Page 20 of Whispers of the Dryad

Lorraine’s face fell, and she shook her head sadly.Her sadness was almost palpable, and that hit me like a ton of bricks.“Not yet,” she said.“But soon.”

She wanted to come back here, didn’t she?My heart sank.What if she wouldn’t want to stay, and I had to lose her after all?“Where have you been?”Cat asked.“I’ll tell you everything,” Lorraine said.“It’s a long story.”

Cat nodded.“A lot has happened since you left, too.”

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Lorraine said.I got up.“Where are you going?”Lorraine asked me.“I think I’m going to let the two of you talk,” I said.“I’ll be back for you in a couple of hours; is that enough?”

“It is,” Lorraine said and glanced at her sister.Something told me it would never be enough, but that was all I could give her before things started to go wrong, the bond and the magic reeling us back.I kissed Lorraine on the temple.“I’ll be back.”

When I walked out of the kitchen, I didn’t wait until I reached the front door before I stepped back into my own realm.It felt good to do something nice for Lorraine—she’d looked so happy to see her sister.I just hated the pain that had come with it.What if she didn’t want to come live with me and this really was the last bit of time I had with her?I’d been so happy when I’d found the story about Thalis and Nasia, but that had been their choice—both of theirs.What if I chose Lorraine… but she didn’t choose me?

ChapterNineteen

Lorraine

“Ican’t believe you’re here,” Cat said when Ash left us alone in the kitchen.“I didn’t know when I would see you again.After your phone got left behind and there was no way of reaching out…” She swallowed hard.“I thought the worst until… well, until that guy came and told me you were okay.”

“What?”I asked, surprised.“What guy?”

“Ash, the guy you came here with.He didn’t tell you?Yeah, he showed up out of nowhere one day and told me you were okay, you would be back eventually.It was beyond weird, but somehow I believed him.”

I blinked at her.Ash had brought me to see that my sister was safe, but he’d told me it was too dangerous to even talk to her.It had been enough to know that she was safe—I’d been worried to death.I hadn’t known that he’d come to tell her not to worry about me, too.I melted at the idea.“He cared so much, even before he realized he did.”

“Who is he?”

I sighed.“It’s a long story.One you might not believe.”

“Try me,” Cat challenged.I smiled at her.“Then again, you might believe every bit of it.”I started telling her what had happened after Oscar had sold me to his goons to pay off a gambling debt.I explained how I’d managed to escape and run through a forest that came out of nowhere.Cat frowned when I explained it.“There’s nothing like that around here.”

I nodded.“Yeah, it doesn’t exist.At least… not in this world.”

Cat narrowed her eyes.“What do you mean in this world?”

“It’s another realm.A… magical realm where gods and goddesses come to visit and dryads and druses live.”

Cat stared at me before her eyes widened.“Are you fucking with me?”

I burst out laughing at the way she put it.“Not at all.It’s real.Ash… he’s a drus, a tree spirit who watches over the forest.”

Somehow, in running away from those guys, I stumbled into another realm and Ash saved me.He reached out from his tree and?—”

“He what?”Cat asked.I explained to her what a drus was and how Ash lived in a tree.“I know how it all works,” Cat said, waving me off.“I learned all about it.Just… didn’t know it was real.I mean, I knew it was real.I just didn’t think in our day and age… wow.”

“You… don’t think I’m crazy?”I asked.“Not at all,” Cat said.“I told you magic was real!”

I laughed.“I never believed you, but I believe you now.You have no idea how crazy this whole thing is.Do you know Philotes?The goddess of?—”

“Friendship, yeah, I know,” Cat said.“Do you know her?”

“Yeah,” I said.“But she goes by the name Philippa because she doesn’t want people to get all worked up when they realize she’s a goddess.I met Artemis, too, but she’s a tough one to figure out.”

Cat stared at me.“Oh my God.You met the goddess of the hunt?”

I nodded.“Yeah, although I’m pretty sure she can do more than hunt, just looking at her and her hostile attitude.”

Cat shook her head.“I can’t believe this!Tell me more!”

“You won’t tell anyone?”

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