Chapter 68: The Bargain
"The barrier’s weakened, but I still can’t get through," Diana said, yanking her hand back after it bounced off the shimmer surrounding Ivy’s tree. "It’s like hitting a wall."
"Let me try," Grace stepped forward, placing her palm against the barrier. It felt like jelly—soft but impenetrable. She pushed harder, and her hand slipped through about an inch before the barrier pushed back, ejecting her.
"Whoa!" She stumbled backward. "Did you see that?"
"It let you partially through," Willow observed, her bark-like face creasing with thought. "Interesting."
"Is it because of her fancy new corruption-absorbing power?" Diana asked, still giving Grace side-eye whenever Petriel came within ten feet of them.
Willow ran her hands over the barrier, studying it.
"I believe the barrier has changed properties. It now seems to only permit entry to beings carrying corruption energy."
"That’s good news for Mara," Zephyr said, pointing to where Mara sat calmly braiding flowers that were growing from her forearm. "Not so great for the rest of us."
"Hey, these lilies match my robe!" Mara called cheerfully, waving her increasingly plant-like arm. The corruption had spread to her shoulder now.
"We need to get her in there and purify both of them," Grace said. "But she’s too far gone—she might not fight the Root’s influence once inside."
"So we need someone who isn’t corrupted to enter," Diana concluded. "But the only way in is to be corrupted."