"Well, your dryad fought with us and kidnapped one of my girls," said Queen Otrera. "Why did she attack us?"
Byron almost burst out laughing. He had thought Queen Otrera's fury was out of something as petty as being jealous. But no. It was Ayota.
When the system had pressured him to leave the island, Lucille had already sent Ayota to kidnap an Amazon for questioning.
The dryads were going to come with him, but Lucille had objected. If they went with him, Ayota would finish her mission only to return to a deserted island.
"No. We will wait for her," she had decided. "We will come to you with the captured Amazon."
He had left with 3 dryads to escort him through the forest. They had Lucille's orders to remain hidden and observe everything happening around the castle.
She didn't say it out loud, but she had wanted them to protect him should things go south. She still didn't trust Amazons. She was convinced they wanted to hurt Byron, even though she could not say how or why.
