Kiss of the Rootbound

Botanist Silas wanders into a forbidden forest and is fitted with a living root by Ilowyn, a tree spirit who has been sealed away for three centuries. The root keeps him within fifty paces of the spirit, and if he strays farther, it drains his breath within seven seconds. Only Ilowyn's sap can make Silas's birthmark glow silver, which is the one thing that could either break the seal or end his life. Each day their uneasy bond grows more intimate and dangerous, even as their old master stirs and threatens to pull them back into the seal.