A small tree was growing sideways out of the cliff face, its roots clinging stubbornly to the rock. What caught Ethan's attention, however, was the fruit hanging from its branches. There were exactly twenty-seven of them.
He leaned closer for a better look and quickly recognized the tree. It was a persimmon tree, the kind that grew in the northern regions, where the fruit became soft and sweet after being exposed to frost. Ethan had plenty of persimmons and dried persimmons stored in his Soulspace, though he had never particularly cared for them himself.
He found them too astringent for his taste, but Lyla loved them, so he'd made a point of keeping a good supply on hand.
This tree, however, was different in one important respect. It gave off no energy whatsoever, and there was no spiritual aura surrounding its fruit. In other words, it wasn't a spiritual plant.
Yet Ethan knew exactly what it was.
