Page 51 of Must Love Scones and Secrets
We pulled back.
“I’ll wash up and head to your shop,” Emmalyn told me. “I’ve been craving chocolate chip muffins all morning anyway.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything, friend. And good luck. Something tells me that Bjorn is a good man. Have faith.”
“I’ll try.”
As I went, I sighed heavily. No matter how distant Bjorn was today, I couldn’t forget how he’d held me last night or how his runes glowed when we touched. He was keeping something from me. That was clear. But what we had together? That hadn’t been a lie. That had been real.
And I wasn’t ready to give up on real just yet.
CHAPTER 16
BJORN
The Whispering Woods lived up to its name. As we made our way through the ancient trees, their leaves rustled with soft murmurs that almost sounded like words. Smoke padded silently at my side, occasionally sniffing the air with wary interest, while Merry rode in Rosalyn’s basket, his little golden horn peeking out as he surveyed our surroundings.
I walked a few paces behind Rosalyn and Kellen, watching as sunlight filtered through the canopy above, creating dancing patterns on Rosalyn’s wings and hair. She was so easy with people, and her nature was so kind. Perhaps she hadn’t followed her mother’s path to becoming an ambassador of her culture, but I saw how her presence softened all around her. Even the stoic dryad smiled and eased in her presence. Every time she laughed at something Kellen said, something twisted painfully in my chest. I should be the one making her laugh, not maintaining this careful distance.
The truth of my situation was inescapable. Now that Winifred had learned my secret, everything was ruined. That brief dream, that I was simply a man loved by a woman, was over as quickly as it had come to life. Once more, I was Prince Bjorn of Frostfjord, heir to duty and responsibility. And she was RosalynHartwood of Moonshine Hollow, whose life and business were firmly rooted here in the Summerlands.
To let myself love her—or to let her love me—would only lead to heartbreak for both of us.
And yet, I couldn’t look away from her.
“We’re getting close,” Kellen said. “I can feel the forest’s energy shifting.”
Rosalyn nodded, her wings fluttering slightly. “Something here feels…ancient.”
She wasn’t wrong. The deeper we ventured into the woods, the more I felt a strange resonance with the land. It reminded me of the sacred groves back home. My runes tingled beneath my skin, responding to the magic in the air.
“Do you feel that?” I asked without thinking.
Rosalyn glanced back at me, a questioning look in her eyes. “Yes,” she said softly. “It’s like the air is…singing.”
Our eyes held for a moment too long before I forced myself to look away. “It feels similar to old places in Frostfjord,” I said, fighting to keep my voice neutral.
“Your homeland must be beautiful,” Rosalyn said, an edge of something—Hurt? Curiosity?—in her voice.
“It is a stark beauty.”
“I have visited Dryad Aelderin on Brunndale before. It is a rugged place. As for me, I prefer places that don’t freeze your bones,” Kellen interjected with a chuckle, breaking the tension. “While my connection is closest with Silver Vale, the forest here still whispers. Its voice is ancient and quiet, but I believe we’ve found what we’re looking for.”
The trees opened into a small clearing, revealing the Thread Stone. Unlike the standing stone the fairies had shown us, this was a perfect circle of pale gray stone about waist-high, with an opening in the center large enough to pass an arm through. Intricate carvings spiraled across its surface, some resemblingrunes that were not unlike those that marked my skin. Moss and violets grew at its base.
“Wow, it’s beautiful,” Rosalyn whispered.
I found myself nodding in agreement. “And powerful.”
Kellen approached it cautiously. “No wonder the fairies couldn’t fix this themselves. This kind of old magic requires something different to channel it.” He glanced back at us. “Sometimes they say things are meant to be. What are the chances we’d have a Rune elf and a pixie in Moonshine Hollow at the same time? Your magic creates a duality. Thisshouldwork.”
Setting down his pack, Kellen began clearing the area around the stone of debris and fallen leaves. Rosalyn helped, placing Merry’s basket in a safe spot before joining the dryad.
I hesitated a moment, then pulled out the map of the Ley lines. “So, we must pull the frayed lines back and rethread them through the stone. Once we do, they should continue on to the standing stone where Rosalyn and I met the fairies, and from then on, be in alignment.”
“Can this stone really fix all that?” Rosalyn asked, eyeing the Thread Stone skeptically.
