Page 82 of Kissing Potions and Elves
She is warmth and sunshine and kindness and light. And I’m… moody and irritable and, according to my brother, as grumpy as a Goblin in the mornings before I’ve had my tea.
How could I possibly be worthy of someone as sweet and genuine as Isobel?
But as I move toward her in the darkness, my heartbeat quickens, not from nerves or uncertainty, but from a newfound clarity that’s settled deep within my chest.
Moon above, how things have changed. I was once content with my solitude, comfortably locked away within walls of books and quiet contemplation. Emotion, warmth, companionship… these were things I never truly believed I needed or even wanted.
I kept myself carefully aloof, distant from anything or anyone who might disturb the orderly peace of my life. Yet, somehow, Isobel slipped past every barrier I’ve ever built.
With her gentle laughter, the kindness that shines from her every action, and her earnest, open heart, she quietly and irrevocably altered everything I thought I knew about myself.
A faint smile curves my lips. How foolish I’ve been, believing that love was a distraction to avoid rather than a gift to embrace.
Magic or no magic, spell or no spell, it doesn’t matter. I’ve fallen for her. Completely. And tonight, I will ensure she knows exactly how much she means to me.
CHAPTER 41
ISOBEL
My tea has long since cooled in my hands, untouched. Moonlight covers the gardens, silvering the leaves and flowers. Hilda promised to join me out here soon, but I’m not sure I wish to talk anymore this evening. Not with the maelstrom of emotions swirling deep within as I think of Lyrion.
It isn’t just the proximity spell fading that has me anxious. It’s the uncertainty. The fear that Lyrion’s tender smiles and passionate kisses might disappear once the magic dissipates. My heart aches with a hollow longing. Stars, but I’ve fallen for him so completely.
Footsteps crunch on the gravel pathway behind me, pulling me from my troubled thoughts. “Hilda, I think I may just head off to bed. I fear I’m not very good company tonight.”
When I turn to face her, I freeze. It isn’t Hilda standing in the garden.
It’s Lyrion.
Moonlight casts deep shadows across his face, emphasizing the sharp, handsome lines of his features. His gaze holds mine with an intensity that sends my heart into a wild rhythm.
“Lyrion? What are you doing here?”
“I need to speak with you.” His voice is deep and gentle as he moves closer. “Isobel, there’s something I must tell you. Something I should have told you long ago.”
His words send a fresh wave of nerves churning through my belly even as fragile hope begins to unfurl. “What is it?”
His masculine scent floods my senses as he takes a small step closer. He lifts the cup from my grasp, setting it down beside us before taking both of my hands in his.
His thumbs trace slow, soothing circles over my knuckles. “As you are aware, the potion’s effects are fading, and I—”
My heart hammers as he hesitates, bracing myself for the words that could break my heart entirely. When he doesn’t speak, I force the words past my lips. As much as I don’t want to say them, they must be said. “Are you trying to say”—I blink back tears—“that you want me to go?”
“No,” he denies. “Quite the opposite, actually.”
I blink several times. “But without the spell’s effects, there’s no reason for me and Errol to stay here anymore.”
“I don’t want you to leave.” He lowers himself to one knee and presses a tender kiss to the back of my hand. “Magic might have brought us together, Isobel, but my heart chose you all on its own.”
I freeze. Did he just—? Could he possibly mean—?
“You… chose me?” My breath catches. “But what about the potion?”
“The potion doesn’t matter,” he insists. “The spell might have opened the door, but Isobel, my heart recognized you long before any magic. From the first time I saw you smiling in thatcafé, I was drawn to you.” His lips curve into a tender smile. “Even then, I noticed you.”
Tears escape my lashes and roll down my cheeks. “You did?”
His expression softens as he nods. “It just took the potion for my mind to realize what my heart already knew. I have never experienced such happiness as I have since you came into my life.”
