Page 34 of Must Love Moss and Moonshine
“Just because I already have a life outside of here does not mean you can’t be part of it.Come.Promise me.”
He inclined his head to me.“I’ll keep my promise,” he said, but his eyes were guarded, his walls firmly in place again.He was retreating into himself, back to the man I had first met—the solitary guardian of the forest.
“Kellen…” I reached out, my hand hovering near his, but I didn’t know what to say.The words that needed to be spoken were stuck somewhere in my chest, tangled with the fear of losing him.I glanced at Marvelle, who had perched on his shoulder.Turning, I gently stroked the squirrel’s head.“Take care of him,” I told Marvelle, my gaze shifting back to Kellen.I felt like my heart was breaking.“I just need some time to sort all of this out.Please, come to Moonshine Hollow.”
He nodded, then turned toward the tree.“The enchantment is fading.You should go.”
Bromir’s hand closed around mine, steadying me.“Come now, lass,” he said gently.
With one last lingering look at Kellen, I stepped through the portal, the golden light enveloping me.As the forest faded around me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was leaving behind more than just the woods—I was leaving behind a piece of myself.
And I didn’t know if I’d ever get it back.
CHAPTER18
TANSY
The halo of noise and light that engulfed me was nearly deafening.I steadied myself, reaching out for Bromir’s familiar shoulder as I swayed.When the world came into sharper view, I saw we were standing in a glade by Silver River, not far from the road that led into Moonshine Hollow.Children played across the river in a field at the edge of town, chasing one another with ribbons attached to sticks.The colorful banners drifted behind them, held aloft, it seemed, by their laughter.
I closed my eyes, soaking in the sounds.Beyond the children’s play came the bustling sounds of the village—people, music, animals, and the ringing of hammers.Two conflicting feelings washed over me: joy at the familiar sounds and smells of the village and deep worry that Kellen would not come, that the reality of who I really was would prove too much for him.I lived surrounded by people and noise, never staying in one place long.He was a man of solitude and the forest.He stayed, I moved.We were so different.
There hadn’t been enough time to make him understand that I was ready for a change.
There hadn’t been enough time to tell him how deeply I cared for him.
My hand instinctively went to where my belt should have been, remembering too late that I’d left it at his cottage in my rushed departure.My tools, coin purse, and everything I typically carried close were still there, including the forest quartz.
I sighed heavily.
“You all right, lass?”Bromir asked.
“My heart might be breaking, but otherwise, yes.”
“Knew as soon as I saw your face.Of course you would fall for a dryad.”
“What’s wrong with a dryad?”
“Nothing at all.It’s just there wasn’t a man in this realm—not orc, elf, human, gnome, pixie, dwarf, or otherwise—that could interest you for more than a night.You needed and deserved someone special.It seems like the forest served just what you sought.”
“And more.”
“Fell in love, did you?”
“Head over.At first sight, like in a bard’s tale.”
“Don’t your people have a name for that?The true love match?”
“A glimmer.”
“Glimmer.Aye.Well, you best let the others know where you’ve been before Jonsie starts singing your funeral lament.And after all these theatrics, I won’t hear anything from you about our booth placement.”
“Oh no,” I said, looking at him.“Don’t tell me?—”
“Well, you wanted to be close to the food stalls.In a way, you are.”
“No, Bromir.Not the animal pens.”
“Yes, Tansy.Hope you like goats.We’ll be making friends with them for the next week.Nothing like the fine perfume of goat dung in the air to help make a sale,” he said, then slapped me jokingly on the back.
