Page 134 of The Dryad Storm

Vogel nods, then shifts to one more glamour, viper-focused on Fallon, his stare like a hot brand against her ice power. He can sense the pleasureable rush of gooseflesh breaking out over her skin in response as he morphs into a deep-blue Asrai Fae with a confrontational expression.

Fallon grins wickedly, her eyes narrowing with a sly light. “And this must be the little Water Fae whore, Tierney Calix.”

Vogel gives her a venomous smile. “The Magedom’s Shadow Wand is close to holding enough power to portal through any shield.” His smile sharpens. “Once foliage season subsides and your winter descends, we’ll go after the Whore Witch. And I’ll draw her to us with bait she least expects.”

Chapter Five

Tree’khin

Elloren

Northern Dyoi Mountain Range

I emerge from a few hours of sleep, hazily aware of falling from dreams saturated in swirling color, my senses muzzily awakening. There’s a crisp chill to the air that’s new, but I’m not cold, my Wyvernbond a constant source of warmth... as is Yvan. We fell asleep near each other in an isolated section of the woods, the two of us maintaining a discreet distance. But at some point in the night, we must have reached for each other, because Yvan’s lean, muscular form is wrapped around mine, his body like afurnace, his heartbeat strong and steady.

A spark of love and desire for him kindles along my every line, more fully rousing me, and my eyes flutter open, dawn’s rays of sunlight sparkling against my vision as I take in the Forest canopy above.

A rush of euphoria sweeps through me, a tingle racing through the III mark on my palm, my magicsurging. There must have been a hard frost last night. Ice glitters at the edges ofeverything. And the cold... it’s flung the doorwide opento the Forest’s miracle of autumn foliage.

I gape at the dazzling show. The foliage of the East is like nothing I’ve experienced before. Every hue of the rainbow has exploded into being along the edges of the purple leaves in a kaleidoscope ofcolor.

“Yvan...” The whisper bursts from my lips, from the center of my very heart as the color connects with my lightlines, every emotion and line of magic amplified by it. I arch more intently against Yvan, everything I feel for him surfacing in a blood-warming rush.

“Elloren,” Yvan murmurs, firming his hold on me as he awakens.

His eyes open and meet mine, the whole world stilling on its axis for one power-surging moment. Violet fire ignites in Yvan’s gaze and through our bond, a shot of love searing through our linkage that’s so intense it obliterates all reserve.

We pull each other into a kiss that instantly deepens, our mutual hunger rising like wildfire, roaring through us. Yvan’s fingertips are live flames, his mouth urgent against mine, his seductive heat licking through my lines in a way that makes me want to strip off everything that separates us and merge with him fully.

And the Forest... it seems caught up with us, both the surrounding Dyoi and distant Zhilaan feeding heat into our bond,rootingus to each other.

“I love you, Elloren,” Yvan says as his hands trace heat over my body. “I love you, and Iwantyou...”

He sweeps me into another feverish kiss, our hands roving over each other with desperate abandon, my pulse racing hot against his. Drunk with light magic and his fire, molten lust kindles in my every nerve. I slide my hands down his hips and wrap one leg around him, urging him closer.

Yvan lets out a small groan, and the low timbre of it triggers a memory that sends conflict surging through my desire.

Lukas.On our Sealing night, and then, again, in the Forest and Agolith Desert.

Yvan pulls back a fraction, his breathing uneven as he gives me a probing look, a hectic red coloring his cheeks as my throat constricts and I’m suddenly swallowing an upswell of tears. I can’t think about Lukas. Ican’t. Because thisgrief... I’m no match for its undertow.

“Yvan,” I rasp out. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right, Elloren,” he says, reaching up to caress the side of my face, his voice firm. “I can read you. I understand. And I know what you feel for me.”

I nod once, tears escaping my eyes and trickling down my face. Yvan leans in to press his warm lips to my brow, and the cadence of my breath smooths out as his invisible fire embraces me.

He moves to pull me into a reassuring hug but abruptly stiffens and sits up, looking past me into the Forest. My pulse kicks up, and I give him a questioning look, sitting up, as well. He holds up a cautioning finger, an expression of concentration tightening his eyes, his nostrils flaring. “Bleddyn’s coming,” he says.

Anticipation lights. Bleddyn, as well as a number of our allies, were absorbed into the Forest last night. We’ve taken turns standing sentry to wait for their reemergence so we could all catch a few hours of vital sleep.

A rustling of brush sounds as Bleddyn emerges from the Forest’s breathtaking mosaic of color, my Errilor Ravens flying down from the Forest canopy to alight around us. My eyes widen, astonishment crackling through Yvan’s and my bonded fire as we take Bleddyn in.

Her tall, vividly green form is surrounded by a penumbra of verdant light. Her breath misting in the crisp air, she’s gripping a striated piece of malachite in her fist that’s the same emerald hue as her skin and hair.

“You joined with the Forest,” I marvel, sensing a similar line of kindred connection to the stone that connects me to my ravens.

“I just emerged,” Bleddyn informs us, a revelatory look in her wide eyes. “I had to find you both. The Forest... it gave me back mygeomancy power.”

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