Page 43 of Best Hex Ever
“Let’s try it. I think we should try it. Keep distracting me until we’re nearly out and then you can watch as I leg it for the exit.”
“Done. Bend down.” Scott did as he was told, and Dina wrapped the silk scarf around his eyes, tying a knot at the back of his head, not too tight. She felt Scott’s warm exhale against her cheek, and her body ached to close the space between them. It helped that he couldn’t see her, couldn’t see how dilated herpupils were, how the blush had stained her lips and cheeks. How easy it would be to kiss him again. “All done,” she whispered, pulling away.
Dina pulled out another chamomile flower from her pocket, redoing the spell to take them out of the maze. She pictured the exit and the sweeping fields that rippled out from it, and a moment later the pendant was pulling them down a path.
“Take my hand,” Dina instructed. She felt Scott’s warm grip in hers.
“I thought you were a curator—why do you have so many calluses?” She thought that perhaps chatting would keep his mind off being in the maze. They twisted this way and that, but Scott’s footing didn’t falter.
“Ah, that’d be the rowing. I have to keep them on my palms otherwise the blisters get very painful.”
“I forgot about the rowing. What was your nickname, the one Eric mentioned?”
“I was hoping you might have forgotten about that. The full eight.” Scott sighed.
“Ah yes, that was it.” Dina suppressed a giggle. Goddess, she wasgigglingnow. If they hadn’t decided this was a weekend flingonly,Dina might have suspected she was growing feelings.
“I love it out on the river,” Scott said, a calm note coming into his voice. “There’s so much space out there. No matter what the weather’s like, you can always be sure of two things: that going with the current makes you feel like the most powerful person in the world, and that no matter what you do, you’ll always get wet feet.”
“I’ve never actually been on the river—like, that close to it, I mean,” Dina said. It wasn’t as though she didn’t want to, but unless you took up rowing, got on one of those tourist barges, or had two hours to waste on a commuter boat up the river, there weren’t many options to see the Thames up close and personal.
“There’s nothing like it. You see London in a whole other way. There’s a moment, when you’re rowing out west, past Kew, when one second there are houses, and pretty little cottages and people cycling and walking their dogs. And then the next second, they disappear. The river bends, narrows, and suddenly it’s just brush, river reeds, and fields opening out on either side of you.”
“I’d like to see that,” Dina said earnestly.
“I’d like to take you there,” he replied, sending her insides tumbling.
And just like that, they turned a corner and the maze’s exit lay before them.
Dina held Scott’s hand until they were a few steps away. The sun had already rolled over for the afternoon, the mist that had gathered around them dissipating in the cold sunshine.
I don’t want to let go of his hand,Dina realized. Scott probably didn’t even realize that they were almost out of the maze. She could keep walking beside him for a bit. But then maybe he’d be weirded out when he saw how far she had walked him blindfolded.
“We’re almost out,” Dina said reluctantly.
Scott pulled off the blindfold and squinted in the light, looking down at Dina. He breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes dropping to her lips.
He smiled. “You didn’t have to come back for me, but you did anyway.”
“We’re not in bloody World War Two, Scott.” Dina whacked his elbow. All of a sudden she was off the ground, and in Scott’s arms. He held her close, the after-effects of his panic attack still apparent in the way his arms shook slightly.
“Thank you. I mean it.”
“You’d have done the same for me,” she replied, suddenly sure that it was the truth. If she’d been in trouble, Scott would have come for her. The witchy gut instinct did not lie.
She felt Scott’s hands firmly gripping her, and she wanted to be closer to him. Perhaps he sensed the way her eyes traveled up his body hungrily, because he didn’t put her down immediately, but drew her closer. Dina placed her hands on his chest, feeling the heat of him. He smelled warm.
“Dina, I—” Scott’s voice was rough. He was looking at her like he wanted to devour her. She wanted him to. Dina licked her lips, tipping her face toward his.
“Shh, I think they’re having a moment!” came Immy’s high-pitched whisper from nearby.
Scott lowered her back to the ground, but his hands remained around her waist. She spotted the rest of the group just outside the entrance to the maze.
“I see you made it out in one piece,” Eric said, clapping Scott on the shoulder. “Sorry, mate, I didn’t realize it would be so bad in there,” he said sincerely.
“Hey, it’s fine, I survived,” Scott replied. “Dina’s the one who needs the medal though: She had to deal with me in a less-than-ideal state.”
“The hero of the hour.” Eric smiled at Dina, nodding his head in thanks.
