Free Blood Politics (Blood Destiny 4) by Helen Harper Page A

how she could possibly know that I had been trying to help them in the first place of course though.
    I’d printed out a small map to take with me.  Hampstead Heath was a vast area, covering almost 800 acres of land.  Although pockets here and there were developed, and the influences of humans were apparent all over the place with its pools and paths, it nonetheless retained a wonderfully wild element to it, with gorgeous trees and plants lining virtually every aspect.  I was aware that certain areas of the Heath were used for ‘cruising’ for random sexual encounters, but I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t be anywhere near those sections.  Still, I took a long looping route round towards the Vale of Heath, the small village that the dryad had directed me to.
    Despite my less than direct wanderings, I arrived at the edge of the village in good time.  The moon, although not yet full, was high in the sky and the night was clear.  I sucked the clean air deep into my lungs.  There was an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach, a sort of oily nausea that didn’t appear to be going away.  If I didn’t know better I’d have thought that it was shaky butterflies of nervousness.  Yet there was no reason to be feeling that way.  I shook my head, trying to clear away the clouds that still lurked there, and hoped that I wasn’t coming down with some kind of summer bug.  Between this meeting and the promise I’d made to Balud, the last thing I needed was to start feeling ill.
    I began heading east, following the tree nymph’s instructions, and counting out my steps.  Remaining wary of my surroundings, I paused at irregular intervals to double check that I wasn’t being followed.  Everything, fortunately, seemed clear.  When I finally reached a count of five hundred, I stopped and hunkered down, preparing to wait for the mysterious appearance of Atlanteia.  I didn’t have too wait too long.  Just as my eyelids were drooping heavily shut, the effort of keeping them open proving to be just a little too much, a voice drifted down towards me from one of the ancient trees.
    “You are tired?”  It was melodious and light but held a note of doubt.
    I pulled myself to my feet, muscles tensed and hands by my sides, ready to yank out Balud’s daggers should the need arise.  “No, er, yes, a bit.  I think I’ve caught some little bug that’s all.”
    The wispy figure of a dryad appeared in front of me.  She had long flowing hair and slightly green stained lips.  The moonlight danced lightly over her pale skin and she sniffed at me delicately.  “You have ingested sculletaria.  In large quantities.  Is it possible you have been poisoned?”
    I blinked at her, feeling defensive flickers of heat flare up.  Poisoned?  What the hell?  Then it occurred to me what she was referring to and I started to relax again slightly.  “You mean skullcap, don’t you?” I shrugged.  “I had some earlier on today.  I was trying to avoid, um, what I mean is, I needed a herbal remedy to help combat, er, negative  feelings of… stress.  I have quite a stressful life.  You know, being contacted by Otherworld people all the time.”
    Slick, Mack.  Real slick.
    She flicked back her hair languorously and peered at me.  “It’s not wise to take skullcap in large quantities.”
    “Yeah, it doesn’t taste very good either,” I commented wryly.  “Anyway, enough about me.  I take it you are Atlanteia?”
    The dryad lifted an imaginary skirt and curtsied.  “And you are Mackenzie Smith.”
    “Please, call me Mack.  And tell me what I’m doing here in the middle of the night.”
    I hadn’t meant to sound quite so sharp, but I was pissed off with myself for not realising that the TemperSoothe that I gulped down earlier would have caused me to feel this unwell.  Atlanteia, fortunately, appeared unfazed.
    “It has reached our notice that you have been a friend to the dryads of late.”
    Ah hah, so I was