Book Five: Chapter 31

One last memory caught her attention. Naia was standing in the woods by a burbling spring when a figure stepped from behind a nearby tree. It was Amymone’s tree, and the dryad stood by the figure, a look of excitement painted onto her face.

“I accept,” Naia said.

“I’m glad.” The voice was soft, and Beth couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. Their features had been blurred away, as if someone had rubbed a thumb over paint before it could dry. When they held a hand out for Naia, the nymph took it. Power rushed through her body and she let out a cry as the nearby ground erupted and the house pushed its way up through the soil. Amymone cheered in excitement as the ground swelled and pushed nearby trees away.

The memories disappeared, and it was just Beth and Naia now. The two of them had become one, a swirling mass of magic that sat alone in the dark. There was a single moment of silence, and Beth realized that she could no longer tell where she ended and the nymph