Book Five: Chapter 195

He frowned. “That sounds very much like the kind of warning you gave me earlier. Did you know that Velvet was going to die?” He tried to muster some anger to go along with his words, but he had given it all to the forest.

“I didn’t, but I’ve been part of the game for a very long time, Caretaker. There are certain patterns that repeat themselves, and all I did was warn you about a potential threat.” She nocked another arrow and let it fly, piercing another creature. When this one shrieked, the water exploded and sent a geyser of steam into the air.

“Is that even hurting them?” he asked.

“It breaks their connection, albeit temporarily. They shouldn’t even be here, but your misery has allowed them in. As long as you don’t hand yourself over to them, they can’t hurt you. They are a natural consequence of becoming a bigger player in the game.”

“I don’t want to play the game,” he said, then lowered his gaze. “Not if it means losing people I love.”

“We’re alwa