“Those’re my agents,” Tanner said. “Be right back.”
I floundered then sank to the ground. When I’d seen the salt circle and pressed my hands to the nearby dirt, I was certain the lack of sensation meant my magic was weaker than ever. Now, I was ready to reverse that opinion. Something was alive under this very ground, and its life-beat had reached up and made a connection to mine. I stroked the crushed grass, ran my hands over desiccated clumps of moss, murmuring to myself and to whatever might be listening.
“I’ll protect you,” I whispered, giving the ground another pat before standing, wobbly-kneed and covered in hitchhiking grass seeds, at the sound of approaching footfalls.
Tanner squeezed my elbow and let go. “Calli, this is Wessel Foxwhelp and Kazimir Wickson. Wes, Kaz—Calliope Jones. She’s with the island’s ag commission.”
The men had firm grips and clear eyes. Wes’s brilliant red hair flopped in tight curls around his ears and across his forehead. Kaz stood shorter than his two coworkers, with a wrestler’s build and an unstoppable grin.
“How’re Clifford and Abigail?” I asked.
“Resting,” said Wes. “We got them into their beds. River and Rose are here too.”
Both Tanner’s eyebrows lifted. “Rose tagged along?”
Kaz crossed his bared forearms over his broad chest and shrugged. “River wanted her for medical support. We agreed it was best to encase the Pearmains in a slow-release sleeping spell, given their age. Those two’ll stay with them until they’re awake and settled. River’s promised to let us know if they say anything.”
“Thanks,” Tanner said, before turning to me. “Ready to show these two what we found?”
At my nod, we retraced our steps to the first tree.
“Kaz, how are you with tight spaces?” I asked, comparing his height and girth to mine.
He grinned, coppery flashes igniting his irises. “Live to get myself stuck, Calliope. Extracting me gives that fellow something to do.” He winked at Wes. “Where would you like to begin?”
“Right here. It’s the tree closest to the house and the road.”
Kaz was on his knees in a moment, pocket flashlight in his teeth, peering into the trunk and down the shaft. His head circumscribed most of a circle as he scanned whatever lay underground. “Tunnel,” he proclaimed, once he’d crawled backward and gotten off his knees. “Looks like we might have a waystation.”
“Waystation?” I asked.
“Think of it as a stop on a rail or subway line.”
I pivoted to scan the orchard and note the locations of the other trees in question. I pointed toward the second one we stumbled on. “Any chance the tunnel heads in that direction?”
Kaz nodded. “Sure does. And then it heads over that-a-way.”
He gestured toward the third tree, out of sight behind a slope in the land.
“You up for exploring?” I was so, so ready.
“Aye, but we’ll need to come back tomorrow. With equipment. Which means we need to stay the night.”
The tiniest bit deflated and with another complaint to review, I left Tanner and his cohorts to work out amongst themselves who would do what, given the twists in the orchard investigation. I didn’t get to meet River and Rose. They were occupied inside the farmhouse with working healing spells on Cliff and Abi and made it clear they could not be interrupted.
On my final stop before home, I parked near the outdoor farmer’s market in the center of town. I was reaching for my stash of cloth shopping bags when Tanner knocked on the passenger’s door and planted his elbows on the window opening. He’d ditched his hat, pulled his hair into a low ponytail, and donned a pair of sunglasses, sending a quiver straight to my knees. The man was achingly handsome.
And my addled hormones were responding. Strongly. “Hey.”
“Do you have time to talk?” The obsidian glass shielding his eyes couldn’t mask the concern drawing tight lines across his forehead and to the sides of his mouth.
“I do,” I said. “But I missed lunch, and I really need to pick up some things for dinner.”
“I’ll help. Then we can go eat.”
“We?”
The lower half of the serious face cracked into a smile, and he lifted his glasses. “Agent Jones, would you care to have dinner with me this evening so that we may review the events of this day and discuss how our offices might proceed to work together on this investigation?”
I thought about his offer for all of one-point-five seconds. “Sure.”
Summer’s crush of tourists meant I had to lock my car. I divvied up the bags and let Tanner follow me to the stall selling apple cider mini-donuts. Munching on a couple of treats would stave off my hunger and give me time to think about dinner. I paid for a half-dozen cinnamon-and-sugar covered confections, nabbed the one on top, and offered the greasy paper bag to Tanner.
“Dessert first?” He peered at me over the top edge of his sunglasses. The glow I’d seen at the Pearmains’ was present in the golden sparks glinting in his faceted eyes.
I’d had my feet in exam room stirrups first thing that morning, silently swearing off intimate encounters with magically-enhanced men, and here I was, losing my resolve at the earliest opportunity. And what was it with the sparkles? Was it a druid thing?
I’d ask another time. Instead, I answered, “Always.”
Belly growling, I ate another donut while I collected and paid for a bag of basil and paper produce boxes of wild, sweet strawberries and yellow raspberries. I never tired of the bounty of the island, and to touch, taste, and smell all the life around me was a welcome respite after my encounter with a chest freezer loaded with death. I shuddered and pinched off another sugary bite.
“May I?” Tanner held a cloth bag open. I deposited my purchases, and he followed my methodical pace, asking. “Do you feel obligated to buy something from each merchant?”
“Am I that obvious?” I moved to the next
