48. Ivy
Ivy
I feel like I've been hit by a bus. Light streams through what I recognize as my bedroom windows at the top of Everlane Cottage. My bed is soft and warm around me, pillows piled up and blankets weighing me down pleasantly. My stomach growls at the aroma of fresh cinnamon rolls, rich and sweet, drifting up from somewhere downstairs. Outside the window, the light is gray and soft. Birds are chirping somewhere close and the faint sounds of town drift. There are voices, clattering sounds and the ordinary noises of life. We’re still alive.
Soft footfalls pull my attention to the loft stairs. Conall's greenish-black hair appears over the edge of the floor, and he carries a tray in his hands. "I heard you tossing around up here," he says. "Then I heard your stomach and figured I was safe to bring up breakfast."
I smile and wince.
"Careful." He sets the tray on the bedside table and sits on the edge of the bed, brushing his knuckles over my cheek. "You took quite a fall at the end. Passed out."
"But not dead," I remind him with a smile. He does not smile back. He frowns, leans in, and cups the back of my neck, pulling me closer to kiss me. His warm lips meet my slightly cool ones.
"I love you," I whisper, the admission surprising me as much as him. Though he recovers quickly.
"I love you. You know I love you." His lips meet mine again and again until my stomach stages a rebellion and makes a very loud and very embarrassing sound. My face flames, but he just kisses the side of my neck and places the tray on my lap.
"Eat. Eat while I tell you the crazy news."
I settle back and pull apart my cinnamon roll, eyeing him expectantly. His hand smooths over the blanket across my legs.
"First, the completion spell seems to have gone through correctly, so bravo on saying the words well enough that the magic understood you."
I tense. "And?"
"And the island didn't blow up." He dips his finger into a little of the cream cheese and brings it to my lips. I lean forward and take the tip into my mouth, sucking and swirling my tongue. Conall's eyes darken as I pull away.
"Focus," I teasingly scold. "What happened?"
"Well." He reaches into the bedside drawer and pulls out my useless phone that I'd given up hope of ever using again. He presses the side button, and the screen comes to life.
I actually squeal, snatching it from his hand as he laughs low. The screen lights up. I have access to all my photos and my apps, and absolutely no cell service. I scowl at the screen.
"It's not just that. We have steadier electrical access. Laz cast some kind of spell so that outlets, TVs, and lights would work again, though still inconsistently. All because of the new wards. Apparently, they allow electrical flow better."
"Thank God. I'm so sick of seeing everything by candlelight. My poor eyes." I swoon dramatically, throwing an arm over my face. When I look back up, his smile has brought out those dimples I love.
“Don’t throw out those candles yet. There’re still regular outages. We can't be totally certain what all the adjustments are, but Laz has been testing them. Radio, television, and satellite frequencies are getting through, though sporadically." He pauses.
I’m dying. Patience is not in my vocabulary right now. "What about being able to come to the island? Has anyone come?"
"Yep. A mermaid washed ashore not long after sunrise. A kelpie immediately recognized her as his mate. And..." he hovers in suspense.
I lightly slap his arm. "And?"
"There are currently a bunch of mermaid-kelpie hybrid eggs attached to the end of the ferry dock."
I stare.
"What time is it?" I lunge for my phone. Two thirty in the afternoon.
"Yeah, I just reheated the rolls. You were out for a while."
"But not a whole day even. They made egg things in less than a day?"
He laughs, stealing a small bite of roll off my almost empty plate. "Fish folk tend not to waste time. My bet is those eggs hatch in a month or two."
For a moment, I think of a little baby with my curly hair and pretty green eyes and maybe a tail. My eyes automatically find Conall's, and he's already looking back at me as though he's thinking about the exact same thing.
He smiles. "There's one more thing."