“Not exactly,” I said, joining him on the grass. “But something magical’s alive in this section of the orchard, and I connect with it.”
“Me, too,” Tanner murmured, although he didn’t look as blissed by the connection. Or any other connection.
I reached into my bag and pulled out a container of dried fruit, tearing a piece of pear in half for a needed boost of sugar. River’s interest in my story piqued when I got to the part about the voice saying mine in the tunnel.
Tanner paled slightly. “Was it male? Female? Other?”
“Female. -Ish?” I picked at the other piece of pear and thought about it. “Definitely female. Any thoughts? Either of you?”
“I didn’t hear anything underground,” River said, “but I get an overall sense of well-being when I’m amongst these trees. Or maybe it’s that Rose and I have gone twenty-four hours without irritating each other.” He laughed to himself. “Speaking of my favorite sister and witch, I should get back to her. We’re hoping we can leave the Pearmains to their own devices.” He flopped onto the grass and sighed before he bounded onto his feet and extended his right arm. “Calliope Jones, it has been my pleasure to begin to get to know you.”
“River, same here. I’m sure we’ll be in touch.”
He released my hand. “Tanner, what’s your plan?”
“I’ll head to Calli’s house when we’re done and likely hop a ferry to the mainland later tonight or first thing tomorrow.”
River nodded. “One more thing. I removed all the charms hanging off the front gate when I fixed it. They’re in a sack, which I’ll leave at your car. Take a look at what’s in there. Might have something to do with the spell they were under, might not.” He set off down the path, his walk loose and relaxed. “Keep me in the loop,” he shouted before a turn in the path took him from sight.
Tanner crumpled onto the grass beside me.
Chapter 10
“I like him,” I said, “I like Kaz and Wes too. And Rose, but she’s…”
Rose’s focus was the health of her patients. My contact with her thus far had been perfunctory.
I tried not take her lack of warmth personally.
“Rose is complicated, Calli, but she’s the best herbalist I know and she’s dedicated to keeping her lineage going. And if she lives long enough, she’d like to see it expand and thrive.” He shifted closer to me then changed his mind and reclined on the ground, folding in on himself as though the kiss we shared had never happened.
“Tanner, you feel it, don’t you?” I was unwilling to chalk up everything about our physical encounter to an invisible force, but I needed to hear his take.
He crossed his arms over his face. “Why don’t you explain what you mean?”
I pressed my palms onto the grass and closed my eyes. Well below the surface, a palpable presence rolled and stretched, pleading with me to shed my clothes for an afternoon of naked sunbathing and apple-sampling and kissing. More and more kissing.
Releasing the connection, I turned to face Tanner. “Close your eyes. And tell me you don’t feel desire.”
Tanner shook his head and scrabbled to stand. “Calliope, I…”
“Come here,” I said. He really was going to fight me on this. I rolled onto my hands and knees and crawled the three feet that would bring me within reach of his ankles. I grabbed the bottom of one of his pant legs and tugged. “Come. Please.”
“I believe you.”
“Then why won’t you relax and feel it with me? Aren’t you an investigator? Isn’t this what you do?” I licked my upper lip and sat back on my heels, thighs parted. The ground below my legs warmed and softened. I wanted Tanner to get over his resistance and crawl over to me.
Feline in its desire for touch, the ground agreed. I spread my knees wide, arched my spine, and offered Tanner a silent invitation.
He stared. Stormy weather clouded his eyes and put a damper on my otherwise lovely afternoon. “Calliope, get off the ground.”
I refused. I sprawled on my back and rolled my head. No. The little rocks underneath me didn’t hurt at all. The welcome bites of pain reminded me I was ripe and ready to rumble. Two buttons on my shirt popped off. My fingers curled into the grass. Desire forced my legs apart, and I almost ripped down the zipper of my pants.
This was not my desire.
“Tanner,” I pleaded, bound in place, “help.”
He grabbed a wrist, wrenched me to my feet, and hurried us both to the path.
I bent over, dropped to my hands and knees, and retched. “What the hell just happened?”
Tanner kneeled in front of me, wiped my mouth, and cupped my face in his wide palms. “Everything you just felt was an extension of whatever inhabits this orchard, and I’m starting to think it’s connected to her.”
My knees almost buckled underneath the weight of that idea. I whispered, “Everything?”
“Almost,” he said, offering a slightly pained smile.
I plunked my forehead against his chest, inhaled the musk and mint scent of him brought to the surface by the heat. His hands slipped from my face as his arms circled my shoulders. “How are we going to run an investigation,” I asked, “if everything we feel or everything that happens is potentially influenced by her magic?” I lifted my head and looked into Tanner’s eyes. “It is the Apple Witch, isn’t it? Or is it something else?”
He shook his head and offered no answer.
I looked around. Sparrows flitted from branch to branch, their calls filling the air with avian banter. Sunshine warmed the apples’ skins, releasing sweet scents. It took a Herculean effort to extract myself from the soporific influence of our surroundings, slip from Tanner’s embrace, and gather my things into my backpack. My buttons were casualties of our encounter. I accepted his hand as he urged us away from that section of the orchard.
“Now I know how sailors feel
