Page 84 of I Married A Syllen

“Really?” Mirella challenged. “Then what medicinal plant is it?”

“It’s Crimson Datura,” he replied.

“There’s no such thing,” Mirella erroneously countered.

But she had no way of knowing they did exist, although we called them Danatus. The question was how did they know of their existence?

“No!” his much older companion with gray hair exclaimed. “It’s the Red Fernleaf!”

“Right,” the younger male corrected.

“Do not lie to me, human,” I said in a menacing tone at the older male. “He spoke a truth you preferred kept secret. How do you know about the Crimson Datura?”

“I don’t! I swear! My nephew just misspoke. He’s been reading up on Mazeria’s medicinal plants and—”

As soon as he doubled down on his lie, I aimed an ultrasonic pulse at the roots of the naxia weed that entrapped him. Its thick vines immediately tightened around him. A single pulse at the root triggered the tightening. Once thus activated, its vines would continue to tighten at a much slower pace until we gave them a signal to stop, or until the prey caught in their vise was crushed to death.

“AAAH!” the older male cried out, thrashing against his restraints.

The fool didn’t realize that resisting only made the naxia even more aggressive in its efforts to hold on.

“I said do not lie to me,” I ground through my teeth. “I suggest you confess swiftly before it crushes every bone in your body.”

“Stop him! Help us!” the third male with light-brown hair pleaded, his gaze locked on my mate.

“You trespassed on his lands knowing the risks. Human laws do not apply here. His home, his rules,” Mirella replied defiantly. “Therefore, I suggest you answer his questions truthfully while you still can.”

Despite my anger at the intruders, my chest warmed to have my woman standing by me instead of pleading for them. It didn’t fully erase my concerns about where her allegiances would lie if things escalated. But for now, it dimmed some of my fears.

The older man’s screams started to pitch higher as the vines dug into his skin.

“Please! We’ll just leave and promise never to come back,” the brown-haired man said.

“Oh, there’s no need to make promises. Your current lack of cooperation ensures that you’ll never be able to,” I said in an overly sweet voice. “But I suggest you hurry. Your friend won’t last much longer.”

Blood was bubbling at the corner of the older man’s mouth. I couldn’t tell if he’d bitten the inside of his mouth or if something internal—like cracked ribs perforating his lungs—caused it.

“We were just here to get herbs for my mother!” the first man exclaimed, his own voice pitching with panic.

Before I could respond, a dull sound resonated, followed by a screech from the older man. His left forearm had snapped where the vines had been digging into it. His hand and wrist were slanted upward at an unnatural angle from the rest of his arm. The long sleeves of his top hid whether the broken bone had pierced through the skin. But the absence of blood pointed to the contrary.

“Alright! Alright! I’ll tell you everything, but please stop!” the dark-haired man shouted.

I didn’t know if he was truly related to the older man, but I doubted it. Beyond the fact that none of the three males resembled each other, they also didn’t share any scent that spoke of a common bloodline. I suspected that self-preservation rather than genuine concern for his companion prompted him into compliance. Once a predator killed one prey, the likelihood of his bloodlust driving him to exterminate the other prey increased significantly. He probably assumed that if he could get me to spare his so-called uncle, maybe I would spare him, too.

I emitted a different ultrasonic pulse at the naxia weed, stopping it. It wouldn’t loosen its grip at once, but gradually, at a similar pace than when it was tightening.

“Speak and be truthful. More lies will earn you an even worse fate than what was befalling him,” I warned.

Just as I was speaking those words, Nym and Drannor completed their approach and landed. The fury emanating from them was almost palpable.

“Okay… Okay…” he said, swallowing hard as he glanced at his now whimpering companion. “You’re right. We’re here for Crimson Daturas. We were told that now that your people are awakened, they will stop blooming. And we needed to get some in reserve.”

“What for?” I insisted. “There’s an abundance of other plants that provide the same medicinal properties. What was so special about this one?”

“It’s more potent. It acts like radiation therapy on cancerous cells without the horrible side effects,” he replied.

Mirella blinked with confusion before glancing at me questioningly.