I stepped out of the shadow of the newly grown pine tree to find Esie and Kaylan waiting for me. Not that seeing them was surprising. Even though I wasn't sure how long I had spent recovering in the shadow paths, the meeting itself hadn't been that long, and I was sure they were invested learning what had happened as soon as possible if they hadn't already been told over the wind.

But I had also learned my lesson from telling Esie the goddess spoke to me. That single omission had been the catalyst for dragging me into this whole mess in the first place. I wasn't eager to tell them I had spoken with the Beloved—especially with how poorly the conversation had gone. Given the tree and everything else they could suspect all they wanted, and that was ignoring that there was a decent chance they already knew since it seemed my private affairs were having trouble staying private.

Perhaps if Prevna was present I would've been more eager to share, but she wasn't. Instead, I was faced with someone who claimed to support me but kept secrets at every turn and pulled me into more than one dangerous situation without even all of the basic information. Perhaps Esie did mean well and that was just her way, perhaps she had a high enough opinion of me that she expected me to figure everything out on my own.

That was rapidly becoming not good enough. I could justify her actions to myself however I wanted, but the uncertainty I had about her motivations was draining and made me want to respond in kind.

Which became doubly true when I considered her companion. Kaylan had helped me in various ways, often providing hints or whole explanations for everything Esie had omitted, but that was also becoming not good enough. Especially when she was likely the source of my information leak.

They had helped me in their own ways from the first time I met them, but they had used me too. Before the meeting, I had been content to tell myself that was how things were, how things got done. There was truth to that, but I had also been taking the scraps I was given because I wasn't sure how to get more. It was a state of affairs I was used to. Overwhelming expectations with little aid.

However, breaking down in the shadow paths had been a cleansing reminder once I worked my way free of the memories. Things were not as they had been and they didn't have to continue as they were.

I had clear steps to take to secure the delta and if I was ever going to stand up to the Beloved, I first had to hold my ground with the whisper women around me. I could take their advice and their teachings, but I did not have to adhere to their plans or accept their manipulations.

I did not have to cower.

"You spoke of supporting me." I glared at Esie first and then Kaylan. "You said that last time there was little loyalty and no trust, and implied that this time would be different. But from where I'm standing it looks like you brought me here and abandoned me only to judge me from afar."

Esie had seemed eager when I first stepped out of the shadow. Ready to hear something that further confirmed her conviction that I'd be the next Chosen, but as I spoke her expression faded to something more purposefully neutral, if a bit pinched at the edges. Kaylan, similarly, had been interested before her expression turned pained.

I didn't let that stop my parting words. "If you want to know what happened ask her." I gestured accusingly at Kaylan. "She should know since none of my conversations seem to stay private."

Kaylan paled as if I had bled her out, but I wasn't sure if that was an admission of guilt or if she simply disturbed by my accusation. Either way I wasn't in the mood to hear her excuses.

Esie started, "Gimley—"

"I'm not a stone for you to push around the board," I cut in. "You've kept your secrets and your own council. You called it support. Consider this as me following your own example."

Weariness still pulled at me, but I kept my head high as I strode past their camp, across the dam, and over to the storm bird. No one stopped me or said a word. I wasn't sure what the other whisper women thought but I was glad they didn't interfere.

I got myself situated in the storm bird's saddle and then gave it the signal to take off. Kaylan could find her own way back if she wanted.

After a lumbering takeoff, I was in the air and some of my tension faded. I needed time to myself. Time to think and recover, but it was better for some things to start sooner than later.

I sent multiple whispers on the wind to Ana to inform her—and through her Ingrasia, Ziek, and the tribesfolk—of our new requirements to bring the shadow paths to the delta so that it could be better defended. She was shocked and happy for the news, and I let her think that I had only spoken with the High Priestess like I had originally hoped. As far as I could tell, Ingrasia's group had always dealt with me openly, so I didn't begrudge sharing the news, especially since I had to admit that the tasks would be impossible on my own. I needed the help of a wider group even if I didn't explicitly ask for it.

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Still, Ana got the message and it didn't take long for it to spread. As I flew over the delta, it started to change. When I reached Bramble Watch I wasn't ready to rejoin the others, so I circled over it, and as I did the trees changed color.

I had the storm bird swoop closer to the tree tops just as the needles on the one below us turned red. As I watched a tribeswoman walked from that tree to the one next to it, pricked her wrist with a prayer needle, and then smeared the droplets of blood onto the tree as she murmured something. Some of the blood flaked away and the needles on that pine tree turned blood red as well.

Apparently, the normal blood offering was enough to meet the goddess's demands and it was surprising to see Her generosity in clearly showing which trees had already been marked. I wouldn't have been surprised if we expected to remember each and every tree that needed to be marked without help but, in this case, it seemed the goddess was willing to ease the strain.

Of course, there was still a whole forest of trees within the delta that needed to be marked. Not having to double check every tree would only do so much.

I also noticed that the tribesfolk defending the delta were fighting with renewed vigor as messengers reached them. The goal of killing every fish within the delta seemed to be invigorating rather than disheartening. At least for now. We still needed a way to slow or stop the horde from entering the delta if we ever wanted any hope of completing the mission.

With that in mind, I turned toward the shore line to see how things had developed there. The shore line of the delta looked like a root system delving out into the ocean. The major waterways all emptied out a different points and there were other, smaller, channels that slipped around buildups of sediment and bulbous pine trees to reach the water as well. What wasn't covered in vegetation writhed with monstrous fish. The tribesfolk had a few outposts watching the incoming horde but the first kill zones were located further up the waterways rather than right on the shore where the fish would have the advantage of space and even more numbers.

It wasn't clear yet if the incoming horde would taper off at all with less blood crystals planted in the water or if the couple of crystals attached to the Water Frond Snake's mouth had enough draw to still pull all the fish in the vicinity in. Or if the Lady Blue was dedicated to overrunning the delta regardless of her blood crystals. It was clear that the fish's behavior had already changed some within the delta, but I wondered if the draw of the blood crystals were stronger down river as the water helped carry whatever drew the fish in to the crystals and that's why some where able to break free and head further up the waterways for what had previously been their main objective: break through the delta's defenses to eventually assault the Seedling Palace.

Our best option to stop the fish coming in would be to build barricades, like the whisper women's dam, but that one hadn't actually risen that far out of the water and I wasn't sure of the limitations of Morwen's ability. Making a barricade that would block off the whole shore line would be next to impossible without a blessing, however. Otherwise it would take to long and likely fail under the constant assault of fish and water pressure from the river.

We could also use the crystals like I had previously considered, but that would also be complicated to make sure no fish got a hold of one and turned into an abomination. Still, one way or another they'd likely play a role in drawing the fish where we needed them to go.

I spied where Juniper was still leading a large portion of the horde around the delta as the Water Frond Snake. Now I finally had the capability to check in on her and I didn't waste time before directing the storm bird to get close and follow her. I needed to make sure she was alright after making her a target.

She was thrashing the fish. Crushing them against the waterway's banks and tree roots, stunning them with flicks of her tail, leading them in circles as she constantly changed her size to slip through a gap between roots and blockade an overeager group of fish there.

They tried to swarm her. Tried to bash against her sides and drag her under but the Water Frond Snake had no need to fear the water. She could stay under the water for long as she wished and be none the worse for wear. My own recent experiences caused a spike of jealousy at that thought, but I also had no desire to risk my mind by giving it to the snake.

What scratches the Water Frond Snake did take were smoothed over. The horde couldn't do a enough damage to permanently incapacitate it as whatever property allowed the snake to heal continually repaired it.

I quietly cheered Juniper on and was about to leave her to her work when something glinted in the sunlight that wasn't the sheen of silver scales or silver eyes nor the mundane splatter of yellow fish blood. It was a flash of multiple colors near the fronds coming from the snake's head, like a reflection from the water except the angle was all wrong and the waterway was currently a muddy, silted mess.

Dread curled in my stomach and I couldn't quite say why. I kept watching. There—again, another haze of multiple colors. Green, gold, red, and purple along the opposite frond. The colors of the blood crystals. The colors seemed to hover over the Water Frond Snake's stone skin for the few seconds they appeared.

The dread blossomed from a seed to a full grown bush full of needles. I tried to call to her using multiple whispers on the wind, actually shouted too, but not a single attempt got any response. She just killed and crushed and fought like there wasn't anything else in the world.

Perhaps that was normal for the Water Frond Snake, but the colors weren't. I tried to peer into her mouth, take a good look at the crystals, but between the narrow waterway, trees, and her constant movement I couldn't even get a glimpse of the crystals. She also kept it closed most of the time to use her head as more of a hammering ball than biting her attackers.

Something was wrong. The colors might seem harmless, but I didn't trust anything that reminded me of the Lady Blue and her blood crystals. All other priorities fled. I was responsible for Juniper. She had followed after me and I couldn't betray that trust even if it was misplaced.

I couldn't do anything here though. That much was obvious between her lack of response and the never ending battle that raged through the waterway. If I tried to get in the middle of that I was more likely to get flattened than help.

So, instead, I turned my attention back to Bramble Watch. After all, the Water Frond Snake was only one part of the equation. Juniper's body was still back in the outpost and if I couldn't do anything for her here perhaps there was something I could do there. Anything to stop whatever was happening before it got worse.

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