Page 98 of Final Shift
Ash put his hand on my back and bent beside me. “Have faith. You’ve done amazing things, Evie. Consider this one more thing to add to the list.”
I smiled up at him. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Ash’s eyes grew suspiciously moist. “I’m glad for many things, and you are at the top of the list.”
I reached back with a dirty hand and squeezed his fingers. Ash went to his knees and started digging out a small hole.
I gently placed the seedling inside.
“Start with the roots,” Ash encouraged. “They’re the most important part.”
I held out my hand. “Want to do it together?”
Ash smiled. “Truly?”
I nodded. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
We closed our eyes, and together we worked as one, deep into the night. When the work was finally done, we marveled at our handiwork.
A tree double the size of a redwood loomed above us, sparkling with emerald and watermelon tourmaline colored magic. Ash and I hadn’t created a specific kind of tree. We formed it to suit our wishes and our purpose, Ash’s magic adding a touch of dryad power to keep the hybrid healthy and hale. As an added touch, Ash could now transport to the tree any time he wished because a piece of his magic lived inside.
Branches swept down from the trunk, some lying heavy on the ground. The leaves were soft and a bit fuzzy, pink and white blooms on the tips of the branches.
“Whoa,” Ethan breathed.
Tonight had been a lot of firsts for the poor Shifter Lord, and one of the few times he’d seen my magic doing something other than slamming him around or antagonizing them.
“This is amazing,” Moira breathed. She ran her fingers over the trunk, magic swirling over her fingertips.
“What’s it for?” Ethan said.
“I’m not sure it works yet,” I said, squinting up at the sky. “But if it does, you’ll know.”
“When will you know?” he asked.
“Tomorrow morning.” I could feel Danu’s lurking presence. She was waiting to catch me off guard, but it wouldn’t quite work out that way.
Tomorrow, I’d deliver myself to her like a Christmas gift.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Iawoke to a ruckus. Grunting, I groped for the pillow and shoved it over my head, hoping to drown out the noise.
I scooted closer to Rowan, only to find his side of the bed cold. Normally, I’d feel him getting out of bed, but I’d used a ton of power yesterday and must have slept like the dead.
The bedroom door opened. “Go away,” I muttered.
Rowan’s soft chuckle sounded by the door. “You have guests. Want to greet them?”
“Not even a little bit.” I needed to eat, shower, and go kick some Danu ass. Definitely in that order.
“Well, they aren’t going anywhere, so why don’t you shower first, and I’ll throw on a pancake for you.”
I yawned. “I want a lot.”
