Understanding dawned. If Ryne’s soldiers wore those seeds, would they be protected?

Yes.

Will you—

Yours.

But nothing happened. What’s wrong?

Others. Another image rose in my mind. A squad of a dozen soldiers wearing Tohon’s uniforms crept up on Odd and Hogan.

Alarmed, I fought to be released. I need to warn them!

Too late.

Odd spun, pulling his sword. Hogan leaped to his feet and yanked his weapon—a long thin blade. Both had daggers in their other hands. Outnumbered six to one, the fight lasted mere moments. Disarmed and forced to their knees, Odd and Hogan surrendered to the squad’s leader.

Their situation was all my fault. Guilt and fear pumped in my heart.

The leader—an older man with wide shoulders and a powerful build, pointed to my pack on the ground and asked Odd, “Where is your other member?”

Odd glanced at the Death Lily. “Eaten. Damn fool got too close.”

“What are you doing out here?” the leader asked.

Odd refused to answer.

More. The Lily showed me a large number of other squads moving east through the forest.

Not good. Did Ryne know they were here? Why were they so far from their main forces in Vyg? What was Cellina planning? The answer clicked. She dangled Zabin’s strategic military position to lure Ryne south. Meanwhile she sent her forces north in the hope of sneaking up behind him.

The leader motioned to his men. They manacled Odd’s and Hogan’s hands behind their backs and pulled them to their feet.

“Bring them to camp. If they don’t talk, we’ll feed them to the ufas,” the leader said.

Bad. Very bad. I had to rescue them. Right now.

Kerrick

KERRICK

At first, Kerrick fought to remain inside his body and not spread throughout the forest. He concentrated on the vines growing on him. On the moist earth cushioning his body. On the dirt wedged under his fingernails.

Then he struggled to hear the wind shake the tree’s limbs. The call of the birds. The rasp of air filling his lungs.

He inhaled the scent of wood smoke. The mist of pine. The faint aroma of vanilla.

Jolted by that smell, he clung to it. Memories flowed. Promises remembered. He pulled the scent toward his core, anchoring his consciousness to his body. Now he perceived touch, sounds, and smells all at the same time. Progress.

Other sensations intruded. Hunger. Thirst. Cold. Aches.

He awoke. Heart-shaped leaves obscured part of his vision. Sunlight flashed between them as they danced in the breeze. Kerrick tried to brush them away, but he couldn’t move. After a bit of wiggling, he discovered the vines not only blanketed him but held him tight.