Dear Enemy, You're My Mate

Chapter 85 **

Maya

Despite Finn's earlier claim, the tree of life is what I expected—vast and colorful, with branches reaching out in every direction. The colors on the leaves are shifting in every color of the rainbow, and voices, whispering, and snickering surround me.

Finn walks closer to the tree, and I hug his thumb. "Those whispering voices... What are they?"

A gasp leaves Finn's mouth. "You can hear them?"

"Yes." My eyes are locked on the tree. "And I can't focus on anything else while they are giggling."

Finn stares at me for a fleeting second, then part his lips. "They are called sprites, and some people, with magical blood in their family, can either see or listen to their voices." Finn shrugs one massive shoulder. "Sprites also like to hang around me for some reason. They never leave me alone, but don't worry—they are entirely harmless."

I open my mouth to speak. I'm about to tell Finn that I can only hear the sprites, but then I see a blue creature, no bigger than my hand, staring right back at me. A tiny gasp leaves my mouth, and the sprite laughs at my reaction before circling me.

Finn chuckles. "I take it you can see them?"

I gulp. "I guess so."

Finn walks forward, taking me closer to the tree of life's trunk. His eyes roam my face. "The tree of life appears differently to everyone—when I look at it, I see the faces of the people I love. Their heads are hanging from the branches, and they are crying blood."

For a moment, my heart stutters, and fear cuts through me. My entire body freezes, but somehow I mechanically crane my neck to stare at Finn, grateful that my view of the tree is beautiful.

"That's fucking terrible..."

His lips curl upward. "It's what I deserve."

The self-hatred this man has is disheartening. Finn might have done terrible things in the past, but he has been kind to me from the start. Even when he didn't know me, he gave me his portion of food inside our shared prison cell—the beefcake is a teddy bear on the inside.

"I'm going to put you down on the ground, and if the tree thinks you're worthy, the ground will swallow you."

"Wait, what?!"

Finn laughs, then bends to his knees. His face, peppered with a beard, and a pair of kind blue eyes studying me, soothe my heart. The sight of him is breathtaking, and the man smirks, using his charm to distract me while he places me on the soil.

"I'm hoping the tree of life will train me too, possibly give me new abilities for our upcoming battle." Finn is squatting before me, casting me in his shadow while roots grab hold of my ankles. "Whatever you do, don't panic—the tree of life won't hurt you."

My heart is trying to flee from my chest, pounding so hard one could mistake it for a wild, caged animal.

"Easy for you to say!"

Finn laughs, then peers down at his feet and points at the roots curling around his legs. I immediately notice thorns are drawing blood from his skin, but Finn only grins.

"The tree is punishing me for what I've done," he explains in a calm tone, not bothered at all. "But we are in luck—we have both been deemed as worthy of training. Take care, Maya!"

My eyes widen, and I reach out my arm. "But wait!"

Finn laughs, and then the roots pull us down below the earth, causing me to scream at the top of my lungs. Panic settles in, and I flail like a fish while more and more vines curl around my legs.

"No-no-no!"

I'm screaming and crying like a child. The more I struggle, the tighter the hold of the plants. Fuck this shit—my head is ringing, and my limbs are slowly losing their function.

I can't move.

I hyperventilate and trash around until I experience Finn's voice inside my head saying, "Relax, little wolf," and immediately I remember how to breathe.

"You can do this, Maya," I tell myself. "Remember that you're strong."

I close my eyes and project calming sceneries into my mind, and not surprisingly, Finn is the face I imagine. I see him smiling at me with his pearly and sharp canine teeth. His white hair is gathered in a ponytail, and his blue-blue eyes seem to suck me inside of them.

My dread disappears, and left within me are these iridescent bubbles of joy and love—my feelings for Finn.

The calm within me grows and grows until the vines disappear, and I spit out into a vacuum. It lasts for three seconds before I'm left repeatedly blinking as a room materializes around me.

Old paintings of grumpy fairies are hanging on the walls as candlelight lit up the entire room. Bookshelves are covering the walls, and I'm standing on someone's green rug.

"Took you long enough."

I lift my chin and stare forward, meeting the face of a fairy woman with gentle eyes. Her skin is a beautiful russet, which reminds me of Finn, and I hold my breath when I find more of his features on her face, like thick eyebrows, blue eyes, and luscious lips.

My lips part. "W-Who are you?"

The fairy's smile widens, but she doesn't have to explain anything. I pick up on tiny footsteps, and suddenly two children are hugging her waist. One of them is older, the big sister of the house, and she is sucking on her finger while eyeing me with curiosity.

"Mama, who is this person?"

I part my lips to smile, but something brings me to look down at the second kid and—no, it can't be!

My eyes widen as I stare down at a tiny version of Finn, hugging his mother's leg while glaring at me with vivid suspicion. His hair is way shorter, and his pointy ears are sticking out a bit.

"Yeah..." Finn takes a step back. I can't believe how utterly adorable he is without his hunky muscles and broad shoulders. "She looks creepy."

My heart falters. "Creepy, huh?"

The older fairy chuckles before she pushes her children out of the room in a loving, motherly way—she seems warm and friendly. I already like her and observe her with a warm feeling in my chest.

"This young woman is one of mummy's friends." The mother fairy smiles at her daughter. "Kyra, why don't you take Finnegan and head outside?"

Finnegan? Oh-my-god, is that his full name? Finnegan?! Gosh, I'm going to bully him once I get out of here!

There is another giggle. "My name is Carla, and I can already tell what is going through your mind—tell me, is Finnegan doing alright?"

My lips part in wonder. "Wait, how do you...?"

Carla smiles. "The tree of life works in mysterious ways—it can bring people to other dimensions and train them for days in a matter of hours in their timeline, but in your case, it brought you back in time."

I laugh and hold up my hand. "Okay, now my head is spinning—what am I even doing here?"

"Well," Carla walks across the room and picks up a cup of coffee, which she brings to her lips. "You can't change what happens in this timeline. The only person who will remember what happens here is you—this is only a memory. You can interact with people here, find out things about them, but you can't alter anything."

My heart seems to stop in realization. "Wait, so you're like the tree of life itself speaking to me?"

Carla seizes me up approvingly. "Clever girl."

I smile. "Sometimes, I can be, which is why I must ask: why did you bring me here?"

Carla studies me briefly. "I want to test you."

"How?" I question, not sure how or what kind of trial a godlike tree would like to put me through.

"I can't tell you that, or it would ruin everything," Carla says, or the tree of life, whatever, it's easier calling her Carla. "But if you accept, I will bring you somewhere else."

"What's in it for me?"

Carla curls her lips, showing a smile more feral than friendly. "I can't tell you that, but it will be worth it for you."

"Challenge accepted." I don't even hesitate because my curiosity is killing me. My feet move on their own, and I take Carla's hand. "So tell me, where are we going?"