Page 60 of Witch You Weren't Here

‘We’ve caught up with the bad weather again.’

‘Or I brought it to us.’ She flinched when the window lit up with lightning. That wasn’t good. Could lightning hit a ferry? What would happen to it? Her chest was tight, she couldn’t get enough air in.

‘What do you mean?’

It took Kay a moment to remember what she’d said. She looked up at Harry’s face. He appeared better, thankfully – the pinched look and pallor having receded. She didn’t know how long they’d been asleep, but it had done him good. She appreciated the way he was all but caging her in, like he was her own personal seat belt.

‘What if it’s me? With my faulty magic. What if I’ve got an elemental affinity to weather too and it’s all gone crazy,’ she babbled. ‘I was angry at you on the plane and there was all that turbulence. With the car, I think I melted the ice and I’ve never done that before. And, just now, I was having a dream. Like the other night, when the sofa bed malfunctioned on you. Only it was all about the wind and we were floating away.’ She broke off, trying to get air into her lungs. ‘What if it’s me? My dream made this happen.’ Tears pooled in her eyes. ‘I don’t want to lose my magic, but what if it should be taken away from me? What if I’ve called the hurricane over here and … and the ferry capsizes and we die? What if everyone on here dies? Harry, I’m going to kill everyone.’

‘Kay, no. No. That’s not what’s happening.’ He leaned down on his elbows, sliding his fingers into her hair and holding her head gently so she’d look at him. ‘I know I said you were powerful, but hurricanes can’t be caused by one witch alone. Whether you’ve got issues with your magic or not. It would take a whole coven with a handful of dragon eye stones.’

‘But … but it is happening—’

‘It’s more likely that you’re exhausted from all the stress, and you felt the change in weather in your sleep and incorporated it into your dream. That happens all the time.’

She shook her head against his hands, her panic rising along with the ferry, and as it fell down into a trough again, a shriek climbed up her throat. ‘No. It’s me. I’m making it worse. I’m making it worse. When I get worked up, the magic escapes and gets more violent.’

‘Kay, no—’

‘Harry, I’m so sorry. I’m going to sink the ferry.’ Her fingers grabbed at his shirt.

He shook his head but didn’t say anything, this time, simply gathering her into his chest and holding her tightly as the ferry rocked. She started crying into his shoulder, her brain, her body, her magic, all crackling with fear.

‘Shh … shh … it’s OK. We’re going to be OK,’ he murmured, but when her sobs didn’t ease, he pulled back a little, wiping at her cheeks. ‘Listen. Say it’s true. Say this is your magic and it’s going crazy. The only thing that will help will be calming down, won’t it? Let’s concentrate on that. Breathe with me.’ He took one of her hands and put it over his heart. ‘Breathe in slowly.’ He filled his chest with air, a steady count of four, then he held it and expelled it just as slowly. ‘Now out,’ he breathed.

She tried. She really did. Feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm, his solid sternum, the movement of his chest, it did help. But every time the ferry rolled, her heart galloped off again. She kept trying and more tears leaked out because she was failing. Failing this. Failing everyone. Always.

‘Help me,’ she whispered.

‘I’m here, Kay. We can do it together. Just like the car. Teamwork.’

‘Yes, like the car,’ she panted. ‘Magic. Do your magic on me, to get me to calm down. Influence me. You’ve got your … your energy back, haven’t you? You can do it.’

He stilled over her. ‘I have but … Kay, you hate my magic. You’d never want to be influenced by me.’

‘This is different. I’m asking,’ she said, because that was all she had the breath for. She didn’t have enough time or brain capacity at that moment to explain that she didn’t feel that way anymore. That she thought the way he wielded his magic was beautiful and that she trusted him to only use it in ways that were good – the best of intentions. And this was that.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes. I am. Please.’

He nodded and sat up further. When she grabbed at him, he squeezed her hands gently and detached them. ‘I have to get my pen out of my coat.’

She nodded tightly and watched him go, wedging herself deeper into the corner by the wall. Having his presence gone from around her and seeing him swaying across the short space of the cabin to grab his coat made her chest tighten even more. Was she going to have a heart attack?

She squeezed her eyes shut until she felt him back beside her. He’d thrown his coat down the end of the bed, pen retrieved, and settled beside her again, moving in close, so his left hand was free to draw, and now when the ship rolled, she moved up against him.

‘I don’t have any more paper,’ he explained as he took her hand and rolled up her sleeve to bare her forearm. ‘I’ll have to draw on your skin.’

‘OK,’ she squeezed out between breaths.

‘It might take a little while too. Your body is full of adrenaline, and my magic can’t make that disappear. But just watch me doing the drawing, try not to think about anything else.’ He was using a soothing voice, like he was trying to lull her to sleep. ‘Is there anything you ever wanted to get tattooed on yourself?’

‘How do you know I haven’t …’ She swallowed and tried again to push out the teasing words. ‘I haven’t got tattoos already.’

His beautiful mouth curved up at the side and then he uncapped the nib with his teeth and, putting his pen to her arm, started to draw.

Chapter Fifteen

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