Page 52 of Desire

“It tastes the same,” I said.

Garron ate one as well. “Try to touch the seeds we’ve planted in the garden.”

“All of them?”

He nodded. I closed my eyes and focused. There were many seeds in the dirt, and it was impossible for me to discern which were planted and which were blown there by nature.

I opened my eyes and watched as I touched them all with my energy. Green sprouted from the ground, covering everything. I stopped when they were all just a few inches tall.

“Well done,” Garron said, taking my arm and turning me. He looked into my eyes for several seconds. “And you feel well?”

“Not a bit tired. I promise.”

“Why did you stop then?”

“I thought Daemon and Darian would like a chance to weed before I went further.”

Garron laughed and called for his brothers. They came running from around the cottage. Worry and anger reflected in their gazes until they saw us standing peacefully by the newly sprouted garden.

“Claim your rows. He who finishes first gets to sleep next to Kellen,” Garron said.

“I didn’t agree to that,” I called as all seven brothers jumped the fence and started squabbling over rows.

I found more unsprouted seeds deeper in the ground in the rows with too few weeds and listened to Darian curse when they emerged larger than the others.

“Tell us when to start,” Eadric called.

“Go!”

I watched weeds fly from the garden. Edmund and Brandle moved with determination. I slowed them down with more weeds. Eadric missed a good portion of his. I withered those byabsorbing their energy. Liam caught me and arched a brow. I withered some of his, too.

“Lamb, where is my help?” Daemon demanded.

“Oh, my poor thing,” I crooned as I gave the weeds in his row more than a nudge. They exploded from the ground, tall stalks as thick as sapling trees. A few of them were trees. I bit my lip when I saw what I’d done.

Daemon blinked at the tree trunk as thick as his forearm.

“I didn’t mean for that to happen. I apologize.”

They all started laughing as Daemon jumped the fence and fetched the ax. I drained the tree’s energy until all that remained was soft wood that disintegrated at the first touch of the ax.

Darian and Eadric won, and I found myself cuddled between the pair inside the cottage after dusk.

“This is nice,” Eadric said, nuzzling my neck.

I lightly elbowed him.

“Behave.”

“But you like it when we touch you.”

“I do not.”

“Liar,” Darian said, petting my arm, which he’d pulled across his chest. “You like it very much, which makes you skittish and contrary.”

I lifted my head to scowl at him. “It does not.”

“Sounds contrary to me,” Eadric said.

---