Branches of Life

"Do we have an actual destination?" I finally asked after hiking in silence for over twenty minutes. A question I nearly asked three times, all the while wondering if he was pulling a Koa and was just aimlessly wandering.

"I sense a faint energy." Apparently, Wyatt thought that was a good enough answer, and just continued following whatever energy he sensed. I had never wished for someone to be hit by a tree more in my entire life than I did right now.

"Well, what kind of energy?"

Wyatt remained silent for a minute. Long enough I nearly lost my shit, thinking he was ignoring me. "I believe it's a portal. And no, I don't know where it goes." He glanced over his shoulder as he spoke, pinning me with a stern look.

Either I was transparent or predictable because I had opened my mouth ready to ask that question.

"It's no wonder you're unmated," Ari muttered under her breath. Obviously, Wyatt heard her, we all did. His reaction wasn't one I expected, his body tensing ever so slightly. It was only for a moment before he relaxed back into his loose and uncaring demeanor. If I hadn't been staring at him, I wouldn't have noticed. For just a small moment, I saw through the cracks of his protective exterior. I didn't understand what I saw or what it meant, but I still cataloged it nonetheless.

"Why do you live alone in the human realm?" I decided it was best for us to remain off of the mate subject.

"Living in the human realm has never been a permanent plan. I just needed a break from everything." His answer surprised me, and not just because he answered my question.

"I was expecting you to say something about how annoying everyone is," Starling muttered, rubbing her side that had gotten whacked by a branch. Even I cringed at the sound it made as it hit her.

"How long have you lived there?" Harmony's tone was soft, and we all waited in anticipation, curious about this mysterious sorcerer's life. Well, Harmony, Starling, Ari, and I were. Ander and Koa didn't seem to care. Both of them chose to keep watch of our quiet and empty surroundings.

Wyatt dodged two swinging branches coming at him from both sides. Which was impressive as the path was narrowing, the tree branches almost forming a tunnel around us, forcing us to walk in a single file. "Fifteen years."

My eyes widened as I let out a low whistle. Muttered swears came from the others. Fifteen years wasn't too long in the grand scheme of things. What with our potentially long lifespans. But more than a decade in total solitude sounded like hell. Mythics were social beings, we needed the community, and the connections—physical and emotional.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a branch swinging at me from above. All I had time to do, was duck and raise an arm to avoid my head, absorbing the blow. A sharp sting radiated down my left forearm and a low hiss followed.

"Are you alright?" Koa paused his steps, looking over his shoulder and above Ari and Harmony's heads.

"I'm fine, it's just a bruise," I said quickly, not wanting him to make a big deal about it. My answer hadn't been a total lie, it wasn't broken. But with the way my arm throbbed, I doubted it was a mere bruise.

Walking through the tunnel proved to be tricky, requiring nearly all of our attention. The trees knew we were trapped and those motherfuckers took advantage of it, swinging their limbs and roots around like nobody's business. After what felt like a half hour, the ground changed from dead grass to inky black mud. Alarm bells blared in my head as my instincts practically screamed at me, telling me to turn around and leave this mud alone. Part of it was due to its unnatural color, the other part of it was that I was pretty sure it hadn't rained last night. Not with how the grass under my feet felt dry as hell.

Harmony stood at the edge of the grass. Her body tense as she stared down at the mud. "There is something seriously off with this mud," she whispered, almost in a daze.

"What can you sense about it?" Ander asked from behind me.

Shivers wracked Harmony's body as she continued staring. "I don't know, it just feels wrong. Almost dead."

"We'll have to risk it. I sense this is the only path to the portal. Stay alert, and shout if you sense anything out of the ordinary," Wyatt said, pushing ahead through the mud.

It wasn't too deep, my feet only sank a couple of inches. The mud suctioned at my feet as I pulled them free. I paused long enough to make sure my boots were laced extra tight, good thing I changed out of my heeled boots yesterday.

For over an hour nothing happened. The trees were still assholes, the mud made the trek slower and more tiring. My legs were burning from the extra exertion of walking through mud.

Shivers kept racking Harmony's body, her arms tightly clenched around her midsection. Her skin was pale, even for her. Mud caked her bare feet. She practically cringed with every step she took. I could tell she was regretting not wearing her shoes. A thought I never imagined having.

As time went on, my feet ended up sinking deeper and deeper. The mud now reaching my calves. Not only was it getting deeper, but it was almost like the mud didn't want to let go. Like it wanted us to remain here forever. I could feel an active pull against my feet every time I tried removing them. And from the slow pace of everyone else, they were having the same problems.

Ahead of us, Starling screamed, followed by Koa's and Wyatt's swears and grunts.

Adrenaline flooded my body as I strained my ears. Listening to the sounds of squelching mud, panicked yelps, and growled curses. While we were distracted trying to figure out what the hell was happening, the trees decided now was the perfect time to double their efforts and start beating the shit out of us. There was nowhere to go to avoid being hit. Dropping to the ground seemed like a dumbass idea. And now because of this, I had matching bruises on my right leg, my ass cheeks, and my upper back to go along with my tender forearm.

"Harmony, we need your help!" Wyatt grunted before sparks of magic flew through the air, letting us know how dire the situation was. I was pretty sure he used the words life or death, for when to use magic.

Ari pressed herself to the side, earning several whacks from the trees as Harmony squeezed through. Standing on my tiptoes—something that wasn't easy while standing in calf-deep mud—I was able to see what was happening.

At the front of our group, Koa, Wyatt, and now Harmony knelt in the mud, not caring that they were getting it all over their clothes or worrying whether or not they'd sink into it. The sight wasn't great, but that wasn't what had my stomach sinking.

It was the sight of Starling, chest-deep in the mud.