That afternoon, Leonie was wandering once more through the little streets of the abandoned village. Even though she had promised Dorian she would rest, she simply couldn't sit in her room—the walls felt like they were closing in on her. They reminded her of the tiny hole she'd lived in at the baron's castle, and she didn't want to remember. Her mind was already overflowing with too many chaotic thoughts.
Without really noticing, her feet carried her back into the forest—the place where she had gotten her magic back. The roots that had wrapped around her body hadn't withdrawn; they still lay there like an open cocoon whose occupant had already crawled out.
For a while she just stared at it, then carefully stepped over the rim and sat down inside. A pleasant warmth spread through her body, as if the roots around her were faintly humming. She lay back and closed her eyes. A strange calm came over her; the turmoil in her thoughts slowly quieted, and a gentle peace settled over her mind. She drew in a deep breath of the forest's damp scent, and perhaps even dozed off a little.
Not much later, a soft rustling woke her. Her eyes flew open, and she found herself staring into Marcus's skeptical face.
"I don't think this is quite what Dorian had in mind when he told you to get some sleep," he said with a grin, then sat down on the ground not far from her. Leonie pushed herself up into a sitting position as well.
"Does Dorian always get what he wants?" the question slipped out before she could stop it. Marcus looked genuinely surprised. He watched her for a few moments, thoughtful, then shrugged.
"Most of the time, yes," he said. "There aren't many things that can turn him away from his goals. But with the kind of responsibility he carries, I'd say that's more a virtue than a flaw. If he sets his mind on something, he sees it through…" He trailed off for a moment. "Unless he has to save elven ladies along the way. Very gallant of him, isn't it?" he added with a grin.
Leonie pressed her lips together. It hadn't even occurred to her that Dorian and the others obviously hadn't come to human lands to rescue her.
"Because of me, you never got to speak with the baron…" she said, the guilt evident in her voice as she lowered her head.
"That's true," Marcus answered, not sugarcoating it. "We went there to make a deal. But after what we saw… trust me, I don't regret for a second that we didn't."
For a brief moment, anger flashed across his usually cheerful features at the memory. Leonie blushed a little but gathered her courage to ask her next question.
"What kind of deal were you going to make?"
Marcus watched her closely, weighing how much of the truth he could share without Dorian wringing his neck for it.
"Our people are dying," he began. "On our lands, there is a tree—the tree—from which our magic comes. Ever since the great war, that ancient tree has been losing its light, slowly withering. Our time doesn't pass the way it does for humans. A human life is just a moment to us, so this is a very slow process. But as the tree fades, so does our fate. When it dies, we die with it."
He sighed deeply and glanced toward the village.
"Dorian is fighting to find a solution, to save us," he finished.
Leonie stared at him, stunned. That couldn't be true. If it was, then Dorian had risked his people's fate for her sake. Why on earth would he do that? And how was she supposed to live with the knowledge that she had escaped one prison only to possibly condemn an entire people?
"Yes," Marcus said, as if he could read her thoughts. "Dorian did throw away that opportunity because of you. But before you start thinking too highly of yourself, I should tell you the mission wasn't exactly to his liking. This whole idea was his father's obsession. Dorian was just following orders."
"But… but why did he do it?" Leonie asked, still struggling to believe it.
"Maybe because he has a bit of a conscience left. Or because he's a man… or for some other reason entirely. You don't always need an answer for everything," he said with an easy shrug.
"And what did he want from the baron?" she pressed, but Marcus just flashed her a grin.
"You're too curious, little girl. Don't expect to have every answer right away."
"But—"
"Everything in its own time," he cut her off. "And right now, we've got bigger problems than that."
"Bigger?" she echoed. What could be bigger than his people slowly dying out?
"Exactly. For example, how we're going to be received at home. I don't want to discourage you too much, and Dorian's doing his best to protect you from the truth, but you need to know you won't be a welcome guest. Not just his father—ordinary folk will be wary of you too."
It was harsh, but someone had to say out loud what awaited Leonie when she set foot on elven soil. He didn't even mention the part where Dorian's father would probably be foaming with rage when he found out what they'd done—and that there was a very real chance they had just brought a new war down on their heads.
"But chin up," Marcus said, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "Things could be much worse."
"Worse than this?" Leonie asked, despondent.
"Yes. For example, we could run out of wine. Xav would completely lose it. You've seen how grumpy he is even now—can you imagine him without wine?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood, and Leonie couldn't help but smile. She really did like Marcus. It was so easy around him…
"So what happens now?" she finally asked.
"What do you think? You stop moping and you learn how to use your magic. After that, no one's going to dare mess with you back home." Marcus climbed to his feet and pulled her up with him.
"You don't have to crawl into a cocoon anymore," he said, nodding toward the roots. "From now on, it's up to you what you become. And if you decide to, you might even end up happy."
He slung an arm loosely around her shoulders and steered her back toward the village. Leonie didn't resist. She walked in silence, turning his words over and over in her mind.