Amara followed, swatting down any vines that got in her way. She had the sinking feeling that somehow Terri had gotten hold of him. There was a blank look on his face, one that petrified her. Parker never looked blank. Everything he felt was written on his features for the whole world to see, whether he meant them to or not. Even when his beast was in control, Parker’s eyes told anyone who looked how close to death they were. This sensation that he wasn’t in the driver’s seat horrified her. If he wasn’t in control of his body, he could do anything. Even kill. So Amara followed, not getting too close, and left the waning battle to her comrades. She told the trees to keep Ash and Greer aware of where she was headed.
Unless she missed her guess, she’d see Mina and Terri soon, and Ash and Greer would not be far behind.
Parker left the clearing, moving forward, but without that innate, catlike grace she’d come to associate with him. He didn’t even react when branches smacked him across the face, leaving behind numerous cuts and welts. He just kept moving onward.
Whatever Terri had done to him, Amara would see it reversed. She wanted her lover back.
She stayed out of his line of sight in case he had orders to attack anyone he saw. She didn’t want to fight him. She was scared stiff she’d injure him if it came to blows.
The wind changed, and suddenly she was no longer downwind of him. Parker stopped, swiveling his head to the right. He sniffed and shuddered, his body swaying back and forth.
That’s it. It’s me! C’mon, Parker, fight it!
The wind died down. Parker stopped shuddering. He resumed his path, his mind and beast once more asleep, once more moving at another’s command.
Damn it. Maybe if she got to where he could scent her, he’d be able to break free of the spell woven around him. This was magic at its blackest, taking the will of another and bending it to suit the purposes of the caster. If the white witches caught Terri, they’d bind her from doing harm ever again.
The black ones would try to compare notes.
Parker walked through a shimmering veil, and Amara almost gasped out loud. Abruptly it all made sense. The trap had been set to keep the other dryads from finding out where Mina was being held, where Terri was planning to make her final stand.
They were in the heart of the forest.
They were at the Throne of Oak.
Chapter Twelve
Amara followed Parker through the magical veil that usually guarded the grove. Terri would be aware of her presence, but there was no help for it. Amara wouldn’t be able to sense anything behind that veil without help. Greer and Ash would come as quickly as they could; here in the Throne they’d have far more power than Amara could begin to imagine.
Until they arrived, Amara and Parker were on their own.
“Parker,” a bubbling voice tried to croon. Amara grimaced. That…shambling, scabrous thing couldn’t be Terri, could it? It looked female, but all Amara could feel was rot.
Parker blinked. “Hello, sweet.”
Amara gritted her teeth. How dare he call that bitch sweet?
“Where’s Mina?”
Terri paused. “Mina?”
“Oak, Terri. Where’s Oak?”
Terri shrugged. “Her? Where she belongs, of course. In her tree.”
Amara darted a glance at the huge oak that dominated the grove and gasped. Mina hung spread-eagle from the branches of her oak. Her head was down, her limbs trembling with effort. Her feet brushed the top of the carved-stone throne that sat high on its roots. Lesser thrones sat before the Oaken Throne, one each for Greer, Ash and Iva.
Something writhed against Mina’s skin, and she wheezed. Amara bit back a horrified gasp when that something burrowed under Mina’s skin, twisting inside her like a giant parasite. The pain had to be excruciating. Blood trickled down her skin where the vines and thorns kept her pinned to her tree like a bug.
Mina’s gaze was dull and bloodshot. Crimson dotted her lips. She coughed once and winced. “’Bout time you got here, Amara.” Her voice was husky with fatigue and pain.
“We were delayed.” Amara stepped forward, knowing Terri would get a good, long look at her. “Hey, bitch. Did you know that’s my man you’re messing with?”
“He’s mine!” Terri shrieked. Weeds sprung up around Amara, trying to block her in. “I will kill you.”
“And my dog too?” Amara pushed at the weeds, startled at their strength. Fuck. Had Terri managed to gain control here? If she had, their chances of survival had dropped to nil.
Parker snorted. Apparently he was no longer under the witch’s control. “Really, Terri. Bad form. Let the women go, and we’ll have a nice chat, hmm?”
“Come here, Parker.” Terri wiggled her fingers in a come-hither gesture that was beyond obscene. Her stench invaded the grove, a poisonous perfume that dulled the senses.
“I don’t think so.” Parker took a step back, toward Amara.
Mina’s back arched. Her head flew back. She screamed, the sound full of petrified agony.
“I don’t think you understand. Come here, Parker.” Terri pointed toward the ground in front of her as Mina screamed and screamed. “Take your time. I can wait.”
A low growl came from him, but he put one foot in front of the other and stopped where Terri had pointed. Mina’s screaming dissolved into sobs.
Whatever Terri had done to Oak was bad, possibly fatal. Mina’s skin had taken on an ashen tone, and she shuddered with each labored breath she took. Amara hoped the witchdoctor would be able to fix Mina, or all hell would break loose. When Dragos saw Mina’s wounds, he would go ape-shit.
“Do you want them to suffer even more?” A parody of a smile crossed Terri’s lips and Mina groaned. “Feed from me, Parker. Feed from me, and the others may go free.”
“Even Amara?”
She drew in a sharp breath. He couldn’t possibly be thinking about drinking the swill running through Terri’s veins.
If he did, there wasn’t enough mouthwash in the world to get that taste out of his mouth.
“Even Amara. She won’t matter to you once the spell is complete. Our suffering will be over, Parker. We will be together forever.”
Parker leaned back and took a deep breath. “And Mina will be set down, unharmed?”
“I can’t promise she won’t be damaged. My friends can be enthusiastic when I give them a task.”
Amara shuddered, remembering the wicked weed that had tried to tunnel inside Parker. Amara rooted her feet into the earth, drew back her hand and slammed it into the weed with all her strength.
The weed bent.
Parker leaned back and took another breath so he could speak again. He was trying not to breathe in Terri’s overwhelming stench. “And what task did you give them?”
She drew back her hand and hit the weed.
There was the faintest cracking sound.
“I needed the forest pliant. This was the fastest way.” Terri ran her hands down Parker’s chest, and he trembled. “I have to admit, I’m enjoying the taste of power. It’s so deep and rich and dark. The things I could do with it are endless.”
Shit. Terri had tapped into Oak’s control over the forest. Amara drew her hand back a third time and gave the weed one more whack.
It broke. Amara was free.
“I don’t think so.”
Another weed sprang up where the broken one lay, covering it, making the base stronger than the first had been. She watched the new weed sink into the old, sucking it dry of what life was left in a matter of seconds.