Page 67 of The Discovered
“You can do it this time. You have a connection, after all,” he said. “It should be relatively easy for you. Visualize, concentrate, and channel enough power to take us there.”
“Okay.”
I closed my eyes, then took in a long breath as I conjured up the familiar imagery of the Beach of the Nameless and Formless. The name itself seemed to hold an energy of its own—a connection, a certainty—like it was magickally spelled. I moved through this current of power, channeling it through the crown of my head, and connected it to Daelon through my fingers. A sense of deep serenity enveloped us where we stood.
Then, I felt the spray of seawater on my cheeks, the soft sand beneath the balls of my feet, and I tasted the faint essence of salt on my tongue. My ears popped, and I felt my body jolt through space.
After a shrill burst of static and a moment of disorientation, I opened my eyes to find the world stable once more. The sky above was a soft blue, and the ocean roared to my right.
“Good job, Áine.” Daelon leaned in and kissed my forehead. He rubbed his thumb across my hand before releasing it.
I looked down at the shimmering, multi-colored sand. Everything here was teeming with magick. It was also rife with connection—to who I was, who my mothers were, and possibly even who Daelon was…
“You’ve been here before?” I asked, trying to sound casual but desperate to uncover these connections.
He nodded absently, scanning our surroundings like a secret service agent sweeping an area in advance of a president’s arrival. Well, I guessed he sort ofwasmy own personal bodyguard, after all. The beach was clear in both directions. I reached out for any sign of foreign energy but came up blank.
“There’s no one here,” I murmured.
He nodded again, but he barely relaxed.
“Want to swim?” I quirked a brow, unable to keep the glee from my smile.
Daelon melted a little, rolling his eyes. “The water’s freezing.”
“Pretty sure magick can fix that.” I raised my palms in illustration, which now gave off subtle waves of heat that moved translucently above my skin.
He cocked his head, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. His eyes darkened as I threw my jacket to the sand, proceeding to pull my top over my head next. I maintained our locked gaze as I pulled off my pants, leaving me clad in a bra and panties. He looked around the beach again.
“No one is here!” I laughed, stepping closer to him.
He looked back down at me. “That’s good, considering if someone was, I’d have to blind them.”
I gulped. “Well, that’s a bit dramatic.” I bit my lip, pulling up on his shirt in an attempt to undress him.
He gave in, pulling it off the rest of the way. He grabbed my chin, his stare intense and electric. A flash of dominance passed through his eyes. “You think I’d allow anyone else to look at you like this?”
“Doesn’t seem like you,” I said, holding my breath. I felt caught in an invisible rip tide—one that began and ended with Daelon.
He smiled, kissing me briefly before releasing my chin. He took off his pants, stripping down to his boxers.
“Let’s swim.”
Chapter20
As soon as I stepped into the water it was like two worlds had collided. My inner reality and my outer reality merged into one, and I was in awe of how much power swam alongside Daelon and me. It was an overwhelming bath of electricity and infinite possibility.
“What does it feel like for you?” Daelon asked, watching as I waded in front of him.
We were well out from the shore now, but still a safe distance. I was struggling not to get lost in formless as it pulled at me from all directions. I wasn’t sure how to put the feeling into words that would make sense to him.
“You know how when you’re young and learning about the phases of matter, and you’re taught that liquids take the shape of their container?”
“Sure,” he said, his tone skeptical. Maybe that wasn’t a lesson at witch school.
“Well normally, the power I have available to me feels outside of myself for the most part. And it’s so great, so vast, that it expands limitlessly. It’s nowhere and everywhere at the same time. No beginning and no end. But here, it feels as though the ocean has become a container for this power. It’s taken its shape.”
I reached for his hand. “I want to see if I can let you feel it too.”
