He grinned and selected a piece of fruit, holding it out. “Then we’ll have to make more memories.”
I bit into the fruit, and juice ran down my chin. He caught it with his thumb, bringing it to his own mouth.
The mating display is charming, if a bit obvious,Savory said.
I shot her a look, but couldn’t suppress my smile.
The vines along the windowsill unfurled new leaves as we continued eating. Even the herbs in the garden visible through the window seemed to straighten, reaching toward the sun.
“Look at that,” I said, nodding toward the flowers in the middle of the table. The blossoms had opened fully now.
I reached out to touch one, and it responded, new growth forming along the stem. My magic buzzed beneath my skin, stronger than it had ever been.
Dominic captured my hand, bringing my palm to his lips while watching the flower’s reaction. The blooms practically glowed.
“Our emotional connection creates magical resonance,” I said, wonder coloring my voice. “I knew it theoretically, but seeing it like this is simply amazing.”
“It truly is.” His thumb stroked across my knuckles.
Your magical signatures harmonize now,Savory said, landing on the table. She stole a piece of pastry from the platter.Rather than simply complementing each other. It’s quite beautiful, actually.
“What’s she saying?” Dominic asked.
I shared, and his smile turned soft.
“She’s right,” he said. “I can feel it. Like we’re singing the same song in different keys.”
I pulled my notebook from my pocket. “We should document this. If we can understand exactly what we’re doing, we might be able to fix this despite whoever’s sabotaging theplants.”
“Always thinking ahead.” He kissed my temple. “I love that about you.”
I thumbed through my notebook and wrote a few things down. Dominic conjured small magical lights that floated above the papers.
“Let’s strategize,” I said, tapping the sketch I’d made of the underground chamber. “We need eyes on that space without being obvious about it.”
“Magical observation spells,” Dominic said, leaning over my shoulder to study the diagram. “Keyed specifically to alert us if anyone goes near.”
I pointed to my list. “How about magical traps?”
“Trace spells,” he said. “Placed near the entrance to the hill. They’re subtle enough most people won’t notice, but they’ll create a magical signature we can track.”
“Savory can provide aerial reconnaissance.” I glanced at her. “You’re good at noticing patterns in movement.”
The hunter who knows their prey’s feeding patterns never goes hungry,she said.
“She agrees,” I told Dominic.
He nodded, his hand settling on my arm.
I made a note. “What about research priorities? We need to narrow down who has the knowledge and access to create something like the chamber.”
We both fell silent, thinking through the court members we knew. None stuck out as particularly suspicious.
“They must have knowledge of ancient magic,” Dominic said. “That could be several people. Lady Kenneth studies old texts. Lord Primrose has mentioned ancient family archives. Even my mother—” He stopped, his jaw tightening.
I squeezed his arm. “She had access to all the garden areas?”
“Most of the court has that. It’s not restricted space.”
