Chapter 14 #2
It was the only hope she still had.
In her mind’s eye she saw Noah, standing outside the cave in the rain, holding her, so close to kissing her, his eyes aglow with desire. It was an impossible thing, a dream she never thought to have. It was pure and perfect. A perfect moment filled with endless potential.
She felt everything change, felt the threads of power burst back into life through her, in her, felt the island stir and awaken and see her, as if a great leviathan had suddenly opened an eye, and smiled.
Downstairs, Ophelia gave a cry of alarm as the teapot slipped from her hand and smashed on the kitchen floor.
Portia felt the surge of desire as Weir paused in his song to kiss August, and August smiled against his lips.
In the snuggery, Seb laughed out loud, a sound of wild delight as the whirl of the dragons settled on him, all of them bathing in the magic that came from him as naturally as breath.
She felt Iris’s heart race with joy when she looked at the dragons moving through the air.
All those emotions coalesced within her chest.
Something else moved, something deeper shimmering through the whole island, stirring up every artifact in the emporium so much that Lore the raven cried out in rage at the arcane interference in his world.
In the library the books fanned out their pages, the rustling of the leaves like a storm tearing through the forest.
The magic of Starling Island burst back to life and Portia was swept up with it.
She felt the ghost of Noah’s arms around her, holding her as if she was fragile and precious. Keeping her safe even as the wave of light threatened to drown her.
On Portia’s shoulder, Jade threw back her head, crowing in triumph.
Breath burst from Portia’s body as the spell released, and she opened her eyes to see the potion in the flask glowing with a soft opalescent light.
‘You did it?’ Noah asked.
She didn’t know when he’d arrived, or what he was doing here, but she turned, smiling at him and saw the concern written large on those handsome features. Just as it had been when he stopped her fall.
‘What is it?’ she asked, breathless. ‘What’s wrong now?’
He shook his head. ‘I just… I’ve never seen…’
‘Neither have I,’ she admitted. ‘Not like that. Here, help me. We’ll need to decant this. And then test it.’
He didn’t move. ‘How are you planning to do that?’
Portia pursed her lips. Of course he was going to argue again, accuse her of experimenting on the dragons or something worse.
She grabbed the flask, the glass curiously cool against her skin and removed it from the support. Before he could stop her, she lifted it to her lips and drank.
His face transformed, from doubt and suspicion to outright horror. ‘Portia! No!’
But he was far too late.
Carefully, she lowered it to the workbench, but her hand was shaking.
That had been ridiculously stupid, she knew that.
But what else could she do? Some of the liquid splashed out, and she set it down with a clatter before she spilled the lot.
It was all right, she assured herself. There was still a full flask.
She’d only taken a sip and the spill was negligible, a few drops, no more.
There would be more than enough to treat the dragons once she had worked out the dosage and—
The sensation of the elixir swept through her. The same elation and joy, the sense of magic all around her, and in her, and then…
Thank goodness she had put the flask down first, because the next thing she knew she was falling.
Noah caught her. Again. Of course he did, she thought absently. He was good at that.
‘What have you done?’ he whispered, holding her so carefully. She could hear his heartbeat, almost feel it through his chest. She leaned in closer to listen, pressing her cheek to his shirt. A staccato beat, fast and desperate.
‘It’s fine,’ she tried to tell him. ‘It’s the spell. It’s just—’
Stirring up the innate magic inside her, linking it to something greater and far more powerful than she had ever felt before. That song came back, roaring in her ears. She closed her eyes to listen, to hear the voices but even as she did so it faded away, leaving her dizzy with elation.
It was wonderful. It was everything. She felt joy surge through her and opened her eyes to see his, the sea-blue hue of them, warm and beautiful, staring at her with concern.
She was only inches from his face. So small a gap. It was nothing to close it. To press her mouth to his and kiss him. She’d wanted to for so long. She realised that now. She wanted to kiss Noah Turner, more than anything.
And before she knew what was happening, Noah was kissing her back.
Her lips parted in a gasp, and he gathered her closer, his tongue teasing her, before deepening the kiss in a way that was far more experienced than she would have guessed.
Her hands tightened on his shoulders and suddenly she was holding on for dear life.
A moment later, reality caught up with them both. She opened her eyes at the same instant Noah did, and they stared at each other in dawning horror.
Portia leaned back on her workbench, breathing hard, and Noah somehow managed to put more than a yard between them so quickly he might have just spontaneously discovered how to teleport.
‘I’m so sorry,’ he began. His eyes looked slightly dazed and as she watched he caught his lower lip with his teeth, as if unsure. ‘That was unforgivable. I must offer my deepest—’
Another apology? Portia smiled. She couldn’t help herself. She felt reckless, half-wild. She hadn’t felt like this in… well, ever.
‘What for?’ she said, unable to keep the teasing tone from her voice, and she meant it.
‘I don’t regret a thing.’ All she wanted to do was pull him to her and start all over again.
It was like being drunk, though whether on the elixir itself or just the sheer exhilaration of success, she wasn’t sure. Or on him, on kissing Noah Turner.
She drew in a breath, ready to tell him that she didn’t want to stop. That she wanted to keep kissing him. She might not know why but that didn’t seem to matter right now.
The sound of lapping filled the silence.
No! Great Wenn, no! Portia twisted around to see Jade drinking the little pool of spilled elixir like a determined kitten with the cream.