The Open Sky: Eternal Forest Saga - Book 3

Chapter 21

 The night was bitterly cold, colder than any other recently. Zehlyr was convinced the last of the summer's warmth was truly behind them now. The morning sun would have its work cut out for it to drive away the icy chill in the air. Still, he was prepared. His campfire glowed brightly in the otherwise empty darkness. Beyond the reach of the flame's light lay an endless stretch of inky black. His bedding was thick and multi-layered. Even with so much preparation for the change of season, he would normally still spend such a night shivering. But now he had Azalea beside him to warm both his body and his heart.

His dryad companion, now a mortal woman again, snuggled next to him under the thick blankets. Her arm draped over his torso and her head lay on his chest. With each inhale, Zehlyr was enchanted by the scent of her. It was so similar to the smell of the azalea bush. He often slept beneath the bush each night, letting that scent lull him to sleep. But now she was here, pressed against him. His arm rose and fell on her back with each breath she took. It had been hours since Gayla performed her ritual that brought his beloved back to him, but he still couldn't believe it was real.

Azalea raised her head to gaze into his eyes. The flickering firelight illuminated her brilliant, pink hair. "You're still awake?"

He nodded.

"Can't sleep?"

"I think I'm afraid to," he told her. "I'm worried that I'll wake up in the morning and you'll be gone again. This all still feels like a dream." She smiled and gave him a kiss. Her lips were warm against his face.

"I'm not going anywhere," she assured. "Not unless we fail our mission."

"We can't fail," he insisted. "I couldn't bear to lose you again."

She rested her head on his chest again and squeezed him tightly. "And I couldn't bear to watch you be alone again." For a while, they just lay there. Just the chance to be together again, both in physical form, was euphoric. "So, since neither of us can sleep, tell me about everyone else," she requested. "I couldn't venture beyond my territory, so I've not been able to check up on our friends. How's Heeska?"

"Heeska is in charge of Keysakah now," Zehlyr said with a smile. "Which means he's basically the new ruler of the Balisekts."

"Keysakah," she asked. "That's the village the Balisekts are building in their new territory, right?"

He nodded.

She smiled. "Word travels fast between dryads."

"We'll have to go by it on our way to the Temple," Zehlyr said excitedly. "He'll be overjoyed to see you."

Azalea averted her eyes and her smile left her face. "Zehlyr, I can't see him," she said somberly. "I can't see any of our old friends."

"Why not?"

"Because if they see me, they'll want to know how I came back. But we can't tell them. No one can know about our mission because no one can know about Gayla and her race."

Zehlyr's heart sank. He'd hadn't thought about that. Though there were great trials ahead, having Azalea back had brought a feeling of normalcy back to his life that had been missing for months. He knew the others, especially Heeska, would be so happy to see her again. "I know it's too early to be asking this, but I can't help but wonder. If the Lady allows you to stay mortal forever when we bring back the Ashes, where will we even be able to go? If there is to be another Great War and we can't stop it, what future can we have?"

Azalea kissed him again, this time on the lips. "Gayla told me the half-elves will allow us to live out our days with them. We'd be away from the fighting, away from the bloodshed."