章 47: A Persistent Assistant and a Remembered Smile (2/3)

Rowan approached the grandmother and waited for her to notice him.

"These all look tasteless. I bet none of them are sweet." The old woman's gaze skimmed over the bruises on his face as she shook an apple in his direction. "That's one thing about being so damned old. Nothing tastes like it's supposed to. You look like you've seen better days, young man."

"Oh, I don't know. I've seen worse. At least the sun is out." Rowan plucked a large apple from the back of the pile, high atop the others where the old woman couldn't reach. It had a beautiful pink blush to the yellow skin, and two leaves were still attached to the stem.

He hummed under his breath and infused the fruit with his magic. A tiny white blossom unfurled between the leaves. The woman's cloudy eyes brightened.

He offered her the apple with a slight bow. "I think this one will taste better than the others, but you have to eat it quickly before the song wears off."