side, in a fetal position, as she had done for most of her life. She slept uneasily, subconsciously sensing that Miguel was not in the room with her. At one point, she rose, half-asleep, and squinted through the darkness at his bed. She called his name, but, in her dreamy state, she wasn’t sure if he answered. She dropped back to sleep, unknowingly rubbing the scar on her chest.

Her sleep was fitful, the slumber of someone who’d just recovered from a major physical trauma. She moaned and gasped in the darkness. Her dreams were a disjointed mess of imagery and experiences: the police officer breaking into her room, spooning with Miguel the night before, Megan warning her again, the giant glowworm, the transfer at the landing zone, and Zack’s arm spraying blood.

When her consciousness lifted above her dreams, she’d whisper Miguel’s name and it would soothe her, sending her back into a more restful sleep until the nightmares invaded again. She eventually fell into a deep slumber, but the sense of dread stayed with her, haunting her subconscious. It was in this state that Miguel’s scream penetrated, pushing through the tranced cobwebs of her sleep.

... Aaaaaaaa!… I’mmmmm… innnnn… truuuuuuble!

She opened her eyes, but she needed a moment to orient herself. She glanced at the dark mass of canvas on Miguel’s bed. “Sweetheart, was that yo—”

Help me, help me, Hastaaaaaaaa!

Harper leaped from her bed and cast the Firefly spell. Through the lighted cabin, she realized that Miguel wasn’t in the other bed. Harper slipped on her armor and boots in a matter of seconds. She telepathed to Miguel, Baby, where are you? What is happening?

She ran to the heavy door, shoved it aside, and burst out onto the village road. She quickly scanned the village, trying to find any movement, but the road was dark and barren. Why hasn’t he answered me yet? she thought desperately, afraid of the answer. She focused, not allowing the fear to incapacitate her.

Miguel, where are you!? she screamed. Still no answer. She dashed to the fire pit. The embers were glowing dimly, but the section was deserted. Fear and dread pushed into her mind, overwhelming her now. She staggered through the village, sobbing.

“Everyone, wake up!” she shrieked. “Wake up! Miguel is missing and in trouble!” She ran to the garden to see if he was there. The garden was empty, but high above it, the trees were shaking. Harper sprinted for the high fence and jumped, latching onto its rough lattice.

She started to climb the fence.

15

As soon as Harper cried out, Damon and Angie were awake and fully alert. Years of combat had trained their bodies to react quickly. Without saying a word, they pulled on their armor. Damon thrust the door aside, and they ran onto the road but found no signs of Harper or Miguel. “You check the west, I’ll do the east,” he muttered.

They ran in opposite directions, equipping their weapons. Angie didn’t get far before spotting Harper struggling to climb the garden barrier. “Harper, what are you doing?”

“Oh, Angie! I don’t know where he is! He’s not answering me,” she sobbed, clinging to the lattice near the top of the fence, “but I saw movement up in those trees.” She pointed at a patch of trees at the top of the hill. Angie ran to Harper and buttressed her against the fence, helping her reach the top of the barrier.

16

As he struggled under the massive weight of the Dryope, Miguel felt branches clutching at the sides of his body, pulling at his bare skin. He turned and saw vague wooden shapes rising from under the bed of flowers and leaves. They crept toward him, and their cerulean eyes glared with ferocity. Their claws snatched at his hair, stretching his forehead.

Anyone! Ethan, Angie, please come and help me! I’m near the orchard!

From above, the next line of the song was uttered and Miguel looked up at the beast that was straddling him. It raised up, releasing his hands now that the Dryads held him. The physical remnants of Harper’s body had cracked into fissures, exposing the deadly impostor that hid underneath her skin. “I’m down on my knees…” the monster crooned to him in a voice that was no longer human, but something deep and demonic.

As Harper’s body fragments collapsed to his sides, Miguel watched the Dryope’s ligneous form grow in size and expand. Its wooden tentacles fluttered like snakes behind it. He could feel its increasing weight pressing painfully against him. My god! I’m still inside this thing!

The Dryope croaked the next lyric. “… this love’s got no cure.”

17

Despite her taunting Jordan, Emma knew she wanted to do it again. Of course, he was quite receptive to the idea. They carefully stood up from the wooden ringlet, embraced, and kissed passionately. Far below, a pair of eyes shone up from a fractured mind, observing them. Behind them, on the other side of the tree trunk, the team members were hurrying out of their cabins, alerted by Harper’s cries.

While they kissed, Jordan ran his hand through Emma’s hair, then drew his head back to deliver another wisecrack. “You know, darling, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful—”

Anyone! Ethan, Angie, please come and help! I am near the orchard!

“Fuck…” he said.

Emma grinned. “That’s a little crude but, okay, how would you like to do it this time?”

Jordan looked at her, bewildered, then realized that Emma kept her telepathy turned off. “Miguel just screamed in my mind. He’s in trouble, somewhere in the orchard.”

Emma’s face turned pale. She looked toward the orchard and saw the large, shadowy creature mounted on top of Miguel. “Oh my god, it’s that mother beast,” she gasped.

They quickly slipped on their armor.

“Follow me,” Emma said, and vaulted for the next treetop.

18

In their cabins, Janna, Zack, and Ethan were awakened by Harper’s cry, only to find their partners gone. They equipped their armor and scrambled out to the road. Damon was standing on the east side of the road.

“Where’s Harper and Miguel?” Ethan asked.

“I don’t know yet,” Damon answered distractedly, looking toward the village’s west side, “but I think Angie may have found someone in the garden.” He glanced at the three members standing in front of their doorways. “Where the hell is your brother?”

Ethan shook his head. “He wasn’t in the cabin.”

Damon glared at Janna and Zack, and they confirmed their partners were also missing. The orc general looked to the sky, shaking his head. Then Miguel’s second scream crashed through Ethan’s telepathy, making him shudder. He turned and ran eastward, bellowing that Miguel was in the orchard.

19

Miguel screamed as the Dryope leaned down and bit a chunk of muscle from his bicep with its splintery teeth. It rose back up and held his flesh in its mouth. Dark blood flowed onto its pointed chin. “I gave you choice, but you choose to attack and killed sisters,” it croaked angrily through his torn flesh. “Now, you be consumed to make more children!” The beast opened its mouth and swallowed his flesh.

Miguel cast Basic Heal on himself, but the spell was only 50% effective. His hit points were down to 26 out of 69. Around him, the Dryads’ claws encircled him, peeling his skin and tearing it away. The pain brought a vivid clarity to the beleaguered daze he was falling under. His skin felt like it was on fire.

One Dryad moved next to him and whispered into his bleeding ear, “Wiccan mother wishes you to know she emulated your bitch lover to perfection.” The monster snarled. “Now, you know what you will never, ever have!”

Sharp thorns pierced his flesh, and the pain worsened. Through the wall of pain and diminishing consciousness, Miguel called out to Harper one final time. Harper, I love you. I’m so sorry…

Then the Dryads’ bodies coiled around him, and he sensed he was being rotated. In his blurred vision, he saw the light of the moon spin by through a web of thorns and branches. He could feel his flesh being pulled and leached into the wooden sphere. The pain was unbearable, but his sorrow was greater, so when the darkness came, he welcomed it.

20

When Miguel screamed that he was in the orchard, the remaining team members broke for the orchard. But Harper cried out to Damon to wait for her. The orcs were not fast runners, but they had a longer leg span and, as a result, covered more distance. So while the team sprinted toward the woods, Damon lifted the mage onto his shoulders, held her legs, and ran behind them.

Harper felt the wind blow back her hair as she bumped roughly on the orc’s shoulders. She raised her arms and began charging Fire Bullet. She could see the Dryope five hundred meters ahead of them, but she couldn’t see Miguel. Harper wished she had a spell with a longer range, but they all capped out at fifty meters or under.

“Faster, Damon, faster,” she urged, but the orc didn’t pick up speed, and she knew he was already going all out. Ahead of her, she saw Ethan, Janna, Angie, and Zack at the front of the team. Jordan and Emma were trailing but were closing the distance because of their speed. The two Grimalkin members had joined the group from the north side of the village, leaping from the trees.

Much further ahead, the Dryads were spinning their wooden egg on the flower bed. Harper looked up at her charge. The Fire Bullet was full now, yet she was still too far. Ethan was the closest, but he was two hundred meters away.

She wondered vaguely why the creatures didn’t cast their spells onto the team. Then she realized with a sickening certainty that they didn’t want the members enchanted. The mother beast wanted her revenge, and she wanted the team to experience her wrath fully.

The Dryope looked up at the approaching war party and pointed its tentacles at them. It grinned at Harper maliciously. Below the beast, the egg was spinning faster now. “YOU have broken our tribe,” the mother beast roared at them. “You will ATONE! Your man-folk will feed our birthing!”

Harper shot the Fire Bullet at the Dryope.

The beast didn’t even flinch. The spell sputtered out just beyond the thirty-meter limit. Entrails of fire descended onto the field, seventy meters away from the beast. As she watched the fire ignite on the grass, Harper spotted her sister standing between the trees of the orchard. Under the blue moonlight, Megan’s decomposition seemed almost complete. Her taut skin clung to her bones and her clothing was gone. The skeleton waved her fingers toward the trap that had been placed for Miguel. Harper finally realized Megan’s last message to her. Warh him aboub bhra whhhreeeabbs.

With a sickening revelation, she understood the words: Warn him about the Dryads.

The Megan-thing lifted her hand to where her heart would have been. She moved her jaws as if she were trying to say something. Then she slowly retreated, slipping deeper into the orchard, and was lost in the shadows. Harper started screaming, consumed by an overwhelming dread. Then she heard Miguel one final time.

Harper, I love you. I’m so sorry…

In the end, it was Jordan and Ethan who got the closest to the mother beast before it gripped the egg with its tentacles and soared up into the trees. It leaped across the treetops toward the forest. Damon never stopped running, even as Harper slumped on his body, sobbing uncontrollably.

The eight members of the team converged on the site that had entrapped Miguel. Damon eased Harper down. She rushed to his discarded armor, clutching at it and wailing. Harper wasn’t the only one crying, Emma was on her knees weeping as well. The rest of the group looked on in shocked disbelief. The fire that had rained from Harper’s failed spell caught on the grass around them, casting the area in a flickering red light.

Far behind them, in the darkness, the Jennings family stood at the edge of town watching the grieving team, commiserating with them from a distance. Further back, Brett watched at the top of the hill, deliberating what his next move would be.