26. Chapter 25 #2
His voice brushed along her spine, taking its time as he waited for her answer.
She swallowed roughly and nodded, her voice lost by the fact that her consent caused his hand to relax on her body.
He might as well have been touching her bare skin by the way it scorched her.
Pull yourself together, she told herself.
“Take a deep breath for me,” he said.
She inhaled deeply, his cardamom scent mixing with the crisp fall leaves and pine. On her exhale, he lifted her arm, and his hand slid down until it was on top of hers. His fingers lightly laced with hers so he could tilt her palm up.
“Before we cast, let’s see if we can have our magic find each other,” he said. “It seems like it’s mostly been subconscious or when we cast together. But maybe we can intentionally reach out.”
“Okay, let’s try it.” She closed her eyes, focusing on him and willing her magic to seek his out.
Her brows scrunched together as she pulled at her energy to chart a new path to his.
It wove through her, searching every corner.
Then…silk. Soft and comforting. His magic washed over her, curling around her own.
“There you are.” His voice came out half sigh and half laugh.
“It’s…gentle. Like a satin ribbon or silk sheets.”
“Really?” he asked, sounding surprised.
“Why? Does it feel different to you?”
“Like flower petals,” he said, his fingers curling in on hers a little more. “Though it was thornier in the past.”
“Maybe because you’ve annoyed me more in the past.”
“And I suspect it won’t be the last time,” he said, snorting under his breath.
“I’d tell you you’re right, but your ego would get bigger. And if that happens, you won’t fit through doors,” she mused. His laugh grew heartier, and she couldn’t help but join him.
“I’m sure you’ll keep me humble enough,” he said once they quieted. “Ready for the spell?”
She nodded. “Ready.”
They raised their arms together toward the water, keeping their hands entwined, as they said the words.
Their magic melded together just as before, a rush of energy flooding her senses as the water rose with steadfast control.
It floated toward them, and instead of a single wall of water forming in front of them like Ezra did on his own; it curved around them, encasing them in a complete shield.
The world around them blurred as they watched in awe at the sunlight rippling across the watery surface, creating streaks of light like those seen beneath the ocean.
Ezra moved closer, and his chest brushed against her shoulder.
In the shield’s reflection, the two of them stood together, and the water cast their images in wavy shades of blue. If she squinted, it was like he was…
“Beautiful,” he whispered, his reflection shifting. She glanced over her shoulder to see him staring at her. His brows shot up as pink flooded his cheeks and he tipped his chin to the shield. “The water, it’s, uh, pretty.”
“Yeah, it is,” she breathed. She wasn’t sure he was talking about the water.
It was the first time he’d been thrown so off guard that she thought the word had slipped out by accident.
A few moments later, the shield parted as the water slowly trickled back home.
Their arms fell back to their sides, and the hand he had on her waist left to wring the back of his neck.
“Uhm, how’re you feeling?” he asked.
She turned to face him fully and paused as she assessed her magic. “It doesn’t feel like I used as much energy as expected.”
“Same for me.” He nodded, his hand falling from his neck and into his pants pockets. “I used only maybe a third of what that spell used back in the grove.”
She went back to her bag at the edge of the forest and pulled out her notebook and a pen. “So, our magic amplifies our spells while using less energy.” She flipped through the pages until she found a blank page and scrawled out her notes.
“Going to write a book about this?” he asked from somewhere behind her. “Make sure you describe me with roguish good looks, please.”
“Sorry, historians have to keep accurate records.” She snickered as he scoffed as if his ego were bruised. She put the notebook back into her bag after she finished her notes and stood to continue teasing him to his face.
Ivy turned, but as she did, her foot twisted on the root of a tree, and she crashed to the ground. A puff of brown smoke billowed in front of her face. She coughed violently as it filled her lungs, and leaves and twigs crunched beneath her as she tried to stand.
When she lifted her head, the moon had replaced the sun. She was deeper in the forest, with no sign of Ezra or the lake in view. “Ezra!” she called out his name.
“I’m here.” His voice echoed through the trees and bounced around her, slowly distorting into a woman’s voice.
“Where are you?” She climbed to her feet, brushing the dirt off her clothes. Instead of her skirt and tights, she was in dark acid-washed jeans and a pink-and-green color-blocked jacket. They were clothes she had as a teenager. She searched around for any sign of Ezra. But there were only trees.