Page 45 of Bound By Honey

Sage looked around the small four-room space and shook her head no. "I think that's everything I need."

With a small smile and nod, he left her alone to explore the space.

Rosey’s quaint living room had white plaster coating the walls, and an array of hand-stitched pillows lay atop the aged furniture that had been well taken care of.

Her gaze shifted to the shelves that lined a nearby wall, bursting with books on a variety of topics. She longed to curl up in one corner and delve into their contents, but she needed rest after traveling and instead decided it would be best to tuck in for the night and explore in the morning.

She made her way through the hallway, checking which bedroom looked the most inviting before slipping into the cozy space she would call home for a while. She quickly made the bed and stripped down to her undergarments, snuggling beneath the blanket of feathers as she let out a contented sigh.

The moonlight streamed through the window, bathing everything in its soft glow. Sage lay there letting her thoughts drift over her situation. As she drifted off, only one thought filled her mind—tomorrow was a new day, full of possibilities waiting to be explored.

***

In the garden, Sage took a slow deep breath, inhaling the heady scents of the late summer flowers. Rachel was right behind her, with a wide grin, her deep brown eyes taking in the sights. A moment of deep peace settled over Sage as the sun shone on her, and the colorful flowers brightened her vision.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" Rachel asked."I had no idea I would find this when I stumbled on your guild. There was nothing of it in my book."

“Sometime you should show me this book. Very few know of our existence. We use alternate names for most of our sales, and locals know to keep things quiet. Many have family here or are descendants from those who chose to leave.”

This section of the garden was lush with a wide variety of flowers and herbs in full bloom. At the center was a large statue of a beautiful woman playing with two small children. The woman looked serene as she held her delicate hands out, reaching for them. Beside the statue, Sage noticed a beehive with the activity of its inhabitants.

"This place is magical," Sage said, her eyes glittering.

Rachel nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Does the statue mean anything? I noticed another one yesterday that also had a hive nearby."

Rachel smiled and gestured to the hive. "We name the new breeds of bees after members of our community at that time. That's Enola Draqium. She was a midwife who first noticed that certain plants worked for specific magical abilities and harmed others," she said, her gaze on the beehive and expression thoughtful.

"Wait, how do you mean?"

She pointed at a small red flower with a long stem similar to a poppy. "Take that flower.Magnetra's ophilium'shealing abilities are amplified with fire mages but hinder healing for ice mages. All the plants around here work like that. The Draqium bees are also attuned best to fire-based magic. It's why they are near each other."

"So everything you've planted has been completely intentional."

"Exactly. Draquim bees are aggressive, and if their hive is too close to another one, they will rob other hives of their honey, potentially spreading or contracting diseases. They are one of the easiest to crossbreed, which we took into account when deciding where to place them. For each new breed, we have to figure out how far they will travel and what their preferences and behaviors are. This was once a small community, but we have spread out over the years, covering a large area of land."

Rachel knelt beside the flower and plucked a tiny sprout. An idea formed in the back of Sage's mind but not quite in full shape.

"Do you want to help? If you see anything that looks like this, we need to pull it. They are seedlings of Sacred Dewberry, best used for ice mages. The seeds sometimes get carried on the wind or dropped from bird droppings as they fly over. We must remove them, or it will tamper with the Draqium bees' honey."

Sage knelt, the soil slightly damp beneath her hands as she pulled up small weeds that had sprung up along the hive's edge. She worked slowly and methodically, her brow furrowed in concentration as she plucked the weeds and tossed them in a small pile beside her.

Rachel worked just as diligently, although her hands moved a bit faster than Sage's. They worked together in quiet companionable silence, and soon they had cleared the weeds in a wide circle around the hive.

When they were finished, they stood and looked at the statue, their work visible in the weed-free area around it. Rachel smiled in appreciation, and Sage nodded in satisfaction.

"That feels like a job well done," Rachel said.

Sage's gaze was on the statue. “It really does.”

They took in the garden's beauty before Rachel smiled and pointed to the beehive.

"We should leave the bees in peace now. Come, we will find another area that needs tending before getting lunch."

***

The setting sun's light streamed through the storage room's window, casting a warm glow. Three days had passed since Sage’s arrival in the village, and while she hadn't figured out how to solve Freddy and Prince Finn’s gargoyle problem, an idea was starting to form.

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