Chapter 26

**THEY** bared their swords at us, something dark glinting in their eyes.

I exchanged a glance with Arden. This wasn’t going as we’d hoped. The Guard never took bribes. If they outright refused…

“Please, milord.”

The soldier leaned back on his sword, pursing his lips. He turned and said something to the soldier at his side, to quiet for us to hear. The other soldier ran off into the darkness behind them. He turned back to us.

“Well, then, we’ll have to search you.”

The males nodded and I looked away as they pulled off their jackets and belts, dropping them to the ground. Three soldiers stepped forward, patting them down.

“Your remaining clothes as well.”

I looked down, focusing on only the grass as the shirts dropped to the ground and then the pants, leaving them only in undershorts. They weren’t asked to strip those, thankfully.

“You as well, girl,” said another guard.

I looked up sharply to see him leering at me.

I glanced at Terran, my heart seizing up. He pursed his lips, staring ahead. “Please, milord, have mercy. She is but a girl.”

The leader didn’t say anything as the other soldier stepped forwards, his eyes gleaming. “I’ve been standing here all night with no entertainment. Now come, girl.”

“Please, milord,” I whispered, taking a step back. I felt Arden and Pecan stepping on either side of me.

The soldier took a step closer, but he was interrupted when the soldier who’d run off came back. He looked at the leader and shook his head.

The leader nodded, turning to us.

“You see, we keep records of each person in each village.”

Dread slithered into my stomach, coiling into a hard pit. I couldn’t look at the others.

“Strangely, the Stone family was not anywhere on the list,” the leader said. “I wonder why.”

They pointed their swords at us in a fluid motion, their faces at once hard.

We only had one weapon—mine. And these were highly trained elves. Even if they couldn’t use the Forest like us, they were powerful.

They surrounded us slowly, making a circle around us. There were too many of them—and if they called for the rest of Guard…

Arden raised his hands, and vines shot up from the trees, lashing on to some of them. Terran did the same. Pecan made a wall of rock around us. I glanced at them. Their appearances had changed back.

“What do we do?” Pecan asked.

Terran’s face was grim. “Fight our way out. Princess.” I nodded and bent over, yanking out my sword. I straightened just in time to see the wall around us splinter to pieces, the soldiers free for the vines—disheveled but angry.

The leader waved his sword and they charged at us. We went back to back in a small circle, the four of us. I lifted my sword to meet one soldier, the others rushing at me.

My jaw tightened, and wind shot up, blocking them from reaching me. I met the soldier with a hard blade. But he was trained better than me. He jabbed and ducked and slashed, so fast I could hardly see.

He pushed me back. I tripped over my own feet, on the defensive, doing anything to prevent his blows from reaching me while keeping up the wall of wind.

He slashed at my arm, blood immediately soaking my clothes. I gasped, stumbling back as he lifted his sword once more.

A large stone hit him square in the face. He collapsed, and I glanced at Pecan gratefully.

A yell from my back sounded. I turned to see the soldier who’d asked me to strip, bearing down at me, eyes glinting. He was even faster, even stronger, even harsher—

My feet caught in the hem of my gown and I fell, rolling onto my back. His sword was high and then it was rushing down as I felt a nearby pond and called its water—

The waves wrapped around me just as his sword came down. It glanced away in the swirling mass and he stumbled back, eyes wide. I stood up slowly, letting the water pulsate around me.

I raised my hand and branches wrapped around him, binding him to the grassy floor, squeezing. I waited until his eyes fluttered shut and I could feel the consciousness winking out of him before loosening the branches and turning away.

We were losing.

Terran and Pecan and Arden were fighting hard, but the Guard was too large. Everywhere I turned, there were more of them, each skillful and strong.

My barrier of wind broke, and the soldiers rushed at me again. I thrust out my hand quickly. The water swept away from me to form a barrier again—but it wouldn’t last. Not with the blood seeping out of my arm, the wound making me dizzy.

I sent my plea down into the ground, into the heart of the trees and the grass.

Branches soared from above. They wrapped around the males, holding them tight. Terran, Pecan and Arden took care of the rest, and I thought we could escape —

Until more came rushing in.

Other soldiers of the Guard, unwounded and thirsting for blood. I exchanged a look with the boys, all of them bleeding and tired.

Still, I raised my sword, and felt the Forest once more. And then—three shapes, racing onto the plain. Nearing us. Closer and closer —

Aiden. Aster. Maple.

All of them, alive and unhurt and swords ready eyes glinting. A fresh wave of courage rocked over me and I stepped forward, the seven of us making a line.

The soldiers split, half rushing to the left and half rushing to the right, flanking us, their main body coming straight at me.

I closed my eyes, feeling the ground for the first time, solid and unmoving and steady.

I sent the ground rippling towards the soldiers in strong waves. I opened my eyes to yells and the soldiers falling, tripping over their own swords and shields.

Maple pressed near me, her sword held upright. I gave her a quick glance before turning to the others. They were enveloped in groups of soldiers—I could just make out faint hints of tan skin and dirty clothes amidst the flashes of silver and light.

And then, through a gap in the soldiers, I saw Arden and Aiden, back-to-back, Aiden’s sword flashing and Arden pulling soldiers away with vines.

And then Aiden stumbled and—the leader of the soldiers charged in, his eyes narrowing. And then he swung his sword and cut Aiden’s chest —

And then the glade exploded.

I was forced to my knees by the strength of the Forest, as the rocks and grass and soil flew upwards, knocking the soldiers down while leaving us unharmed.

I shut my eyes tightly and waited for the pressing on my lungs to go down, waited until I could breathe.

Then the bits of rock rained down on me slowly and I opened my eyes, pushing myself to my feet.

Soldier bodies laid around us, covered in nasty bruises, the ground ripped and deep under them.

I glanced around, and the others turned to me, their eyes wide and shocked.

“Elvina,” Maple breathed, taking a step towards me. My ears rang and I looked around. I had done this.

Aiden glanced around at the other boys, his eyes narrowing. “Why are you half-naked?”

I chuckled slightly but then I looked at them, bleeding from a hundred different places, covered in dirt and grass. I felt the tiredness seeping into my bones, and then the humming of the Forest returned, and most of all the voice of the Forest Spirit—

*See.

*They were lying down, facing each other, on their bed. Both looked a few years older. They were silent, just looking at each other, until Rowan spoke.

*“Ivy, do you want to try for…another child?”

*Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “Another? We already have three, Rowan. And they’re growing. Olive’s almost two already, and Laurel’s six. You want another?”

*Rowan shifted. “Ivy, it is our duty as King and Queen. And an honor. We need an heir.”

*She was silent for a while, until she finally said, “Row, three children are already enough. We have three beautiful, perfect little girls.”

*He bit his lip. “Ivy, I want to. We need to.”

*She was silent for a long time. Then she sighed. “Alright, Rowan.”

*He smiled gently and pressed his lips to hers. When he broke away, she was smiling gently at him too. “I love you, Queen Ivy.”

*“And I you.”

*Then the scene faded to black. Was that it?

*Wait. Watch.

Colors spread across the darkness, showing me another scene.