He waited until the dust of the smugglers’ passage had settled, then allowed the vines to drop from him and Hux. The horse snorted as if commenting about the strange antics of humans. Kerrick didn’t disagree with him.

They returned to the campsite. Kerrick dismounted, landing on weak legs. While his connection to the living green remained a part of him, he struggled to manipulate the foliage. Unlike in early autumn, he now needed to draw power in order to use the forest. And each day it was a little bit harder.

Kerrick stretched out on his bedroll. Exhaustion pressed on him. Using his magic shouldn’t be this draining. It had depleted his energy before he sickened, but now it required double the effort. Why? He’d no idea. Too tired to puzzle out the logic, Kerrick rolled onto his side and fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, Kerrick kept his vigil and stayed alert for potential problems while continuing to train Huxley. Each day he stayed busy to avoid sinking into dire speculation over why Avry hadn’t arrived yet.

By the eighth day, Kerrick had to admit something had gone wrong at the monastery. He’d promised to rescue Avry if she’d gotten caught. Now all he needed to figure out was how.

The main problem was his inability to leave the forest for long. But what if he took the forest with him? How? Would the vines stretch into the aqueducts? Probably, but not all the way into the city. What if he carried bushes with him? He’d need his hands. And Hux wouldn’t fit in the tunnel.

Remembering the wagon, Kerrick fetched it. He wove vines together and made small sheets. Then he dug up two bushes and, careful to pack the dirt around their roots, he wrapped the root ball in the sheet and tied it tight.

With the bushes in the wagon, Kerrick entered the aqueduct. He pulled the wagon behind him with one hand and held a torch with his other. Passing the end of the greenery, Kerrick felt the familiar pressure return. Damn. Kerrick used his magic to continue on. Soon after, he struggled to move forward until he reached the end of his invisible tether. The light from his torch illuminated numbers and letters that had been painted on the walls. An intersection was just a few feet away.

Bitterness pulsed as he debated his next move. If he depleted his strength now, he’d be useless. Kerrick needed a better idea. Retreating to the forest and Hux, he rested and mulled over the problem.

By the time he’d regained his energy, the sun had set. Not that it mattered in the dark tunnels, but he also hadn’t formulated a plan.