Jasper landed by the water’s edge and tucked his massive wings out of the way. Then he eased Dawn’s feet to the ground. She leaned back against his granite chest and stared out over the water. Under the moon’s touch, the lake glowed silver and reflected the stars above. Why did the black vine surround the lake but not venture close to the water? There was something significant in that, which might help Dawn in her battle against Ava.

She let the tranquillity of the lake wash over her as her mind sorted through a myriad of things that drifted past. Foremost was her acceptance of Jasper’s words as true. That Ava had forced him to the assignations in the maze by using the threat of compelling Elijah. That she bound Jasper to make him complicit in spreading her vine over the estate.

If the other woman intended to drive Dawn from the estate, it had nearly worked. If not for the quiet request from Elijah that she consider the situation from all angles, then she may have fled. Dawn didn’t have the luxury of time to wallow in hurt feelings or to take weeks to consider his words and actions before extending forgiveness and understanding.

Her fingers scraped against Jasper’s stone arms. The Cor-vitis wriggled into life on her right hand, even while her left wrist darkened from Ava’s touch. Which would win? If Ava’s vine consumed her, would she become part of the blight that consumed the estate?

She turned in Jasper’s arms. With him in the much taller gargoyle form, her nose was barely mid chest level. At least she didn’t have to meet his serious face when she asked her next question. “If I take Ava’s place, will I become like her? Will I transform into a horrible tree creature who haunts the forested areas?”

Dawn distracted herself by running a hand along a granite forearm, fascinated by the difference between what her eyes saw and her fingertips felt. Cold rock was actually solid heat. He would be magnificent to curl up next to in winter when snow blanketed the landscape.

He flexed his arm, and it was like watching boulders shift under the ground. “No. Ava became what she always was: a selfish, evil thing. I wish you had known my mother, because then you would know a heart should be loving, caring, and nurturing. The heart also usually dwells in the house and sleeps in a bed, not under a hedge.”

Her mind leapt on a more suitable replacement for her twisted image of what the garden’s heart would become. Jasper and Lettie’s mother had founded this garden. She had planned the layout and nurtured everything it touched. It soothed Dawn’s concerns to know she could emulate one woman and not the other. “I cannot meet Serena, but I could continue her legacy.”

Her exploring hand continued up over a bicep, and then she stretched to reach his shoulder. She longed to follow the lines of his huge wings and wondered how he used the claws at each tip. They seemed to retract and extend like cat claws. “I do wonder if Paracelsus ever saw one of your kind that he named your element gnome. It seems more like a cruel jest.”

Jasper captured her roving hand and kissed her fingertips. It was a warm caress, like brushing against a fire brick. “Are you not scared by this countenance? I understand if you find me ugly to behold. It would only take a moment to shift back to my human form.”

“No, don’t change yet.” She lifted her arms to cup a chiselled face and stroke a stone cheek. “When I first saw you in the maze I was afraid. But as soon as you looked at me, I knew it was you. The exterior doesn’t matter, for it is the soul within that I see.”

She didn’t know yet if she could call the swelling in her heart love. A part of her baulked and argued it was too soon, that they needed a slow courtship of months, or even years, to come to such a realisation. Then another part of her trusted that a much larger force knew, even if she didn’t. Just as Mouse gave his whole being and affection in an instant, she could offer Jasper all that she was.

She held out her right hand and the tiny vine wriggled and squirmed as it tried to break free of her grasp. “If I accept the Cor-vitis bond, will it break Ava’s hold over you as Lord Warder?”

Jasper closed his much larger hand around hers, and a green tendril escaped between closed fingers. “No, as she still controls the sanctuary. But it would give me a refuge, a quiet place to be where she cannot reach me.”

Dawn’s mind raced ahead thinking like a general, marshalling troops and trying to surround an enemy. Although admittedly her foes were normally of the insect variety and her battle ground was a few square feet, not hundreds of acres. “It might still weaken her position though and make it easier for you to resist her call.”

Was there a chance that accepting the Cor-vitis bond might drive Ava’s invading vine from her body? It could be her cure, but how would they ever heal Lettie?

“Remember the link runs both ways. Us being bonded will also weaken my hold over her,” he whispered.

“What do you mean?” What power did the Lord Warder have over the garden’s heart?

“Just as she can summon me, I have been able to contain her and she cannot escape the boundary of this estate. If I am free, so is she, and I do not know what she might do to the wider community.” He held his arms around her, holding her in a stone barrier.

“Our actions will be a stone thrown in the lake. Ripples are the consequences we must consider.” Bonding with Jasper could free him and possibly combat the poison in her body, but what mischief could Ava cause before they could defeat her?

Jasper let out a sigh and his shoulders sagged. He dropped his arms and the Cor-vitis vanished. “You can replace Ava without having an emotional connection with me; that would keep her restrained. I won’t have you doing this for the wrong reasons, Dawn. It shouldn’t be because you want to weaken Ava or make a strike against her. Do it because you want the deep connection the Cor-vitis offers. Do it because you desire me, because your body craves to know me intimately, because there is a stirring in your heart.” Then at the end his voice dropped lower and he whispered, “Do it for me, not for her.”

She knew her heart, but he did not. Whatever her reservations about how long it should take to fall in love, she knew in her bones that she wanted to pursue her feelings for Jasper. The quiet spot had silenced the chaos in her mind, and now her path lay clear. “I had already made up my mind. I planned to give you my answer over our celebratory dinner, after we had breached the centre of the maze.”

He froze and his body turned to a statue but his eyes, heavy with expectation, fixed on her. At least he didn’t frown. “And if that dinner had happened, what answer would you have given me?”

She laid one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek. “That I want this. That I desire, crave, and need this connection with you. That I would give you all that I am to be able to care for this land and these people, at your side.”

Hunger and hope flared in his eyes. “You would accept the Cor-vitis and be my bonded mate?”

If she only had one day, she would spend it with him. “Yes.” One word and she gave him everything.

He held her gently as though she were a rare orchid placed in his hands that he was frightened he would break. Then he inhaled and regained his taller posture.

How exactly did one tell a magical grapevine that you accepted its mad offer – sign a contract or dance under a full moon? Another part of her sighed at the thought of being drunk on love for Jasper. “What do we do now?”

A smile spread over his face. “We give the Cor-vitis free and unfettered access to every inch of our skin so it can weave us together.”

Heat surged through her torso. There was one thing that bothered her. He had spent years at the beck and call of Ava, having to provide the seed for her to spread her poison over the land. Would he want to do such a thing with Dawn? Not that she had any plans for monstrous life-sucking vines.

“Can you do this, after what Ava has inflicted upon you? Will it make you…uncomfortable? I don’t want to compel you, like she does.” Dawn dropped her hands to her sides.

Jasper reached for her and wrapped her hands in his. “To think I worried that you would feel forced by events, and you are concerned if I can go through with the act.”

“She made you do something against your will, I would not have you revisit that memory.”

“You will wipe those memories clean. I only ever go to her in my stone form, and I grit my teeth and endure. With you, I would be me – the man – and I intend to take my time to learn everything about you. This is something I willingly embrace, there is no force or coercion.” He raised one hand and kissed her knuckles.

Heat spread through Dawn’s arm even as her stomach roiled. As much as she wanted this, a nervous energy took hold of her. She was rather lacking in experience and hoped enthusiasm would suffice.

“Take me to the cottage, please,” she whispered.

Jasper picked her up and jumped toward the sky. It only took a few massive wing strokes and he landed outside the cottage door. He lowered her to the ground and then took a step backward. Mouse sat on the doorstep, and his tail wagged back and forth as he waited.

Jasper shook like a dog that had climbed out of water. Chips and pebbles cracked and crumbled off his form and were tossed about but they never touched her or the ground. They vanished into the air like the Cor-vitis when they broke apart.

Within the span of two heartbeats, he stood before her as the man. A ruggedly handsome man who made blood thrum in her veins. He wore trousers tucked into tall boots and a linen shirt that was half unbuttoned. Where had he hidden his clothes – under his stone form? These were more questions she wanted answered, later. Much, much later.

“Come in,” she whispered and pushed the door open.

Mouse trotted in first and threw himself down by the cold hearth with a heavy sigh. Then Jasper followed her into the darkened cottage, closed the door, and drew the bolt across.

Dawn stood in the small parlour as her nerves rose to the surface. To calm herself, she walked to the map painted on the kitchen wall. She traced a line with a fingertip, marvelling at the unseen hand that transposed events outside the door onto the drawing. “The path we cut through the maze has been cleared.”

“I imagine the unseen artist will be busy over the next few months as the estate is cleared,” his voice said from behind her.

She turned to find him an arm’s reach away, as though he waited for her to go to him.

Jasper stretched out a hand and stroked a short curl of hair over his finger. “I like short hair on you.”

Dawn managed a small nervous smile. Now that he was here in the cottage, the riot inside her body and mind threatened to overwhelm her. “Marjory said I might spark a new trend, but I doubt short hair on women will ever become popular.”

His hand dropped away. “Nothing has to happen tonight, Dawn. We could make cocoa and play chess if you prefer. It is enough that you do not hold events against me.”

The ache in her chest had dissipated, and now she felt more foolish that she had so wrongly interpreted what she saw. The way Ava bound him with her vines should have been evidence enough that he was unwilling. She had allowed a tiny voice of uncertainly to convince her it was some game they played. “I was angry because I didn’t understand, and that hurt.”

Her heart swelled as she contemplated her gentleman gargoyle. What activity did her heart desire – chess, or an entirely different game? Dawn took a step to close the distance between them and placed her arms around his neck.

He stroked the side of her face and then moved his hand to rest on her nape. “Let us work together to ensure there are no more misunderstandings between us.”

She reached up on her toes to kiss his lips and he returned the kiss gently, teasing her until she forgot her concerns and worries and leaned into him, seeking more.

As the kiss deepened, Dawn sighed, not wanting it to end. She could kiss him forever. His lips against hers made blood pound through her body, and a clean heat fought the burn from Ava’s scratches. Like a seedling that had been deprived of sun, new feelings unfurled inside her at his touch. Her hands pulled at his shirt and found a way under so her fingertips could glide over his flesh.

He nipped at her bottom lip and then released her. Dawn’s disappointment bloomed into a hotter excitement as he grabbed the back of his collar and pulled the shirt up and over his head. Jasper tossed the shirt over a kitchen chair and then opened his arms to her.

Her hungry gaze roamed over his torso. His human form was finely sculpted compared to his gargoyle shape, but they were both works of art in different ways. One was a piece by a master sculptor, the other a rougher work of nature, and she longed to be familiar with the contours of both.

Dawn returned to his embrace, her hands exploring his body as he claimed her lips again. She parted her lips to stroke his tongue with hers as the fire flared inside her. If he stoked her hot enough, would cleansing fire burn away all trace of Ava’s vine?

“I don’t want to play chess,” she murmured. She reached down and undid the knot in her robe.

Jasper pushed the dressing gown from her shoulders and she stood before him in just the light nightgown. He gathered her to him and kissed his way down her neck.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered, arching her neck to give him better access to her throat.

Once more he swung her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, where he placed her on the bed. He lit the bedside lamp, which cast a yellow glow over the room and enveloped them in a welcoming light.

Dawn slid under the blankets and waited, wondering if he could hear the pounding in her chest as he toed off his boots. Clad in just his trousers, Jasper sat on the edge of the bed. His eyes seemed the silver of mercury as he looked at her.

“What do I do?” she asked. What they were about to do must surely be like a dance, with steps she needed to learn and practice until she became proficient.

He caged her body with his arms and leaned forward, resting his weight on his knuckles. He kissed her neck and left a trail of fiery kisses as he progressed down to her collarbone. “You don’t do anything but relax and enjoy. We have all night, and I intend to take my time finding out what you like and what makes you gasp.”

“That seems rather passive.” Dawn tried to recollect the advice in The Handbook for Ladies, but despite its three hundred pages, only one sentence was devoted to marital relations. It advised the newlywed young lady to close her eyes and use the time to plan the next night’s dinner menu. The only dinner item Dawn could conjure in her mind was pudding, as Jasper’s attention turned her insides to jelly.

“There is as much pleasure in giving as receiving,” he said as he stroked her body through the thin cotton of her night attire.

A shiver ran through Dawn as Jasper touched her gently. She sighed and pressed her head back to the pillow. While she soaked up his touch like parched earth blessed with warm rain, she decided to embark on her own exploration. With hesitant touches, she traced lines along Jasper’s torso as far as she could reach. She revelled in the shape of muscles under skin and ran her nails along a bicep.

Jasper sucked in a breath and captured her hand.

“Did I hurt you?” she whispered. Had she done it terribly wrong? Perhaps she should try to plan dinner menus after all, or if she stuck to her strengths, planting arrangements.

He smiled and pressed her hand to his chest. “Quite the opposite, but I prefer it to be harder. Remember what I am made of. You cannot hurt me.”

“Oh.” Being brave and taking him at his word, Dawn scraped harder with her nails as she ran her hand up his pectoral.

Jasper closed his eyes as he let out a ragged gasp of “Yes.”

He enjoys my touch. Heat shot through Dawn at bringing him even a small portion of the pleasure he gave her. Jasper’s head dropped as he returned to kiss and stroke her through the flimsy layer of fabric. As pleasure unfurled in her body, Dawn no longer tried to hold in her soft cries and gasps. Her nervousness evaporated, and she found the nightgown an obstacle that needed removing so there was no barrier between them. Likewise her seeking hands were frustrated by Jasper’s trousers, as there were other parts of him she wanted to explore.

“Take it off, please,” she whispered, pulling the fabric up her body.

Jasper slid his hands along her sides as he removed the delicate garment and tossed it to the floor. Then he removed his trousers before sliding back into bed beside her.

Dawn thought she would be embarrassed to be naked before a man, but all she wanted was his hot skin pressed to hers. She bloomed under his touch and sought his heat like a sun-loving plant. Dawn moaned and pressed herself closer as the weight of him against her increased her need. Her fingers dug into his back, but he wouldn’t be hurried. Liquid heat rolled through her torso and pooled low in her centre.

Her arm tickled as the Cor-vitis sprang into life and began twisting between them. With naked flesh sliding against naked flesh, the bonding plant exploded in a frenzy of growth. The main trunk that ran from Dawn’s palm sprouted numerous offshoots that raced over their bodies. Leaves appeared and shimmied as it covered them in a green blanket. Dawn thought the plant would be an annoying impediment, but it seemed visible yet intangible. Its tendrils split apart and reformed each time they moved. Even its touch was a whisper against her skin as though Jasper dragged the finest silk over her and it made her gasp.

Time lost all meaning as Jasper created a secret world for Dawn. In the cosy bedroom, he showed her pleasure she had never experienced before, teaching her about her body’s responses to him. Each time she crested a peak, she thought that was the ultimate and she couldn’t climb any higher. Then Jasper would give her a scant moment to catch her breath before he lavished more kisses, touches, and strokes over her body, urging her higher and higher.

Drunk on love. Dawn’s mind spun in a blissful state as she let go and trusted in Jasper. The Cor-vitis tickled the inside of her legs as Jasper’s rough cheek brushed her skin. She clenched her thighs together and squirmed as pressure built inside her. Her body craved something that was yet out of reach. All she knew was that she wanted more and didn’t want it to end.

She sighed, rubbing her skin against his as she dragged her nails over his muscles. Her hunger for him was a yawning void inside her that demanded more. She couldn’t get enough of him, and each stroke and caress fed the hunger and made it voracious.

“More,” she whispered. “I want more.”

He pushed off his arms to put a margin of distance between them. Dawn arched her back to follow him. The ache in her breasts needed the pressure of his hand or touch of his chest to alleviate them. She was a fire that needed to be fed before it would be sated.

A chuckle rumbled through him. “Are you sure you want more?”

“Yes.” Her cry turned into a gasp as he lowered himself and slowly joined their bodies.

Dawn closed her eyes in wonder, marvelling at the feel of him. Her gardening mind formed a pun about the earth Elemental ploughing deep furrows, then the thought spiralled out of her head, chased away by a spreading ripple of pleasure. At last her ache would be satisfied, and by instinct she wrapped her legs around him and pulled him closer, deeper.

Jasper refused to be hurried even as Dawn raked him with her nails and bit at his shoulder. He laughed and maintained a slow, gentle rhythm that she was sure would drive her mad. His slow thrusts stoked her internal fire to the exploding point.

Just when she thought she could take no more, pleasure erupted through her body. She cried out, and Jasper groaned as he followed her over the precipice. Several heartbeats later, he rolled to one side and pulled her close.

Her heart galloped so fast she hoped she didn’t expire in a cruel twist by the Grim Reaper. Dawn lay in Jasper’s arms and marvelled at what had occurred. Not just the physical aspect, although she was heartened by his promises to do it again and often. It was the change wrought by the tiny Cor-vitis.

The plant appeared to have exhausted itself and disappeared, but it had turned her body into a canvas, painted in a palette of greens and browns that obscured the black lines from Ava’s poison. Intricate patterns covered every inch of her skin. Even the palms of her hands and, when she waved a foot in the air, her soles, sprouted Celtic knots in never-ending spirals. Jasper was the same, and it fascinated Dawn that when she compared their arms and chests, he wore the exact same pattern but slightly larger to encompass a bigger area.

Jasper chuckled and stroked his hand along her arm. “It won’t always be like this. Think of it like a bonfire. This is the first explosion of tall flames, but over time it will reduce to the quiet embers that contain the true heat. Each time will be different, but the permanent mark will be smaller and more discreet.”

She traced a line on his chest with a fingertip, following the swoops and whirls. Another pattern was more geometric, and it reminded her of something else. Her finger went around and around before the similarity of the design to something else clicked in her mind.

“It’s the maze,” she whispered and then looked down. On both their torsos, the intricate puzzle of turns and dead ends was re-created by the clever Cor-vitis.

“Is it? I wonder what’s on the other side.” He rolled her over onto her stomach and dropped his head, using his tongue to trace a pattern along her spine.

Dawn laughed and tried, none too hard, to evade his tongue. “We need to talk. Or rather you can talk while I catch my breath. It’s time you told me the full story of Ava and Julian so I understand what we face.”