Once I was stripped and in the water, I was able to get the first good look at my body that I’d had in a while. All of my residual pregnancy weight was gone. Unfortunately, this was largely because of the stringent diet I’d been on these last couple weeks. I wasn’t showing quite as many ribs as the others, but it was clear gym time would have been a much healthier way to get my figure back than near-starvation. Still, provided we survived this adventure, I could hope for nutrition soon and some return to my former state. The scar from my C-section was still obvious, but that would be the case for the rest of my life. For now, it was enough to have a moment’s peace and the luxury of submerging myself in water.

“Eugenie.”

There was an odd note to Jasmine’s voice as I emerged from underwater and tossed my soaking hair back. Blinking, I glanced over at her and saw that she and Keeli were focused on something off on the shore. I followed their gazes and saw nothing at first. Then, a slight movement revealed a lithe, female figure. I hadn’t noticed her because she literally blended into her surroundings.

Ostensibly, she had the same features as any pretty gentry or human woman. It was her coloring that was remarkable. Her hair and eyes were a vivid emerald green, her skin tanned to a shade of nut brown. Her only garment was a short dress made of leaves and flowers. She watched us nervously, like a doe ready to flee.

“Dryad,” said Keeli matter-of-factly. “Usually harmless.”

Dryads were rare in the human world, though sometimes they made it over. I’d never encountered one myself but knew “usually harmless” was an accurate statement. Dryads were tree nymphs who preferred to be left alone in their woods. When threatened, they could get aggressive. Otherwise, they tended to be shy and were often in more danger from passing men who were attracted by that Otherworldly beauty. Dryads allegedly didn’t welcome those advances and could be quite hostile to the opposite sex.

“I wonder if she could give us information about this place,” Jasmine remarked. I raised an eyebrow. It was a good idea and a surprising one from Jasmine, who tended to run to extremes.

“She probably won’t know much. It’s unlikely she’d have any loyalty to Varia,” added Keeli. “Dryads usually stay out of our affairs.”

We were using “usually” a lot here, but it was worth a try. I attempted what I hoped was a friendly smile at the dryad as I took a few steps toward the shore. “Hi there,” I said. “We aren’t going to hurt you. We’re just passing through.”

Jasmine decided to help as well. “Nice, um, trees you’ve got around here.”