“Anyway, the book I read said it was often thought that crowded plants were cultivated that way on purpose, nestled among the others in the field, hidden in plain sight. Only a person who knew what they were looking for would know the crowded plant’s true nature.”
I used my finger to outline the rows. Little dips happened all over, like the horse hadn’t walked in a straight line when the fields were plowed. Only sometimes the rows dipped enough to create a crowded plant. I counted thirteen of them, a superstitious number.
“The layout of this field is masterful.” I raised my eyebrows at him. “You?”
“The former queen.”
That was surprising. I hadn’t thought royalty actually worked. Not in any physical way.
“Well, she knew what she was doing,” I said. “Too bad she wasn’t the one who taught you. To un-crowd the plant, you simply prune those around it and give it more breathing room. It’ll spread its leaves and flourish. It won’t hold a grudge. Overall, your garden won’t suffer in production, either, since all the plants are firing on all cylinders. If you then wish to crowd the plant again so you can off your husband, prune it back a little and let the other plants creep in. Easy.”
“You learned all this from a book?” He sounded incredulous.
“From a few, actually. A book on everlass, one about myths and legends, a history of the kingdom, a book on faeries, and finally just trial and error. I definitely filled in a lot of blanks.”
He stared at me for a long moment, balanced on the balls of his feet. Braced for something, or against it, I couldn’t tell which. Whatever it was, the struggle seemed internal.
He gritted his teeth against a strong emotion. For once, he didn’t shove his drama at me, for which I was grateful.
“Our gardens aren’t up to par for a witch,” he said with disdain, but I could tell his heart wasn’t really in it.
“I hear sometimes it’s more work to be a dick than to be a nice guy,” I said softly.
“Do you know from experience?”
“No. For me it’s always been easier to be a dick. Nice people make me nervous.”
A genuine smile stretched across his face, softening his severe appearance. He’d definitely been a looker at one time, before all those scars crisscrossed his skin.
“If you can shift, why don’t you also heal?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me as I helped him work through the field, pruning and now lightly petting the plants. Very high-maintenance, this everlass. Worth the effort.
His expression fell, quickly turning broody again. His muscles tensed. “I can only shift because of sheer determination and a tight connection with my animal. I refused to lose my grip on him, and he was able to force the shift. Our bond is strong, and together we are more powerful than the demon king. We paid the price, though. The magic sheared off our wings with that first change, leaving us ground bound and disfigured. My healing ability is mostly suppressed, too. When I sustain wounds, they last. What woman would want to be stuck with a ground-bound dragon and a scarred man…” He turned and bent, his back to me. “If you had stabbed through my heart with that pocketknife, I would’ve died. You would’ve done what no one else has been able to do these last sixteen years. You would’ve ended this eternal nightmare.”
Pain lanced my heart. Not just for him, but for all of us. I wished someone could explain the curse to me so I could figure out a way to end it. So I could do more than fuss around with finicky plants.
“What would happen if I’d killed you?” I asked, walking closer to him.
“The curse would end and the demon king would finally rule. After that, he’d likely turn everyone into servants or just kill them outright. I don’t know.”
The breath left me. “Well…” I stood and looked down at the plants for a moment, hopelessness welling up. As always in my past, I only let myself dwell for a moment. I let the feeling sink in, and then I rallied. “Where there is life, there is hope. You’re not dead yet, and neither am I. We can find a way. What happens if we kill the demon king?”
He straightened and turned, his beautiful eyes devoid of anger for once. “The power he wields over us will be transferred to the next in line for the demon throne.”
“And if we kill them all?”
A grin worked at his lips. “We don’t have the resources for that.”
I braced my hands on my hips. “I’ll figure it out. There must be something that can be done.”
“Would you sacrifice your life to save this kingdom?”
His voice was thick, and it sounded like a trick question. Regardless, I didn’t need to think about the answer.