But she complies, and he says nothing else.
They continue their game of cat and mouse, and eventually, he wraps his vines around her legs, trapping her where she stands against the wall on the other side of the room.
“I want a bowl, Cerian. Before your vines go any farther.”
His lips tilt into a grin as he wanders toward her. She must not have noticed.
“You wish for a bowl?”
“And two sticks. I know you can—”
He presses a finger to her lips.
Then he holds up the bowl and sticks he grew quite a few minutes ago. Thoughts of her soft flesh beneath his wandering magic consume him, and his burgeoning fire magic threatens to burst forth, but he continues to hold it back. “You mean these?”
Her face lights up as she reaches for the bowl, but he holds it away from her.
“I’m not done playing.”
Her eyes grow wide, and her heart beats even faster.
But she never even hints that she wants him to stop.
“Do you need to eat something first?” she whispers as she glances at the room around them.
He follows her gaze and freezes at the sight.
Vines grow everywhere, carpeting the floor and trailing the walls.
Whistling wind. This may be difficult to explain.
She seems more concerned with him than the room, though. “Perhaps we should get some food in you. Do you feel all right?”
The thought of eating instead of continuing this game of theirs makes him grumpy enough to realize she’s probably right.
“Chocolate is a plant,” she says.
Chocolate. He tries not to make a face.
“Just eat a couple, my elven prince. The ones with the white squiggles on top are pure chocolate. No nuts inside.”
Did he tell her his fears about chocolate? Or did she guess?
“I’d find them for you,” she continues, “but I can’t move my legs.”
Reluctantly, he nods and collects the candy from across the room before handing her the package with the chocolates.
When she lifts a square to him, he eyes it skeptically. “And you’re sure there’s nothing inside it?”
“These are my mother’s favorites. Pure chocolate.”
Parting his lips, he braces himself for whatever he’s about to experience.
Whistling wind. It’s...amazing. The solid texture and the slightly bittersweet taste. He hazards a bite, and the chocolate feels the same throughout. No surprises.
Thank the fates.
Hechews and swallows, and she says nothing as she offers him another one, which he eats without complaint.
