ELRETH

Elreth stood in the Tree City, her back to the market, the trail that would lead to the royal meadow at her feet. She was gathering her courage.

She hadn't slept. Or eaten. She hadn't let herself think of anything except the next task.

After sending Aaryn to the traverse, she'd sent more guards to ensure none of the Protectors from the human world left the cave where they'd all decided to stay, then she met with the few members of the Security Council who hadn't gone to the frontline, and a couple of the elders, to determine the best way forward.

As the hours before dawn passed, she was in Council, exchanging ideas and advice. The hair on the back of her neck standing high while she waited for news of Aaryn, or the portals.. and waited. But she forced herself to focus on the problem before her.

She had to figure out how to search the new Anima for truth without accusing them. Any that came with good hearts should be able to walk the Tree City free and find their new homes. But any traitors, or those with evil intent had to be found and killed. She couldn't give them any room to harm others.

Of course, in the end, it was simple.

She was going to tell them the truth, then find out which of them returned the favor.

And so, while the night still clung to the sky, she'd taken a battery of healers with a gift for scenting truth and they'd gathered at the cave.

Under the guise of being a welcoming ruler, pressured to keep her people safe, she'd woken them all, apologizing for the early hour, but explaining that they were at war.

She described her joy that they had returned to Anima, and the shift in the heart of the people for them. She told them with pride of their new tribe, and how welcome their families were—even the mates who were human.

Then she made sure they understood.

It had been revealed to her that some among them were not there to embrace the Anima, but to destroy them. Some hoped not for their victory over the humans, but for their demise.

"If you have come here with a clean heart, you have nothing to fear," she'd told them gently. Then, one by one, she'd removed them from the cave, had them taken to the market to question them about their knowledge of the traverse, the voices, and any plots to thwart the closing of the portals.

As the sky began to lighten, she had avoided any questions that would turn her mind to Aaryn, because with every passing minute she was more and more terrified to even think his name. He had to be safe. He had to be back. He had to have saved Gahrye and already be returning to her. She had nodded to herself, resolved. But her chest wouldn't stop feeling like iron bands wrapped her ribs and squeezed, constricting her breathing. The nerves wouldn't stop fluttering in her stomach.

And she had to close her eyes and fight for control more than once when her mind suddenly painted the image of life without—

No.

But the sun was up now. The sun was high enough that the sky was pink and she was certain if she got out from under the trees she'd see the sun now well over the mountain.

If the portals were closing, it should have happened by now.. shouldn't it?

Elreth wrung her hands. She was alone, she realized. She hadn't been alone all night—she'd made sure it didn't happen. Hadn't wanted the time to think, or the space to hear her own thoughts.

And yet now.. she was frozen to the spot, hands clasped and shaking.

Maybe.. maybe Aaryn was still traveling. Maybe he'd only made it back just in time. Or maybe he'd gone back to the cave? He wouldn't know where she was, after all.

That was it.

She turned back, towards the trail to the Royal Meadow. She'd already decided she could afford a few minutes to go check—

The rumble sounded in her ears a heartbeat before the earth began to shake.

Screams rose in the market, and across the WildWood. Elreth was thrown against the trunk of a tree, fear and disbelief making her gape—and pray. As earth bucked like a fighting horse, Elreth clung, praying for the safety of her people and her family, gripping the bark of the tree with her nails, head hunched and breath tearing in and out of her throat as she waited for the earth to stop writhing.

By the time it did, leaves were drifting to the ground from above, and the dust was almost choking. Shakily, she stepped away from the tree, her heart pounding.

"What was that?" she breathed. Then she blinked.

The portals.

Her heart galloped away as she turned towards the Royal Meadow again, preparing to shift, but before she'd taken a step, a wild wind roared through the forest, voices chittering and shrieking, slavering, declaring death and destruction as they whipped between trees, snagged her hair, and yanked at her clothes.

Elreth gasped. But it was gone as quickly as it came. Or so she'd thought.

As she stood there, looking left and right, screams rose in the market—screams not of the startled fear of the earthquake, but of horror. Shrieks of pain and terror.

She did shift then, racing back up the trail to the market and through the archway into the crowd, sliding to a halt and shifting back to her human form, staring, wide-eyed and mouth agape as she tried to understand what she saw.

The Anima and humans they'd brought from the cave and kept there, those who had been identified as not telling the truth—the suspects—had been kept in the market under guard so they could be questioned by interrogators once they were all identified.

Elreth had wanted to be utterly certain. And to see if she could uncover their plots before she had to kill them.

But given the screams, she had a feeling that the Creator had taken care of it for them.

The stench of death and decay—and the voices—permeated the entire market, thicker than any rich roast had managed before.

historical

As Elreth walked forward slowly, the healers and guards were rushing back towards piles of..

Piles of bodies. Of dark stains. Smoking heaps of.. death.

None of the people noticed her at first as the healers rushed to console and check those who hadn't been harmed. But no one could take their eyes off the twisted bodies and rotted remains.

"What happened?" she asked breathlessly.

Guards leaped to her side, all of them babbling at once. One of the healers, tears still on her cheeks described pictures of horror—flesh melting and burning, decay and desiccation.

And very, very soon it became clear.. every Anima who had belonged to the voices had been taken to their final rest—in the hands of evil.

Elreth shuddered. Then sobbed with relief and gratitude.

They had done it! Her parents had done it. They'd closed the traverse! And Gahrye and Kalle..

Elreth's fizzing joy dissolved like sugar in water.