Page 117 of Song of the Dark Wood

Rowan’s eyes locked on his and narrowed. A crease formed between her brows as her eyes focused.

“Please, Rowan,” Conor insisted. “You are the best part of my week. I hate that I hurt you. I felt every second of it, and I wasn’t telling you that tonight to tease you. I was telling you that I understand—that I felt the same.”

Valen tried to draw her gaze from Conor, but her green eyes began to clear.

“That’s it, love. Just look at my eyes and see that it’s true,” Conor pleaded.

Rowan’s eyes squeezed shut, and she winced in pain.

“Love is what holds back the dark.” Her voice was a raspy whisper, but the relief nearly knocked Conor over.

“Fight, Rowan. Fight him.”

She focused on Conor as she opened her mouth and started to sing.

30

ROWAN

She didn’t fight with words. Instead, Rowan opened her mouth and sang, and the forest came furiously to life. She felt it stir the moment she’d walked into it half-conscious. The Dark Wood was happy to welcome her. It wanted to help. She felt the symphony of the foliage underneath the snow, its melody brushing her back. Its brambles and vines had snagged her ankles to try to slow her down—to try to help her fight the urge to rush into Valen’s waiting arms. It had been trying to warn her, to protect her, but she hadn’t been strong enough to resist.

She’d attempted to reach the dagger on her thigh because it hadn’t occurred to her that she could sing to the Dark Wood and the Dark Wood would rush to her aid. But the moment Conor had appeared with his words that sliced through Valen’s magic, Rowan knew that anything was possible.

She sang as loud as she could manage, and the Dark Wood stirred toward her, ready to assist.

None of them had time to react as branches shot forward from all sides. Valen was so startled that he let go of Rowan. She tumbled forward. Before Conor could catch her, the forest cut him off and formed a ferny pillow to break her fall. Fresh rootsand large green leaves wrapped around her like a protective bubble as she continued to sing.

It wasn’t like her usual magic. With other plants, her magic was a coaxing call and a tentative response, but calling the Dark Wood felt instinctual, like it knew what she needed before she ever reached out, and it was there waiting.

The whole forest groaned as roots and branches shot from all over, gruesomely impaling Valen. The vampire’s eyes went wide in shock as one sharp root penetrated his heart, and he burst into dust.

Rowan let out a startled, horrified breath and stopped singing.

“It’s fine. I’m fine,” she whispered. The forest seemed to sputter a relieved sigh in response.

Charlie pulled back the leaves around her, staring wide-eyed at Rowan. “What in the name of darkness just happened?”

Conor knelt beside her. She blinked up at him, her eyes narrowed.

“Thank you for waking me up, but I still don’t like you,” she murmured, her eyelids growing heavy and her head lolling against the leafy pillow.

Conor barked out a laugh. “Honestly, I’m not my biggest fan at the moment either, lass,” he whispered.

She shivered, and he removed his cloak, wrapping it around her. He scooped her into his arms.

“Where do you want to go? I’ll take you anywhere you like,” Conor whispered.

“Take me to the keep,” she said.

Charlie sidled up beside them and fell into step. “So when were you planning to tell us that you can weaponize the Dark Wood like that, lass?”

Rowan smiled. “I didn’t know that I could.”

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” he sighed.

Conor curled her protectively against his body, and she grumbled.

“What’s that?” Conor asked.

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