The Story of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book One

Chapter Sixteen

The weight of the air felt like it was pressing in on me, my chest tight, and my legs weak. 

I would have liked to have said it was because I learned that I was tied to Erick like one of those tropes where you're handcuffed to your enemy.

But no, believe it or not, this was worse than that.

I clutched my stomach, trying to hold myself together, but the dizziness was overwhelming. Luke gathered me into his arms, holding me with surprising gentleness. His warmth helped steady my nerves, but it wasn't enough to quiet the storm brewing inside me.

Luis's angry voice cut through the haze. "She's sick," he growled, stepping toward Luke. "You did this. Hand her over; I'll take care of her."

Luke's hold on me tightened, though his voice remained calm. "She collapsed after the bond. I didn't hurt her, Luis. If anything, we were all caught in it—whatever this is." He looked down at me with guarded concern in his eyes. "I'm not sure what's happening to her, but fighting isn't going to help."

Luis clenched his fists, but he backed off. His protective instincts were still sharp, but even he must have sensed that this situation was beyond what any of us could understand. I didn't need him starting a fight.

"I'm fine," I managed to whisper, my voice trembling, though I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince—Luis, Luke, or myself. "Just... give me a second."

The dizziness was subsiding, but my legs still felt like jelly. I wasn't ready to stand on my own just yet. The flickering torchlight in the dungeon cast strange, shifting shadows on the walls, making everything seem more surreal than it already was.

Erick stepped forward, his face pale, his voice hesitant. "Shouldn't we be focusing on what happened in that room? The ice, the roots—what does it mean?"

"Later," Luke said tersely. "But right now, Madeline needs to recover."

Luis let out a frustrated breath but didn't argue. Instead, he reached out, his hand hovering protectively near me as Luke carried me toward the exit. Behind us, Dominic, Erick, and the others trailed in silence, their faces reflecting the same mix of confusion and unease that I felt.

As we emerged from the dungeon into the dimly lit hallway, I could feel the cold weight of the bond between us—like a tether pulling at the very core of me. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't comfortable either. It was as if all of their emotions—Luis's anger, Erick's shame, Luke's guarded concern—were threading through me, blending into my own.

"Matt," Luis said quietly, walking beside me now, "this bond... do you feel it too?"

I swallowed hard, nodding. "Yeah. I can feel... everything. It's overwhelming." I paused, trying to steady my voice. "It's like we're all tangled up in each other, and I don't know how to fix it."

Luke glanced at me, his brow furrowed. "We'll find a way to manage it, My Lady. But for now, we need to focus on stabilizing you." His words were calm, but I could feel the current of unease running beneath them.

When we reached Luke's study, he gently lowered me into a chair, and I leaned forward, pressing my hands to my temples, trying to block out the steady hum of emotions that weren't mine.

Luis crouched beside me, his hand resting on my knee. "I'm here, Matt. We'll figure this out."

I managed a weak smile, but inside, I felt like I was unraveling. How could we figure this out when none of us even knew what we were dealing with? This bond, this sudden connection, had turned everything upside down.