The Story of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book One

Chapter Nineteen

"Am I still dead?" I felt alive. I had a beating heart and a warm body.

Luis scooted forward and carefully put a hand on my knee. When I didn't push it away, he said, "No.  When we were dying, the same thing that happened in the dungeon happened that day. Roots shot out and anchored my soul into my body then you took a sliver of my soul from me.

 The rest of the roots shot into the ground, and every tree around us died. They buried us under the gold and brown leaves that fell from their branches. I woke up alone but you'd left a piece of your soul within me in exchange for mine. When I tried to find you, spells blocked me from doing so." 

I'd left a piece of my soul with him and I had a piece of his in me. The idea boggled. I knew why he couldn't find me in the forest, no one should have been able. "Mother's protections. I hope they didn't hurt you."

"The spell dumped me into San Francisco. Because I was still a child, I didn't have the abilities I have now.  I had to stay there, and once I was there, I'd lost my memory. Fortunately, there were a few Phoukas in the area that took care of me."

"I'm sorry. Mother must have done all that to you when she came for me."

He shrugged in response. "She could have killed me for what I did. I got off easy."

I touched his chest over his heart. Was my soul piece lodged there? "Why couldn't you tell me all this from the moment you met me, Luis? Why did you wait until now?"

He stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets. Then he leaned against a wall. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd make the face you're making now."

I stood up and touched his arm, "What face is that?"

"Like I'm a monster."

I stifled a laugh. "Luis, I can pull souls from people like I'm a succubus, and I can talk to ghosts and do...uh... other things..." I winced and realized that I was outing all my undead skills.  "How would I think you were a monster when I am an even worse monster? If you had told me about it, maybe we could have worked it out together."

"Or... you might have told me never to see you again. It's much better when my prey stays still," Luis said with a crooked smile.

That could have been the case. Ultimately, I might have rejected him even though I wanted to pretend I was beyond that kind of judgy attitude. I'd only been fourteen, and I had been traumatized. "Tell me one thing, Luis."

"What is it?"

"Were you involved with the men that chased my mother and me into that alley?"

"No, I sensed you once you were in my territory. I assume your mother chose that alley because she knew I'd find you. My memories returned once I saw you huddled behind the trash bins."

I swallowed as I looked over at him. The fae couldn't lie, so I was relieved. 

Luis's involvement in the plot to kill me shocked me. While my mind recognized that he had been a victim as much as I was, my heart was still breaking. It was breaking further that for four years, he knew everything, and I knew nothing.

"I'm angry that you knew all this and didn't tell me. This is a lot, Luis." I scrubbed at my eyes when they threatened to tear up. "The only reason I'm going to let it go, for now, is because you're my best friend."

He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around me. My eyes widened as I put my hands on his shoulders.  Relief like warm bath water and a cotton candy feeling of affection floated between us.

 "You're more than a friend to me," he said, and a now-familiar feeling of a silk tie tugged possessively as longing evaporated the affection and relief. That drew another spike of surprise from me.