The Promise of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book 3 (Complete - Editing)

Chapter Eighteen - Luis

It was moronic, leaving Madeline with Dominic. I should have captured them both, but seeing her so angry at me... robbed me of any ability to fight back. 

Knowing Mike, who hadn't returned, I was also a little worried. He was determined to get her sword. I now knew why - it was to save his daughter, Simone.

 I wasn't lying when I said I needed to get back. I had to make Joseph believe that he had me under his control and there was nothing that was keeping me from doing my diligence. I had to make him believe that Dominic was dead. He had to believe that I killed him when he tried to escape. 

I sent a message to Madeline hoping she would be able to pretend, knowing that she couldn't when she wasn't able to lie. 

Joseph could never get close enough to ask.

She was going to have Erick do the Parlay, and if it was anyone but a Tree or a human, then it wasn't going to work. Joseph would find out that Madeline had left the realm, which also meant that Zovria would know as well.

She would win by default. 

I had pocketed one of the transport potions that Mike had. He only had two, so I hoped the other potion would work. Without a way to get back, it was the only thing I could do. It was easy to sneak it out while Dom and Madeline were together on the floor. They hadn't noticed me go invisible and sneak it out.

I didn't know that Erick was already at the parlay, until I appeared beside Joseph when I teleported.

Joseph turned to me and raised his brows that I was here without either the troops or Dom. I made an excuse that seemed plausible, "We had trouble with the vampires, and Dominic nor the troops made it."

Erick's face fell as he overheard our news. He whispered to a man with ivy strands for hair. The man laid a hand on Erick's shoulder and shook his head. 

Agony snuck up behind me and laid a hand on my arm. I stiffened slightly as I saw the vision she'd had. It was a full color movie of Erick and Madeline making plans, and all of his thoughts and actions up to this point, plus the horrible outcome.

I couldn't say a word of warning, as I replayed the entire scene:

****

The events as seen from Erick's eyes

With Madeline taking care of the vampires, and to rescue Dominic from Luis in San Francisco, I was left to hold a parlay at the border of Lars with Joseph. Ivy had returned, grinning evilly about his actions in the Autumn lands. It seemed his attempts to stir up confusion were successful. Joseph had made a mistake in separating himself from Luis. 

Not all the trees were on our side. Some had chosen to sit out the war and see what came of it. They still remembered all the death that happened from the last war, and were not remotely interested in repeating it. 

Madeline would have blown a gasket. She'd all but handed Joseph on a platter. He was injured, practically beaten, and still there were Trees that weren't on her side. They were on their own side, and it might mean more battles ahead. 

I had to be the husband to her that she deserved. I owed her that much. 

It was strange to think that Madeline and I had made it through all those years apart. I was lost as a boy, knowing that she hated me. And she had suffered through years of knowing I had betrayed her.  I was amazed that even though I was a very different person now, our souls managed to connect. I had been so angry at first because I didn't deserve her. I was consigned to marrying Beth. That wasn't fair to Beth as well. There was no way I could have ever loved her.