Magician's Touch (Deadly Touch book 3) Chapter 35: 35: Sooner The Better

Read chapter 35 of Magician's Touch (Deadly Touch book 3) by Deb E Howell on NovelPedia.

Back at the glowing Ajnai garden, the syrup had cooled to a thin putty. Still hot, but well off the boil, and when Braph scooped some in a ladle he could press a finger into it without scolding, so he palmed some and rolled it around. Not as easily transported as a crystal, but rather pleasant to handle. As he flattened and rolled it, it left a light sheen on his skin, and after only a few manipulations he became aware of a growing sense of well-being. Huh. Enough to do targeted magic? Unlikely just yet. He kept rolling it around, squeezing it in his fist, balling it and squeezing again. Orin leaned over the edge of the bucket and sniffed. “Yum!” He reached into the depths. “Ow!” He shook out his hand and reached down again, soon coming up with his own handful. He swapped it into his other hand, shaking out the groper, then he put it to his lips, testing the temperature before unleashing his tongue. “Orin!” The boy flinched at his mother’s alarm and pulled the malleable sap from his face, which twisted in preparation for unleashing a whine. “The Syaenuk mother of an Immortal child and still so protective. I’m quite sure he would be fine, love, even if he was mundane.” Braph considered demonstrating but had no interest in dealing with the stuff sticking to his teeth. Besides, when an alternative test subject volunteered it seemed sensible to allow them to provide their services. Orinia conceded with tight lips and Orin immediately took that as a go-ahead, biting into his soft ball and tugging. And tugging, his hand a foot from his face, attached via the thick sap. He laughed and brought his other hand up to wrangle it, delighted by the exercise. No, not something Braph wanted to do. Certainly not with an audience. He was quite content, for now, to mold and re-mold his handful. Maura had procured an amber necklace for Orin during his infancy, meant to aid with teething pain. It seemed Ajnai oils crossed the skin much as those in amber were theorized to. Fascinating. Eventually Orin manipulated a break in the taffy and, while his hands toiled to keep it from dragging in the dirt, he worked his jaw hard to part his teeth and attempt to move his mouthful about, but it was well stuck. Once he had the stuff gathered in his hands, he dumped it over the side of the pot, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from Braph, but he could only keep his eyes closed on his spike of anger at the contamination briefly, as curious as he was in his son’s actions. Orin poked a finger into his mouth, trying to peel the sap from his teeth. Interesting how it rolled around a hand so easily, and yet in the mouth it was quick to stick. Braph slowly released his breath and fury. He had to boil the syrup another hour or more yet anyway, whatever contamination his son had introduced would likely be dealt with in that process. “Please tell me you intend for us to return to the hotel tonight,” Orinia said. “Syaenuk I may be, but I still value a comfortable sleep.” “Of course, love.” Braph draped an arm across her shoulders, drew her to him. “I understand the difference between surviving and truly living. And I shan’t subject the love of my life to sleeping beneath settling dew.” He beamed at her as she raised her head to meet his eye, smiling. Ah, what a prize she was. Orin made a sickly, hacking noise causing both his parents turn to him, but he has making commentary on their flirtation, not choking on the gooey sweet, which he had now collected on the end of an index finger. Disgusting. And yet priceless. Still disgusting. Braph rolled his own handful back into the large pot. As much as he wished to take it with him, he could only see it collecting lint and dust on its travels. He would collect more fresh sap and experiment with further simmering the next day. For now, though, he had to admit his own need for sleep. “Don’t return that to the pot. Eat it or— Just eat it.” Braph couldn’t bring himself to be okay with the sap being left in the dirt, no doubt to b