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

Chapter Nineteen

I was hungry, but I couldn't shake the weight of everything that had just happened. While everyone began to prepare to leave for the dining room, my mind was still stuck on what I'd just learned. "Am I still dead?" I blurted out, my voice quieter than I expected, but the question rang clear in the silence. I felt alive—I had a beating heart and a warm body—but the weight of Luis' revelation gnawed at me.

Luis knelt before me, his face serious, and carefully placed a hand on my knee. When I didn't push it away, he finally spoke, his voice low and gentle. "No. When we were dying, the same thing that happened in the dungeon happened that day. Roots shot out and anchored my soul into my body... and you took a sliver of my soul in exchange for yours."

The words hung heavy in the air, my mind spinning as I tried to grasp their meaning. "I took a piece of your soul?"

Luis nodded, his gaze steady on mine. "The roots buried us, and when I woke up, you were gone, but you'd left that part of your soul within me. I tried to find you, but spells blocked me. Your mother's protections, most likely."

I stared at him in disbelief. This new revelation seemed to twist everything I thought I knew about my past. "My mother's spells..." I murmured, trying to process it. "I hope they didn't hurt you."

Luis shrugged. "She could've done worse. Instead, I ended up in San Francisco. I was still a child, no memories of what happened. But I was lucky. There were a few Phoukas in the area that helped me."

I touched my chest, my mind swirling. Part of Luis' soul was inside me. It felt like too much to comprehend. I looked up at him, feeling a sudden sharp ache of sadness. "Why didn't you tell me this the moment you met me again, Luis? Why wait until now?"

He pushed off the floor and shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning against the wall. "Because I knew you'd make that face."

"What face?"

"The one where you look at me like I'm a monster."

I stifled a laugh, despite the tension. "Luis, I can pull souls from people like I'm a succubus, I talk to ghosts, and... well, other stuff." I winced as I realized I was outing all my undead skills. "I wouldn't have thought you were a monster. We could've worked through this together."

Luis gave a crooked smile, though there was pain behind it. "Or maybe you would've told me to never see you again. It's easier when my prey stays still."

The implication struck me hard, and I felt a flicker of guilt. Maybe I would've been scared back then. Fourteen-year-old me, still reeling from trauma, might have rejected him. "Tell me one thing, Luis."

"What?"

"Were you involved with the men who chased my mother and me into that alley?"

Luis's gaze locked onto mine, his voice steady. "No. I sensed you once you were in my territory."

I exhaled, relieved. Fae couldn't lie. That much I knew for sure.

"I'm angry," I admitted, my voice shaking. "You've known this all along and didn't tell me. But you're still my best friend, Luis, and that's the only reason I'm letting it go—for now."

He dropped to his knees and pulled me into his arms. For a moment, I stiffened, unsure how to react to the surge of warmth that passed between us. Then came that familiar feeling of affection, comforting like a blanket. But beneath it, something new stirred—possessiveness, longing. It was startling. I pulled away quickly, my heart racing.

Luis's gaze was intense. "You're more than a friend to me," he said, his voice rough. The possessiveness in his tone sent another wave of surprise through me. What was happening? Had he truly desired me all this time?