Page 26 of Rory

Chapter Seven

Being gracious to Ava proved difficult for Harper. Thanks to Rory she’d just experienced what had to be the most epic first kiss of all time, and she wanted to go for another ten or twenty, and definitely some touching. She’d even be open to losing her v-card once and for all, if he was in the same mood. Judging by the pretty terrifying erection he’d pressed against her, he definitely was. The laird’s wife must have realized what was going on when she’d walked in, so why had she interrupted them?

I bet it has nothing to do with something growing other-than-fruit in the gardens.

Kissing was only the prelude to what they needed to do, and the rest was going to be amazing. Harper just knew it. So why was the armorer setting her aside and going over to Ava now? Why was he ducking his head like he’d been caught cheating on the woman? Really, she was married, and not to him, so why were they both being weird about it?

Something is going on between them, and I have no part in it. That made Harper equal parts angry and worried. Or she wants to use me, too, and is trying to lure me after him.

“I shall go directly,” Rory murmured to Ava, and even bowed. “Would you keep Mistress Ensley company while I do?”

Being left alone with Ava landed at rock bottom of Harper’s to-do list.

“Oh, heck, no. Mistress Ensley is a paranormal expert, so she’s coming along for the ride.” She stepped between them and took hold of Rory’s hand. “Should we go out through the lists, or stay inside and peek out a window in the kitchens?”

“We best stay inside until we’ve got a strategy,” Ava said, giving their joined hands a narrow look.

Harper gave her a bland smile. Yes, he’s holding onto me. He likes me. Deal with it.

Rory led them through the passages to another set of windows without slats. The slits, which Harper knew were purposely built narrow to provide archers with lookouts while preventing attackers from shooting back at them, overlooked a lush forest of trees where there had been raised garden beds only a few hours ago. The trees had black bark and dark green and brown leaves on branches that looked somewhat spindly and twisted.

“Wowser.” Annoyed as she was, Harper couldn’t help being startled by the sight. “What made the instant woods pop up?”

“We’re not sure,” the laird’s wife told her. “From the signs it might have been the remains of the faceless attackers that sank into the ground, and the failing enchantment not realizing they shouldn’t be rejuvenated.”

The enchantment can’t seem to make up its mind. Harper noticed something on the branches of the one nearest the stronghold. “What are those little black things on them, bugs?”

“Insects can’t live inside the spell trap,” Ava said. “The black things are tiny heads. They have hair and ears but no faces.”

That made her jaw drop. “The trees are growing new monsters from the sludge of the melted ones?”

“’Tis the damaged magic of the spell trap,” Rory murmured after peering through the window slit. “It means to replace the faceless men—likely the MacBren’s slain mercenaries—by creating trees on which they grow like fruit.”

Harper suppressed a shudder. “This spell trap needs to see a therapist.”

“There are hundreds of the budding creatures. How are we going to stop them from growing to full size?” Ava asked the armorer.

Rory gave her an uncertain look. “’Tis melia magic, my lady. I dinnae ken.”

“Maybe we should just water them.” Harper thought for a moment and then added, “Do that to just one bud first, I mean, and see if it melts. Or trim it off. Oh, that is not a good visual.” She saw Rory head for a nearby door. “Wait, I didn’t mean you should try it.”

“Maybe you can help him,” Ava said, sounding worried.

Harper hurried after the armorer, but as soon as she stepped outside the air in the gardens nearly made her gag, it had grown so cloyingly, sickly sweet. The stench reminded her of an entire field of rotting flowers. She breathed through her mouth, which made it bearable as she caught up with Rory. He pulled the dagger from his belt sheath as he approached the nearest tree, which set all of Harpers internal alarms to clanging.

“Don’t do that,” she said, putting her hand on his forearm. “I’m wrong, it’s wrong. I don’t know why, but I think cutting the tree would be bad.” And where the heck was that coming from, anyway? “It could make things worse for us.”

To her surprise he placed his dagger back in its sheath and studied the tiny head clusters swelling on the branches.

“Water shallnae harm them until they’re fully grown and fallen to the ground,” Rory murmured to her. “These creatures, they’re created with melia magic. Only the same may destroy them.”

The direct look he gave her made Harper take a step back. “Hold on, there, my sledge hammer loving friend. I’m not a melia or magical, remember?”

“You’ve their power inside you,” he whispered. “You’ve but to try.”

Now she suspected why Ava had wanted her to come out here. The laird’s wife was testing her. Maybe Rory was in on it, too. Well, that wasn’t going to happen, because she did not have an ounce of magic inside her–

“Hey.” Harper flinched as the armorer took hold of her arm and brought her hand to the branch. “Come on, it won’t work.”