He let go as soon as he could, though, and took off his life jacket to throw it in the boat. “Lead the way.”
I nodded and started up the dock, following the pull of the magic. As soon as I stepped onto the rocky land, I felt the magic whoosh up through my feet. I gasped, stopping dead still as it flowed through me.
“This place is amazing,” I breathed. “Do you feel it?”
“I don’t.”
Probably because he was a wolf and not a witch. I closed my eyes and absorbed the power, then opened them and continued toward the interior of the island. It was a rocky ascent up a steep hill, but scrubby flowers grew in the gaps between the stones, and rugged little trees gave me the occasional handhold to keep from slipping. As we neared the top, I spotted some abandoned cottages and made a note to ask Emma why no witches lived in them anymore. They were falling down, so it had clearly been a while since they’d been inhabited.
Maybe the power was just too much to deal with on an everyday basis. It was already starting to make me jittery.
“Do you know where we’re going?” Rafe asked from behind me as I reached the top of the hill.
The land was flatter up here, and there were far more of the twisted, ancient trees that grew no taller than the top of Rafe’s head. They formed a small forest in the middle of the island, and I pointed to it. “There. I can feel the power emanating from the grove.”
I headed toward it, breathing deeply of the magical air. The pearly fog that had concealed the island was thicker in the grove, and up close, I could see that it sparkled with silvery magic. I reached out a hand to touch it, and the sparkles danced around my fingertips. I laughed, filled with the purest joy I’d ever felt.
As we walked through the trees, large, luminescent moths fluttered around us. They were beautiful, fluttering in the air around the gnarled tree branches. The trees themselves seemed to breathe, emanating a wisdom I’d only ever seen in sentient beings.
“This place is special,” Rafe said. “Even I can feel it.”
I smiled. “It really is.”
We reached the middle of the grove, which was marked by a circle of thick green moss. I had to guess that the space had been cultivated long ago by the witches who’d lived here because it was so round and devoid of trees.
“It’s perfect,” I murmured as I walked into the middle of the clearing.
Rafe followed, and I turned to him.
All around, wind rustled through the leaves. They seemed to sing a wordless song that filtered through my soul, making me feel connected to the island and the power within it. I’d thought I might call Poa to me once I arrived—she’d refused to ride in the boat—but there was so much power in the air that it was unnecessary. In fact, I didn’t think I could handle any more power.
Rafe stopped in front of me, and I looked up at him. There was an intensity to his eyes that had nothing to do with the magic. When his gaze lingered on my lips, I couldn’t help but think of the kiss we’d shared that night after the bar. Everything in me ached to stand on tiptoe and press my lips to his. From the heat in his eyes, he was thinking something very similar.
As if to remind me of my purpose, a sparkling shimmer of silver magic darted between our faces. I gasped, laughing slightly.
“You’re the most joyful person I’ve ever met,” he said, and there was the faintest tone of wonder to his voice. It was entirely unexpected.
“It’s easy to be so when I’m here.” I smiled up at him.
“Not just here.” He shook his head, as if reprimanding himself for what he’d said. “What do I need to do for this spell to work?”
“Right.” I cleared away any thoughts of romance and raised my hand to press it to his chest. “May I?”
He nodded.
I laid the flat of my palm against him, then frowned. “I think…”
I trailed off, but he finished the sentence for me. “I need to take off my shirt, don’t I?”
I nodded, blushing slightly. I really shouldn’t be blushing—it was downright ridiculous. But I just couldn’t help it. Being close to him made me think all kinds of thoughts I didn’t want to share. Unfortunately, my face had other ideas, because it just loved broadcasting my embarrassment to the world. I could feel the heat flushing my cheeks.
He reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head, revealing the smooth planes of muscle that my fingertips itched to touch. I’d never objectified anyone so much in my whole life as I did with Rafe, but I’d also never been around someone so insanely beautiful. He was a work of living art.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“That I need to do my laundry.”
“Mm-hmm.” His murmur of agreement was clearly disbelieving, and when I looked up to meet his gaze, the heat in his eyes had only flamed hotter.
This was so not the place. Dark was falling, and I could smell rain on the air. I needed to do my thing before the weather turned and we were forced to leave.
“Here goes nothing,” I said, raising my hand to press my palm to his skin.
Just like last night, my hand tingled, and heat raced up my arm. His breathing stilled as if he were holding it. I realized that I was holding my breath, too, and forced myself to inhale. Sweet, rain-damp air entered my lungs, and I called upon my magic.
It filled me with such a rush of power that I gasped and had to press my hand harder to Rafe’s chest to keep from being blown away from him. A vision flashed in my mind, bright and clear. Rafe and a woman stood within a circle of massive standing stones, each rock tall and straight, their sides decorated with sacred carvings.
I know this place.
Then darkness took me.
Chapter
Twenty-One
Rafe
Thunder cracked as Isobel collapsed to the mossy ground. My fear spiked, and I dropped to my knees. “Isobel!”
I cradled her head, searching her pale face for any sign of consciousness. Her skin had turned white right after surprise had flashed in her eyes, and she’d passed out. Now, dark shadows colored the hollows beneath her eyes.
“Isobel, wake up.” I lifted her to me, cradling her against my chest. Fear like I’d never known surged through my veins as lightning struck far in the distance.
I was a curse.
I’d hurt her just like I’d hurt the Jade Sorceress, and I hadn’t even realized it would happen.
In my arms, Isobel jerked and gasped, pulling back slightly to look up at me. Her voice shook as she said, “I saw where she performed the spell.”
“I don’t care about that. Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She gave a shaky little laugh. “More than okay. I feel great, actually.”
“Great? You just collapsed.”
“It was the magic. I couldn’t handle it.” She patted the moss next to her. “Anyway, the ground is soft.”
“If you say so.” I looked her up and down, searching for any sign of injury. “You’re sure you’re not hurt?”
“I’m sure.” She pushed herself to her feet, and I joined her.
Lightning struck again, and I counted the seconds until I heard the thunder. It still wasn’t raining, but the storm was coming. The houses I’d seen on our hike up here weren’t nearly sound enough for us to weather a storm at this time of year. “I didn’t see this storm on the forecast, but we should leave before it arrives. It could be a big one.”