Page 31 of Howling Eve

The dryad gave her a hesitant look. “If you want out… I can help.”

MaryAnne frowned, her hand fisting the material around her tighter. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged, a sympathetic smile tipping his lips. “I understand that mating is different among humans than it is among fae. And sometimes what seems to be a very simple matter for us doesn’t take some things into consideration that are important for humans. You will not find your human love with a troll who knows not but what Ha’shena demands of him. They are not the easiest species to live with and be bound to, especially for such a delicate and—if you will forgive me—breakable female. I know he came for you because of Ha’shena, but that doesn’t obligate you to stay if you wish to leave.” He shuffled a little closer so that she saw more of his broad torso through the flap. “I can help you.”

Everything within her rebelled, screaming in alarm at the thought of being separated from Raskyuil. She needed him. Not only to help her find the children but in a way she didn’t understand. Was it this Ha’shena? But it wasn’t supposed to affect her… was it?

She squinted at him. “Why would you do that?”

“No one understands being caught in an unfortunate mating like a dryad,” he murmured. “I’ve spent much of my life since reaching maturity evading the groves and forests haunted by dryads. Males are infrequent, and entire groves of sisters will take a male as theirs and bind him to them.”

“Why not make a grove of your own then? And what does this have to do with me?”

The corner of his mouth curled. “Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Males don’t bond to the trees like females do. We cannot find a grove to settle in and connect with its life-giving energies without the females to anchor us to it. We are forced to sacrifice our freedom to live. Since I refuse to do that, I’m sacrificing my life bit by bit the longer I wander. It ebbs from me like water slowly draining through a sieve. It is better than living on and slowly dying in every other way that matters. I don’t wish to see that happen to you or anyone else, though. So I would help you.” He cocked his head. “Should you request it.”

Licking her lips, MaryAnne shook her head. “I think I would prefer to stay.”

He tipped his head in acknowledgment. “The offer remains open should you change your mind. Just ask for Nathiel should you need anything.”

“Need what?”

Raskyuil’s growl sounded far away but carried a wealth of threat in those two words. She obviously wasn’t the only one who noticed either by the way that the dryad stiffened and jerked away, his green hair fluttering around his shoulders as he withdrew from the tent entrance and disappeared.

“I was simply offering to get her some food if she was hungry,” he replied cheerfully. “I hate to see a hungry female, but it seems that you’ve come prepared.”

“As I said I would,” Raskyuil replied, his voice drawing nearer. “Leave, Nathiel. I appreciate you standing guard, but your presence is no longer required. I will feed and care for my mate. No one else.”

“Of course, Raskyuil. I’m always happy to help,” the dryad murmured as he slinked past the entrance, his green eyes flicking to MaryAnne briefly before any view of him was blocked by Raskyuil’s large body filling the opening.

His brow furrowed as he stared after him but when he turned toward her his expression softened with genuine pleasure that made her flush. Holding a large, cloth-wrapped bundle, he ducked inside.

“MaryAnne, you’re awake,” he rumbled happily. He glanced down at the platter with an uncertain expression and briefly fidgeted before bringing the bundle over and setting it down on the small table beside her. “I didn’t know what you would like so I brought a selection of foods for us to share.”

She smiled and untied the knot of the large bundle of fabric as he lowered his large frame to the floor, bringing them roughly to the same height. Her stomach rumbled eagerly as she noted the pile of sliced meat nestled next to the fresh bread and hunks of cheese. There was easily enough food there to feed three people—or one human and one large troll.

“It is not much, but some of the things that the goblins were cooking did not look appetizing—or edible,” he amended as his nose wrinkled with disgust. “The second meal is always a disaster, and unfortunately some of the aelves and nymphs who prepare breakfast as they greet the sun don’t realize that the rest of us require more to subsist on than dew and toasted bread with honey, so it makes a lengthy wait if you don’t have the opportunity to eat your fill. A crew of orcs take over the last meal, which is far more palatable, I assure you, but until then I hope this will suffice.”

“Thank you, this is actually great,” she assured him as she tore open a hunk of bread and proceeded to stuff it with meat and cheese, hissing an expletive when the hot meat singed her fingertips. She took a bite and moaned.

“So good,” she mumbled around the bite of food, at which he grinned and picked up a larger chunk of bread to follow suit. She watched him as she chewed, waiting until she got that first satisfying mouthful into her belly before speaking again. “So what’s next? Nathiel told me that you were keeping busy.”

Raskyuil’s face darkened at the reminder of the dryad, but it passed quickly and the smile that brightened his rough features was encouraging.

“As I expected, Elwyn wasn’t thrilled that I left to go and get you, but he understood in the end. Don’t let aelves fool you—they are remarkably adaptive when they want to be.”

She gave him a curious look. “Do you mean elves? It sounds like that’s what you’re saying, but your pronunciation is a little different.”

He nodded. “I forget at times that humans say it differently now, but yes. They put a lot of emphasis on ceremony and hierarchy and ‘the proper way to do things,’ but they will forget that quickly when it benefits them. In this case, he quickly saw the value of having you here and already had a position in mind for you to try… an assistant.”

She lowered her sandwich and sighed. “What about the children?”

He shook his head. “I tried to sniff them out and took the long way back, circling through the carnival every time that I returned to our tent, but I didn’t find any sign of them. We will continue to look, I swear. This job that you have is only for a short amount of time each day when the carnival is open in the evening.” He gave her a considering look. “And you may even hear something working the drya that I haven’t been able to uncover.”

MaryAnne gave him a wary look. “And what exactly is a drya?”

A pained look crossed his face. “An arachnid fae. They can look as enchanting as an elf or fairy when their claws are hidden away, but they have three more sets of giant arachnid legs that unfurl from their backs. They can be deadly, but you have little to fear as you are not male and Nivira has strict instructions not to harm you.”

“Interesting. When am I to meet her?” she asked, taking another bite of her impromptu sandwich.

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