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He placed the pile on top of the desk and opened the topmost sheet. It was a map marked with several locations in the southern woodlands. “These are the historical growth sites. Three of them are inside the forest south of town.” He pointed to the largest circle. “This one had the most promising soil samples. It’s about a two-hour hike from here, deep in the woods.”

“When’s the next full moon?” Asterion asked.

Nikos smiled for the first time. “Tonight.”

Ria turned to Asterion. “Looks like we’re going for a walk in the woods tonight.”

That hadn’t been on his agenda, but then again, none of this was. “Alright, Korinnae,” he began. “I know you might be scared, but I’ll⁠—”

“Woohoo!” She jumped up, her fists in the air. “We’re going for a night hike! Can we bring some glow sticks?”

Ria chuckled. “Maybe.”

Nikos cleared his throat. “Would you mind if I joined you? I could easily bring you to where I found my initial evidence, plus I’ve been doing more readings and research since my initial search and I think I may know other places the Moonmoss might grow.”

“Sounds great,” Ria said. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you,” the satyr said. “I haven’t thought about Moonmoss in years until Maldenis’s call. You’ve piqued my curiosity, and now I want to see this through.”

“It’s settled then,” Ria said. “We wait until evening and then we go and try to find the Moonmoss.”

“Watch your step,” Asterion said. “There’s a root.”

“I see it,” Ria replied, stepping over it without breaking stride. “I’ve been hiking before, you know.”

The four of them had been walking for nearly two hours, trampling down a trail that had started as a regular hiking path and had since narrowed to a broken and bumpy track. Overhead, the full moon hung low and bright, bathing the forest floor with pale silver light and casting shadows through the canopy.

The day had passed quickly. After the meeting, they’d stayed at Nikos’s greenhouse for several more hours while he walked them through everything he knew about Moonmoss, from growth patterns to soil conditions to harvesting methods and how to handle it without damaging the root system. Korinnae had wandered the greenhouse, treating the place like a playground. She’d found a fern that curled away when you touched it and a flower that hummed when you got close. Nikos, delighted to have an enthusiastic audience—even if she was only ten years old—had explained each one with excitement to match the little calf’s zeal. Afterward, they explored the town and had a meal, but as soon as the sun dropped behind the hills, they set out.

Deep into their hike, the forest was alive with all sorts of sounds and sights. Insects, the rustling of leaves, and once in a while, the call of some nocturnal animal Asterion couldn’t identify. Nikos walked a few paces ahead, consulting his map by the light of a flashlight held between his teeth, muttering to himself. Korinnae trotted beside him, a glow stick necklace around her neck and bracelets on her wrists, asking questions every two seconds.

Asterion fell in step with Ria at the back of the group. The moonlight caught her profile as she walked, tracing the line of her jaw and the curve of her neck. Her hair was tied back for the hike and she’d put on a jacket with the sleeves pushed up past her wrists. She looked comfortable and focused, while also completely unaware that he’d been stealing glances at her for the past fifteen minutes.

He forced his attention back to the trail, but it didn’t solve the problem. This moonlight, woods, and the cozy atmosphere just made everything feel more intimate than it should. His attention was fixed on her every breath and movement. Each time their arms brushed against each other, he thought about their kiss.

“Ooh, look at that!” Korinnae called, then picked up her pace, her hooves clicking on the exposed roots as she moved farther along the path. Nikos glanced back at Asterion and Ria.

“I’ll keep up with her,” he said, already jogging to catch the calf. “She’s asking me about the difference between fungi and moss, and I’m not sure I can stop her now.”

They disappeared around a bend in the trail, and then it was just the two of them, walking together. Almost immediately, the air turned different. Charged, somehow. He could feel Ria beside him, keeping pace, and he knew from the way she was holding herself that she was thinking the same thing he was. He thought of what to say, now that Korinnae was out of earshot, but just couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth to speak.

“So, are we just not going to talk about it?”

His chest tightened and loosened at the same time. He’d been turning the same question over in his head since the gym yesterday. Part of him wanted to talk about it, but part of him had no idea what he’d say if he tried.

“I wasn’t avoiding it,” he said.

“You’ve been staring at trees for the last twenty minutes.”

“I was scanning the perimeter.”

“You were avoiding it. Don’t lie or I’ll zap you again.”

He let out a breath. She was right. In fact, she was always right, which was one of the more infuriating things about her.

“Ria.” He stopped walking.

She halted at the same time, then turned to him. The moonlight caught her face, not even the downward slash of her eyebrows or the way her soft lips pursed could mar her beautiful face. But it was obvious that she was building up to this moment since that morning, when neither of them brought up what happened the day before.