Page 87 of Wild Scottish Rose

Three crows swooped over me, and I glanced up, surprised to see them this far out on the loch. I was even more surprised when they landed on my kayak.

Three black birds lined up in a row on the front of my boat, tilting and turning their heads at me, their dark beady eyes seeming to question my choices.

Hell,Iwas questioning my life choices.

“Hey, guys, what are you doing here?”

One of the birds flew over to where I’d laid my walking stick on the floor of the kayak. Landing on the wood, he tilted his head at the agate stones in the handle. He let out a single caw, and before I knew it, the other two had joined him on the staff.

A second later, they flew away with my walking cane.

“Hey!” I shouted, disbelief in my voice. Had that really just happened? “Bring that back! That’s mine!”

Oh shit, what was I going to do now? The staff was meant to be my magickal power weapon and now I was just a witch, without her tools. Nerves kicked up as I drifted closer to the island, my mind whirling with possibilities.Trepidation made my breathing shallow, and I had to force myself to dip the paddle in the water to edge the boat closer to the island. This wasn’t about me. This was about protecting Owen from his own damn self. Determination filled me.

I would get this done and get out. Simple.

Studying the water around the island, I noted that the surface was smooth, the sun’s rays sparkling across the surface like someone had tossed a handful of diamonds.

I waited, for anything, to tell me to stop, to nudge me back, to warn me. But nothing came. So I paddled forward, easing my kayak closer, until the tip of it bumped along the beach.

I was here.

My heart hammered in my chest as I waited for something to happen, like I was Indiana Jones about to trip on a wire and unleash a thousand poisoned darts into the air.

“Right, best get on with it.”

Pulling out my seeds, I pursed my lips, the boat rocking gently beneath me. When I’d first thought about doing this, I’d figured it was best to actually get on the island and plant the seeds, but now that I was out here, and realized just how far away from shore I was, I hesitated.

Maybe it would be in my best interests to perform my magick from the boat—just in case I needed a quick getaway. I couldn’t quite know what would happen if I stepped foot on the actual island, and now that I was here, I found my courage slipping away. Had the birds stealing my cane been a warning?

“Just get it done and get out.”

Opening the packet of seeds, I leaned as far as I couldtoward the land and tossed them. Some landed in the water, but a few made it onto land. That was all I needed.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, and pulled at that thread of magick that curled around my core, and let it fill me.

“From tiny sprout to leafy green, let growth and life be clearly seen. By earth and sun, with love so bold, I cast this spell to make you grow. On this land, I plant with care, a hedge so lush, a natural snare. Grow fast and tall, please form a wall, protect and shield, so mote it be.”

Again, I wasn’t a wordsmith, but my intent was clear. As the first green shoots unfurled from the seeds, I sighed, relieved that it was working.

A shout sounded behind me, and I whipped my head around.

My heart dropped into my stomach like a lead weight tied to a fishing line.

“No, no, no,” I shouted, already moving.

Owen.

He’d come for me, racing forward in a Zodiac, waving one arm.

No, Owen. You eejit. Turn back.

Then I felt it. Power rippled across my skin, magick brushing against my own, the rush of wind blowing my hair forward.

A shadow loomed over my shoulder.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

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