A silent minute passed in the forest. It was as though the wood was acknowledging all that it had lost.
At this point Amerie was very tired, so was leaning against Grandmother Lyndzei’s trunk.
“I have to go speak to King Cedrych,” suddenly said Amerie.
Grandmother Lyndzei was alarmed, “What? No!”
“He’s the only one who knows where Jack and the others could be! I have no choice but to go,” Amerie turned and faced her.
“Amerie,” said Grandmother Lyndzei wearily.
“There might be a part of him that’s still good that we can reason with!” protested Amerie.
“I know I said that he was a good tree, but he is beyond reasoning now. If you approach, he may hurt you.”
“I don’t care. How else are we going to find out where the others are?”
Grandmother Lyndzei kept her lips tightly shut, but the look in her eyes betrayed her. She was hiding something.
“What is it? Tell me,” Amerie urged.
Grandmother Lyndzei sighed and tutted, “Amerie, I’ve known Cedrych a long, long time. He has a wise and brilliant mind, but I never once suspected it would be used for evil.” She hesitated.
Amerie didn’t interrupt, knowing Grandmother Lyndzei would stop talking if given the chance.
“I just can’t imagine he didn’t know he was sick. I’m such a fool for not recognising it with the purple leaves, but Cedrych, he must have known how ill he was. He must have known for months.”
Amerie nodded.
“So what I’m saying is, he must have factored that in with his plan for the children. He knew he didn’t have long left. I think he used that to his advantage.”
“How do you mean?”
Grandmother Lyndzei swallowed, “Think of the last leaf he sent me...what did it say?”
Amerie thought for a moment, “Something about winning and blood...Oh! Victory awaits us. The humans will pay in fresh blood for their cruel intentions.”
“He wants revenge, Amerie. He wants destruction, cruelty both physical and emotional.”
“I mean with the whole tyranny thing, it’s pretty obvious. But what difference does that make?”
“Amerie, did you know that if a human being dies in the star realm, they return to the human realm, in that exact same spot?” Grandmother Lyndzei shut her eyes.
“No I didn’t but...what’s that got to do with anything?” Amerie was more confused than ever.
“What reasons did your mother give for Cedrych being cut down?”
“Because he was infected and...hollow?”
“That’s right, Amerie. Hollow. How big do you think a hollow in a tree that size would be?”
Amerie shrugged.
“I think it would be quite large. Large enough to fit four or five small children inside? It’s possible,” Grandmother Lyndzei said quietly.
Amerie’s eyes widened in horror, “No!...then that means, they’re inside of King Cedrych? How can that be...would they still be alive?”
“I think so, Amerie. Remember ‘fresh blood’? Cedrych might be keeping them alive just for that reason.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t think he was just referring to the fact that they are children. I think he was referring to what the humans will discover when they find them.”
“I don’t understand,” said Amerie, feeling more fearful every second.
Grandmother Lyndzei grimaced, “Amerie, Jack and the others are currently invisible to the human realm. But this Saturday, what do you think the tree surgeons will discover after they’ve cut down Cedrych?”
All the colour drained from Amerie’s face.
Fresh blood.
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