“How?” He turns slightly, just to display that he’s rolling his eyes. “Oh, maybe that’s what happens when you bind someone’s life force to a dying tree.” “Create more thorns!” I snap. “That won’t help. They keep the structure intact, but they don’t give the magic back. The Briar has already given what life it can. My thorns are cursed. I knew even as a child when you gave me this stupid power.”
