After a moment, Halsin resumed his recounting of the previous nightâs events as they walked in a steady rhythm around the gardenâs perimeterâbetween woven baskets overflowing with natureâs bounty, ready to be sold at the upcoming harvest market. It would soon draw villagers from the surrounding countryside and open trading ports for the shipping of locally produced goods. A time of rituals, festivities, games, and rare dessertsâsomething Halsinâs wards had already talked her ears off about for weeks. And truth be told, Tempest couldnât help but feel their excitement. She felt like a child again.
âBy Balduranâs bones... I was half a mile out from town!? Well, that certainly breaks the old record. Shit, no wonder my feet are all cut up."
She paused mid-rant as Halsin sank to one knee beneath a low-hanging branch, heavy with ripe fruit. Her words dissolved on her tongue. She blinkedâfrozenâwatching as he cradled the plum in his hand, studying it with reverent eyes, then nuzzling it softly. The creak of leather from his harness accompanied a lungful of air drawn in, his exhale coming out in a deep, wordless groan of contentment. A smile touched his lips, steeped in quiet bliss.
It felt like witnessing something privateâa moment of worship. Almost... erotic in its intimacy.
âYou dirty, dirty mind,â she chided herself. Thereâs nothing untoward about this at allâjust a druid doing druid things, and her being... apparently unhinged.
âThe hell is wrong with me all of a sudden?!â
She gave a little shake of her head, as if to throw the thoughts off physically. Halsin stood again, sunlight filtering through the canopy, gilding the tops of his hair. He selected a particularly dark and juicy-looking plum and bit into it with quiet relish. His hum of appreciation echoed as he studied her boots thoughtfully before replying:
âRegarding your feetâI've prepared an ointment to help with healing. Itâs important to keep cuts on the soles moist and protected. I strongly suggest you change your footwear as soon as possible. Come to my office later. Iâll have a fresh batch prepared for you.â
Then, without warning, he closed the distance between them.
Tempest turned and found herself face to face with a plum held out in offering. Turned to the unbitten side.
âTaste the fruit of our labors,â Halsin said, his tone casual.
Her body reacted before her brain did, leaning forward instinctively. Tempest could feel her throat heating with a flush.
âYou enjoy keeping me on my toes, huh,â she thought with exasperated affection.
âWhat, from your hand?â she asked, uncertain of the protocol in so informal a setting.
Halsinâs eyes crinkled with fondness, and he gave a single nod.
Tempest took hold of his bark-and-leather-clad wrist, her fingers unable to close entirely around him, and leaned in to take a bite. Gently, Halsin pressed the plum to her lips, and the fruit gave way under her teeth, the flesh melting obscenely on her tongue. Juice burst across her lips, staining her chin, and he hummed at the sight.
Their eyes met, electrifying, and her vision swam with vivid colorâred, gold, deep violet-blue. She made a feminine, horrified noise as she pulled back, fumbling to catch the sticky trails running down her chin.
The roof of her mouth exploded with flavor: rosy, nectary, and sinfully sweet.
Halsin popped the remainder of the fruit into his mouth, andâTempest noted with a flutter of something she didnât want to nameâthis was the same fruit now glossed with her saliva.
âElephant Heart plums,â he said huskily, reaching up to wipe a smear of juice from her chin. His thumb grazed the edge of her lower lipâbarely there, but enough to stun her breathless.
He said nothing more of it, tucked the core into a pouch on his belt to be replanted. Moving on as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Comfortable in his proximity. Comfortable touching her.
âWhen did this happen?â her thoughts whispered, startled. She realized, bashfully, that she hadnât minded. Not one bit.
âThe very best this season has on offer,â he added, âand a specialty of the Reaching Woods.â
âTheyâre delicious,â Tempest replied, licking at her fingers. âI donât think Iâve ever had fruit freshly picked from the branch before.â
Halsin nodded, then found a small burlap bag and began filling it. âItâs another example of our joint effortsâdruid circles working together to heal this land. These trees, whose fruit we now enjoy, were once petrified to stone by the Sharran curse.â
Tempest stopped, stunned. She turned to him and then the trees, her brow furrowed.
âNo way. Trees turned to stoneâand brought back to life? How is that even possible?â
Halsin tied the strings on the bag and handed it to her. She took it with both arms, cradling the weight against her chest with care.
âIt was the druids of the old circle, those devastated by the curse, who once tended these trees. And it was by their magic that they were cultivated. When the curse fell, it twisted their labor into silence. But just as any malediction, it can be undone. With patience. With time.â
He brushed his hands clean and began walking. Tempest followed, ready to offer a theory of her own about the strange turns her sleep paralysis had takenâwhen she caught a glimpse of something raw.
A long, angry cut on Halsinâs forearm, visible between the gap of his druidic gauntlet and stretching nearly to his bicep.
âHalsin!â she snapped, seizing his arm. âYou said nothing bad happened! What the hell do you call this?!â