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be ready to part with her. But sooner or later, he wouldn’t have a choice. His strength was fading. If he remained here with the constant draw on his resources, they’d be depleted and he end up as nothing more than a human—though possibly a human with the ability to use magic. Possibly not. But as he stared down at Rowan, he wondered if that wouldn’t be such a bad way to live.
    He pushed her camisole and skirt down over her hips and off her body. He wanted nothing between them this time. Only the welcome heat of her body and the gentle promise of her kisses. Capturing her lips, he kissed her deeply, needing her once more without the glamour of magic between them. Just a man and a woman coming together as nature intended. And if he had his way, they’d spend a lifetime exploring each other.
    * * * *
    Rowan woke to the feeling of grass tickling her nose and the scent of flowers. Squinting against the bright sunlight, she opened her eyes. She was in the orchard. Naked. What the hell? Memories of the night before came rushing back, slamming into her with the force of a freight train. Gwydion…the vines…the spell.
    Pushing herself into an upright position, she looked wildly around the clearing. He was nowhere to be found. Quickly tugging on her clothes, she picked up her ruined underwear. Flowers had sprouted everywhere she looked. Delicate blue and white willow asters, rock cress and some sort of odd-looking, pink-speckled white orchid type bloom. She’d never seen so many flowers here—even at the height of summer.
    Movement near the tree trunks caught her attention. Odd brown and yellow ground birds hopped around digging for bugs in the dirt while dark bluish-gray butterflies fluttered around the lupine that had sprung up overnight. Even the nearby stream seemed clearer and fuller than she’d ever remembered seeing it.
    Insistent chirping drew her gaze upward. Two yellow-headed blackbirds sat in a nest in a branch directly above her head. Hope and happiness collided. When the Environmental Protection Agency inspectors arrived, there’d actually be a chance at saving the land. But where the hell was Gwydion?
    She glanced around again looking for any sign of him, but all she found were two piles of dead leaves at her feet looking chillingly out of place with all the greenery and growth. Still clutching her ruined panties, she ran up the path toward the house. She threw open the backdoor startling Meaghan where she sat blearily cradling a cup of coffee.
    “Have you seen Gwydion?” Rowan asked.
    Meaghan shook her head. “The last time I saw him was when he went out to look for you last night. Didn’t he find you?”
    “He found me.” She raced toward her bedroom, hoping that maybe he’d snuck past Meg and was taking a nap on her bed. Neither one of them had gotten much sleep since they’d met, and he’d looked so exhausted last night after the spell. When she opened the door, she saw her bed was empty, looking the same as it had when they’d crawled out of it yesterday.
    Maybe she’d missed him outside. Maybe he was still out there, wondering where she’d gone. After dropping the undies she still held in a wastebasket, she headed back outside. Her steps slowed as she approached the orchard. Everything looked the same as it had when she’d woken up. There was still no Gwydion.
    Then it dawned on her. He’d said he’d stay until he’d done what he’d been summoned to do. She sat down on the ground, suddenly empty. He’d done it. He’d saved what needed saving. And he’d broken her heart in the process.
    “Ro…you okay?” Meaghan asked from behind her.
    “Yeah. I’m fine.” Rowan blinked back tears and looked back at her friend.
    The other woman slowly turned in circles staring dumbfounded. “Ho-lee shit. Look at this place,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Then more loudly, “You did it! Oh my god! You did it!” She spun around again. “Where’s Gwydion?”
    Rowan shook her