The Gable Forest

Claire tugged Talon along by the hand, savoring the feel of his skin against her palm. The forest felt like home in a way she'd never imagined. They'd set out earlier that morning in search of the king tree, relying on the magic of the forest to guide them. It was a bit like wandering around blindfolded while someone pulled her along on a leash.

"Are you...okay?" she asked, stealing glances back at him.

"Fine," he bit out. Today, he was dressed in a dark green sleeveless tunic and black pants. There were weapons strapped across his chest and a sword lashed to his back, the pommel visible just behind his head. The sight of his heavily corded arms was distracting.

She exhaled. "I guess that was a stupid question. I just mean, how are you holding up in light of everything?" The news of losing his kingdom had hit him hard, even though he tried to hide it. Just that morning, he'd nearly exploded when Taylynn suggested she venture into the forest alone.

"Like I said, I'm fine. There's nothing I can do about it at the moment. So let's just focus on the matter at hand."

"Do you blame me?" she couldn't help but ask.

"What?" He forced her to stop, spinning her around to face him.

"Do you blame me?" she repeated. "This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't...if you hadn't had to come get me." Her stomach had been squirming with guilt ever since Taylynn and the others had delivered the news.

"Stop." His eyes flashed with anger, and for the first time since meeting him all those days ago, the anger was directed at her. She took a step back, but he didn't release her hand. He quickly schooled his expression. "I don't blame you, Claire," he said, his voice softer this time. "It angers me that you would think it of me, that you would even ask it of me."

Her shoulders dropped. "I'm sorry—I just...it's hard not to think I'm at fault—"

"Gods above!" he swore. "This is no time to point fingers or place blame. Our kingdom has been stolen. If any blame is to be placed, it is with me, for letting matters come to this long before you were ever a part of my life. Or with Kane, who is the one usurping the throne."

"Okay. I...I just wanted to check." Her voice came out small.

He studied her, then let out a breath. More calmly this time, he said, "If I am quiet and moody, it is because I am focused on ways to reclaim the kingdom. Certainly not because I am upset with you in any way."

"But it's my fault we're here. It's my fault—"

"Stop!" he snarled. She caught a flash of black racing along his skin. Dragon scales. Her breath caught as he jerked her towards him. Before she could blink, he wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, his fingers twisting in her hair, and stole a furious kiss, releasing her almost as quickly. She didn't even have time to kiss him back. She stumbled a step at the abruptness of it.

"We are here to undo what Kane has done, and we won't leave until we do. None of it is your fault. I'm not angry with you, beyond the anger I feel at you suggesting that I might hold you responsible for any of this." He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders and wiping his face clean of emotion. "Now, let's continue, yes?"

She swallowed, then nodded.

Several hours passed in tense silence. She thought over everything he said and began to relax. He didn't blame her, so she needed to let go of whatever guilt she felt. The most productive thing she could do was focus on fixing herself, freeing her mind from Kane's clutches.

Her belly swooped.

The sense of something imminent welled up inside her. She didn't know how to explain it, but they were getting close. Her left hand clenched tightly around the spriten staff. It urged her on.

Closer...

Closer...

Closer...

There! The trees around them opened, until she stood gaping at the largest tree she'd ever seen. Talon's hand squeezed hers. When she stole a glance at him, it was to find him staring wide-eyed at the sight before them. That was better—much better—than the anger she'd seen earlier.

"Unbelievable..." he muttered.

The breath she'd been holding whooshed from her chest.

The king tree was nestled in a glade, a small pool at its base, with water that trickled away from it, into the forest beyond. Its thick limbs were laden with golden fruit that reminded her of mangos. She could smell the sweet scent of them in the air, making her salivate. She dropped Talon's hand. Her fingers twitched, tempted to reach for one of the fruits. The staff burned hot in her hand, nearly scalding her, as if to say, don't you dare!

She blinked. "What now?"

"Well, perhaps you ought to touch it?" Talon suggested, sounding almost bemused. She threw him a look, only to find him staring intently at the tree.

"All right. Let me see." She moved forward. The staff seemed to like the idea. It pulsed between warm and cold in her hand, as if agreeing. She rounded the small pool, hopping over the babbling brook and the many roots that surrounded it, and stopped at the base of the tree. Its bark was cool to the touch.

"At last."

She gasped, jerking away before replacing her hand. The voice in her mind was ancient and powerful. "Are you the king tree?" she asked aloud.

"Indeed. And you are the queen—returned to us at last."

"I...but I don't have any recollection of being the queen," she protested. "Something happened and I can't remember anything."

"Yes. Your mind is tightly bound."

If she weren't so relieved, she might have been shocked by the fact that a tree was talking to her in her head. But she was so desperate to undo whatever was wrong with her, that she didn't question it. If this tree could fix her, who was she to judge.

"Can you help me?" she asked it. "The others seemed to think you could fix this?" Hope welled in her chest as the silence stretched on. She knew very little about this sentient being, only that it was powerful. The sprites revered it, as if it were a god. Surely, if anything or anyone could fix her, it was this magical being.

"I cannot undo what the sorcerer has done," it said, and just like that, her stomach swooped and her hopes fell. "Only you can do that."

"Me?!" She balked, trying to hide her irritation. "But I've tried. I—"

"You must look inside yourself and confront the magic head on," the tree explained, cutting her off.

"How do I do that?" she begged.

A long silence, then, "There is a woman in Ashvale. Find her."

"Who?"

A single name was whispered on the breeze, over and over. Lixiss. Lixiss. Lixiss.

"What do I do when I find her?" she cried, desperate. She could feel the tree's awareness pulling away.

She will know, the breeze seemed to say, but no more words came. She wanted to beat her fists upon the tree's trunk in frustration. She didn't know where Ashvale was. Didn't know how to get there, or who this Lixiss person was.

"Well?" Talon appeared beside her, running his palm down her back. The feel of him immediately calmed her.

She took a deep breath, preparing to give him the bad news. She held it in to the count of three, then exhaled. "The tree can't help me." Talon's expression didn't change, but something unreadable flashed in his gaze. "You wouldn't happen to know where Ashvale is, would you?"

His brows lifted, a hint of confusion there. "It's here, in the forest."

"Is it?"

"Yes, why?"

"The tree told me I need to go there, to find someone named Lixiss. I think she might be able to help me."

The light in Talon's eyes brightened. "Then that's exactly where we'll go."

***

Hours passed. The only thing that signified their progress through the forest were their footsteps. The path, the foliage, and even the trees looked unchanged. "I can see why people go mad in here."

Talon merely grunted in answer. He hadn't been much of a conversationalist.

It was nearly dark, and they'd need to stop for the night soon. Her legs should have ached, but she wasn't human. Still, she was tired.

"I don't even know if I'm going in the right direction," she added.

"The forest will guide you," Talon said, then huffed. "Now I sound like Princess Taylynn. Gods above."

She pressed her lips together to keep from smiling at his obvious irritation.

They hadn't had much alone time since departing for Dragonwall. The occasional walk here and there, a few stolen kisses. That was before the bad news. Before everything had gone to shit. Now, she wasn't sure how to act around him, given his brooding, it was like walking on eggshells. Besides his abrupt kiss earlier, they'd hardly touched, save for their linked hands.

Taylynn had warned them that quests like this could take days, even weeks. Normally, when a sprite embarked upon a quest, they brought nothing with them, but the princess had advised Talon to prepare for an extended journey. He shouldered a pack filed with travel rations.

"We should stop for the night," he said, as if reading her mind.

"Where? There's nowhere to rest." The narrow path was bordered by dense foliage.

"Let's keep an eye out," he said.

They continued, but not for long. A small glade appeared, as if the forest knew exactly what they needed. It was almost creepy.

"This will do," Talon decided, dropping his pack. There were fluffy beds of moss, downed logs for sitting, and plenty of overgrowth for privacy. She took a few minutes for herself before returning.

Talon made himself comfortable, sorting through their belongings. She joined him, sitting cross-legged. She watched him as they ate in silence.

"You're staring," he said, catching her eye.

"I like looking at you," she admitted. Something hot flashed in his gaze. His scars were brutal, but they were also unique, and she often found herself tracing the paths of them. Memorizing them.

His throat bobbed. "Why? And if you say it's because I'm handsome I'll laugh. We both know my face is scared beyond repair."

She lifted a shoulder. "I still think you're handsome, despite the scars."

He scoffed, but there wasn't any anger in the sound. "Always so stubborn."

She grinned, finishing the remains of her ration before getting to her feet. She headed towards the babbling brook several paces away. Talon followed. The water was crisp and cool, deeply quenching her thirst.

She stood, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.

"I like to look at you because I want to memorize your face," she said at last, not turning towards him. "There's a gap in my mind where nearly a year should live, a year filled with memories, many of you and I. Now I'm just trying to fill that gap with your face. I want to look my fill, and yet, no matter how much I look at you, it will never be enough."

"Enough for what?"

"Enough to want to stop looking."

She heard his rough exhale. It took everything in her not to turn around and gauge his reaction. Mostly because then he'd see hers, and how nervous she was to admit something like this. She hardly knew him and yet, it felt as though he held part of her soul.

Darkness had crept in and the forest was alive with glowing insects. Most were yellow, but she caught flashes of blue and green, a few pinks, and even a deep purple as it disappeared into the foliage. They reminded her of fireflies

"When I was a kid," she said, "I used to catch fireflies in a jar, to put on my bedside table." She walked towards a cluster of flashing pink insects near the edge of the glade. She reached out to catch one on her palm. It had delicate wings and looked like moth, though its furry body glowed in the darkness. It tickled her palm, walking across her skin before taking flight.

She giggled.

A rough growl came from just behind her. "I love that sound."

"What sound?" she breathed. A sense of anticipation stole over her.

"The sound of your laughter." Hands grasped her waist, turning her to face him.

Their eyes caught as he backed her up several paces, until she came to rest against the trunk of a tall tree. Her breath caught.

Talon's hands on her waist were heavy and warm against the thin fabric of her shirt. She gazed up at him, her lips parted. "Do you want to know why I enjoy looking at you?" he asked.

She blinked. "Oh. Uhm. Yes."

"Because when I look at you I see a future I never thought I would have. Endless possibilities for happiness and joy. But mostly, I see hope."

"Talon..." she breathed.

She didn't know who kissed who first, only that suddenly their lips were melded and she was devouring the taste of him. His tongue was possessive, exploring her mouth, sending sparks shooting down her spine. Was it any wonder she'd fallen in love with this male once already? Certainly not, because she was falling in love with him now, again.

He nipped at her bottom lip, sending hot lashes of desire straight to her core. A groan lifted from her throat. Her hands found his hair, fingers knotting in the tufts. He hoisted her up and her legs wrapped around his hips. His lips traced a hot trail from her jaw down her throat, nipping and sucking.

"Talon," she whispered.

When he pressed against her, he was hard in all the right places, making her cry out in delight. His hips ground against hers, turning her into a desperate, thoughtless creature. It didn't matter that she couldn't remember everything about the two of them. Didn't matter that all she had were stolen flashes, scattered around the confines of her mind. She wanted him, and if she let this go on, he'd claim her completely.

Was she ready for that?

A sudden thought came to mind and she gasped. "Talon—Talon stop."

"What is it?" He immediately stopped and found her gaze.

"When we were married, mated, whatever, did we...did we use protection?" His brows knitted together at her question. "Like, a condom or something?" she clarified. "Something to prevent pregnancy?"

He frowned. "Of course not."

Her lips parted. "Oh. Oh, no..."

"What is it?" He kept her pressed to the tree, using his body to pin her in place. He lifted a hand, stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers. It had only been a couple of weeks, so she didn't think she was late with her period. It was still too early to tell. However...

"If we do this right now, there's a chance I could get pregnant." Assuming she wasn't already.

Fire flared in his eyes and a low, possessive growl rumbled his chest. He clearly didn't appear the least bit worried. In fact, he looked downright eager as he stole her lips again and kissed her roughly.

"Talon—wait!" She pushed his face away.

"I fail to see what the problem is?" he huffed. "You are my wife, my queen, and I would love nothing more than to put an heir in your belly. In fact, we out to try over and over until it takes, and even after, just to be sure."

It sounded primitive and possessive, and yet, her core clenched with desire. "You want children with me."

"Child. Singular. And gods, yes."

"What do you mean, singular?"

Did he only want one? She'd never really given it much thought but, she liked the idea of at least two, so they'd be siblings. She had been an only child and had wished for someone to grow up alongside her.

"The drengr only ever have one child. It's been that way since the dawn of our race. A curse from Isabella."

"What?!" she gasped, shock and confusion rocking through her.

"No one really understands it," he was saying, running his hands over her body like he didn't want to lose the heat of the moment. He cupped her left breast, feeling the weight of it. She stifled a groan. "It's just the way things have always been. It's why it can take decades, even centuries for a pair to conceive. My parents tried for nearly three hundred years before having me."

"What?!" she gasped again.

His lips found her neck, burning a trail down to her collarbone. He was clearly a lot less interested in this conversation than she was.

"Talon—" She caught his face, bringing it level with hers. "Hasn't someone tried to do something about it? To undo the curse?"

"No. How could they? It probably can't be undone, anyway."

She opened her mouth, then closed it. She refused to believe that. But, there was no use fretting over it now. He clearly had no interest in the direction the conversation had taken. Besides, she had more pressing things to worry about than breaking curses, like the persistent male who continued to stare at her like he was starved for her.

"I want to wait," she decided at last. She'd already lost the heat of the moment, anyway.

He froze, then continued to nip at the lobe of her ear. "All right," he said at last, but didn't stop.

"Talon," she laughed, then repeated his name for good measure. She liked saying his name, truth be told. Liked the sound of it on her tongue. The way it rolled off so easily. "If you keep doing that, my self control is going to snap."

"Perfect, because that's the point," he drawled.

"No. Come on. Let's get some sleep." She pushed him away, her body screaming with anger at the loss of contact. As much as she wanted to rush into sex with him, something told her she'd be glad she waited, just a little longer, because making love to him with her memories in tact would feel far more victorious.

"I'll let you cuddle with me while we sleep," she taunted, "if you promise to behave."

"All right," he rasped.

They found a soft place in the moss to curl up together. His arms felt so right as they wrapped around her, pulling her against him as the little spoon. She sighed contentedly, then thought over their discussion. As she drifted off to sleep, she couldn't help but wonder if, despite the difficulty getting pregnant for mated pairs, if she might already be carrying their child, and in truth, she really didn't know how to feel about that.

💕❤️💕Don't forget to vote for this chapter!❤️💕❤️

Hello Bookdragons!

Okay, so, don't freak out yet. We really have no proof that Claire is pregnant. I can neither confirm nor deny. But it could be possible. 

Sigh...I had so much fun writing them together in this chapter. I also really liked that Claire didn't just easily get her memories and magic back from the king tree. It would have been too easy. 

Next week's chapter is also from Claire's POV. See you then!

--Mel