The Battle of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

As I looked at the rather triumphant expression on my father's face, my eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why do you look so smug?"

"I'm just pleased that you managed to link with one of my lovely court members. You look much better, I must say. Can't you just say that I'm happy?"

"You look more like you're planning something."

"All right, fine. I shall tell you. The Lunantisidhe were just as cursed as I, but they are rather like bees in this world -- each one knows the mind of the other, and they work in perfect synchronization. Being linked to Dimini means all the lunantisidhe benefit."

"All of them?"

"They are healing the connection of the Trees, like tiny little capillaries. Just look. "

I looked at my roots, then gave a tug on Dimini's. It flashed brightly, illuminating a broad network of roots between the Lunantisidhe and I found that I could sink into the hub and spoke of the Trees. They were flashing in multiple colors, more connected than I'd ever seen, with tiny rootlets that reached out into the expanse of time. I saw new spokes form between other hubs and the peace of that plane of existence sunk in deeper within me than ever before.

My suspicion morphed into confused awe. "I saw new spokes forming..."

He was looking faraway as he rubbed his chest. It took him a few moments to answer. "I would not have thought it possible as they were cursed. You indeed are a catalyst for many wonderful things, Daughter."

I was startled into silence by that news. I stared at him, waiting for him to tell me why they were cursed. When he stayed silent as well, I finally asked, "Why were they cursed? I thought they were small by choice."

He shook his head. "Because they are mine. All that was mine was cursed."

"Oh... poor guys..."

His smile grew. "You reconnected me to the collective when you accepted Dimini." He traced along the air where I suspected invisible roots were. "I see the roots I lost are reconnected."

I felt happy for him for a moment, then doubt began to set in. "Did you come up with this plan when I came here in danger? Did you know you'd get this benefit?"

"No, but I'm not going to pretend to ignore your potential just because you wish for me to do so. There are far too many wrongs I need to right for me to be sentimental. What I saw was a chance that Dimini might heal you, and yes, I had a small thought that if he connected with you, that I would be healed as well.  That doesn't mean I don't love you. You're my only child. And I stand by my oath." My father gave me a sharp look.

I waved his explanation away wearily. He was just as frustrating as Ciaran, and I didn't think love was Straif's motivation.  "Okay, now that I'm stable, what's next?"

He made a disgruntled noise that I wasn't bowing from his greatness. "Since we have little time for you to complete the trial, I will allow you to put our disagreement on hold. " Then he addressed Dimini. "Show her."

Dimini's grew in size and was suddenly quite heavy upon me as I lay there. In my surprise, I pushed at him, and he toppled onto the floor. He was up in a flash and taking my hand in his. He was still babbling, but with the low tenor of his voice, the language sounded more like the flowing current of a river against smooth rocks or the gentle babbling of a small waterfall into a crystal lake. 

With his rivulets of yellow hair, pupilless mint green eyes, and sharp features, he looked so much like me that I glared at my father.

"This is way too weird. You must have some purpose for having made all your lunantisidhe look like you. They look like me too. It's too much."