He stopped, his chest heaving, and his tiny hands balled into fists.
Then, his gaze flicked over her fully for the first time.
“…Wait. How are you normal-sized again?”
Spring, still stunned into silence, gently lowered her hands to the moss. She opened her palms so he could step down. “Madura helped me. She gave me this.”
She reached into the pouch at her hip and pulled out a shimmering sliver of the mushroom. “It’s from her garden. A bite will reverse the spell. But you have to be careful how much?—”
Roam had already snatched a piece and shoved it into his mouth.
“Roam, wait?—!”
Too late.
The magic took hold instantly.
He blinked, stumbled—and began to grow.
Spring scrambled backward and stood as Roam grew taller and broader until he stood before her at full size, his wild blue eyes now looking down at her. She hadn’t realized just how much he’d grown in the past year!
She opened her mouth to warn him not to take any more—when he grabbed her shoulders.
She gasped, startled—but then his mouth crushed against hers.
It wasn’t careful.
It wasn’t gentle.
It was heat, and desperation, and fear, and relief, all wrapped in the tremble of lips that might never have had the chance to find hers if things had gone terribly wrong.
Spring froze.
Then melted against him.
Her hands slid up his arms, gripping the edges of his shirt, grounding herself as his kiss deepened. His fingers flexed against her shoulders like he didn’t know how to let go.
When he finally pulled back, they were both breathing hard.
Spring’s eyes were wide, stunned. “Roam…?”
He didn’t move. Just stared at her, fierce and uncertain all at once.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he said quietly.
A soft breath escaped her. “I came back.”
His lips twitched. “Just in the nick of time.”
She punched him lightly in the arm. “Next time, you can be the one stuck in a glass jar.”
His smile wavered and grew serious. “I hope there won’t be a next time. I… I don’t like the thought of you being in danger.”
Spring’s breath caught as he pulled her forward again, slower this time. This time, his kiss was tender, searching. Inside her, Spring felt her dragon’s rumble of approval while the echo of Roam’s cat purring made her tremble.
Chapter Thirty
The moss was damp beneath Roam’s boots as he followed Spring along the narrow, winding trail, ducking under low-hanging leaves and brushing aside vines that looked more curious than threatening. The forest hummed with life—buzzing insects, birds with haunting calls, and an occasional breeze that rustled the canopy like whispered secrets between ancient trees.
