Chapter 10

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Alex picked a lune plant of his own out of the ground and showed it to the chief.

"The stratus lune plant has atmospheric properties. So they can detect things, changes in the atmosphere. They may be able to tell us about what's happening."

"How will we get the answers from them?" the chief asked.

Sarah raised her eyebrows. She couldn't believe how seriously the chief was taking this. If Alex had told her that, she'd say he was either joking or crazy. How could you get answers from a plant?

"Azazel?" Alex turned and offered the lune plant to him.

"Willa may be able to help," the Tree-walker said, turning the plant over in his hand. He headed for the weeping willow, gesturing for the others to follow.

"Willa?" Sarah asked.

Casey turned to her with an apologetic expression. "Right, you haven't been introduced yet. Willa's the tree spirit of our weeping willow."

"Tree spirit," Sarah echoed.

He had said it so casually, like he was just introducing a friend or a pet. 'Oh, and this is Max, the dog and mascot of our team.'

"She doesn't even know about tree spirits?" Alfred asked Casey from his other side.

Sarah scowled at them as they went through the leafy curtain of the willow. She didn't like the tone of Alfred's voice. It was like she didn't know anything about anything. She'd never been to Adventia before so couldn't he drop the incredulity?

"Haven't had much of a chance to explain everything to her, Alfred," Byron said, coming up next to them. He turned to Sarah and took the lune plant she still had in her hand. "All plants have life, Sarah Walkman. They see things, hear things. Because of their long lifespan compared to others, I assume, trees are able to act like humans do. They talk amongst themselves in the wind, heard only by Tree-walkers."

"And a skilled few," Casey told Alfred in a stage whisper, jabbing his thumb at Byron.

Byron ignored him and gestured for Sarah to watch Azazel. The Tree-walker was standing close to the tree's trunk, murmuring something incoherent. Alex and Chief Zandu stood to either side of him, waiting patiently.

"And they can even," Byron added as Azazel took a step away from the trunk, "take the form of humans."

A woman came out of the trunk, putting her hand in Azazel's outstretched one and allowing him to help pull her out.

Sarah watched the scenario unfurl with wide eyes. The woman's skin was a light brown, her long hair as green as the surrounding leaves. She wore a dress the same brownish-gray shade of the willow's trunk and the top seemed to be a part of her skin.

Azazel led the dainty woman towards Chief Zandu. "Chief Zandu, you remember Willa. Willa, the Chief of Solquis."

"Of course," Willa said, bowing her head slightly in respect. Her voice was soft and had a musical air to it that reminded Sarah vaguely of the sudden wind last night. Willa's white eyes roamed around the clearing, resting on Sarah's stunned form.

"Sarah Walkman." The tree spirit glided towards Sarah and circled her curiously. "The whole forest is abuzz with the news of your arrival."

Sarah didn't like the sound of that. If Adventia was anything like school then her arrival would mean questions, people trying to get a good look at her, assessments on exactly how high or low she was on the food chain.

"You didn't try to keep them quiet?" Alex asked sternly.

Willa turned to Alex with a pout. "I'm only one tree spirit, Alex. And besides, you brought her over through the Shifting Wood. I have no influence over the spirits there. They're much too scared of the Shifters."

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