Face to face
"Do you want to know a secret, Charm?" the dryad leaned forward. There was a gentle smirk on her thin lips, but Zera had no plans of letting her guard down.
She had tried to manipulate Zera, and right now, her friends were looking like they were drugged.
Her 'influence,' as she had termed it earlier, was often too powerful for any of them to resist. But Zera didn't buy it.
Maryana also explained that her kind doesn't usually come out in the open. They only appeared when a direct threat was present in the environment they were protecting.
Zera had wanted to ask what part of the tower was she protecting. It was pretty obvious that there was no nearby forest. But then it occurred to Zera that the 'forest' she meant was the tower itself. Else, she wouldn't be there.
If she was clearly following her tale, then she should be right.
Zera could see no other possibility.