Page 112 of Twist of Fate
“Then I think you’re safe,” I tell her, before adding, “The legend says she only appears at night. I believe it’s all just superstition anyway.”
“Yeah?”
I guide her to a few to the left, my fingers grazing that bare skin at her midriff. I nearly groan. It takes her a minute to register why I’ve changed our position. Maybe she’s distracted by the sensation of my hands. I know I sure as hell am.
“Oh my god!” she says, finally taking in the scene before her. “The damn rock looks like a witch!”
From this angle, the boulder’s shape looks like that of an old woman with a long, pointed nose and a dark, hollow eye.
“You know just as well as I do that back when people didn’t have the knowledge to explain the world around them, they relied on superstition and lore to fill that gap.” I shrug. “The rock looks like a witch. It must be one, or at least cursed with one inside it. It’s the only explanation that makes sense. Or at least it would be for them.”
“I love it when you talk history to me.”
“Yeah? Well, in that case, I’ve got more.”
She turns to face me.“What are we still doing here, then? Let’s go.”
I motion toward the stone and pull a shilling from my pocket. “Okay, but first, you need to pay up, darlin’.”
THIRTY
Aisling
PAST
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Fi…nn.” I manage to stretch his one-syllable name into two as I practically wail in displeasure.
“They’re just steps,” he tells me, pointing to the steps in question. The ones I, moments ago, referred to as the “Steps of Doom.”
I scoff, folding my arms across my chest. “They aren’t just steps. They’re century-old steps that you, for some reason, want me to walk down backward? I thought you liked me. Why do you want me to die, Finn?Why?”
He lets out a throaty laugh that makes my stomach do this fluttering thing. It’s annoying because it seems to be happening more frequently lately. His laugh is literally perfect, though. It’s deep and rich, and—oh, god, when did I become so infatuated with this man?
“You’re not going to die, Ash. I promise. I’ll be with you the entire time.”
“Okay, that’s reassuring, but I still don’t understand why I can’t go down the regular way—like a normal person.”
I was super excited when he said we were going to the witch’s Wishing Steps next because—really, who wouldn’t be? We’ve already visited the Witch’s Stone and the Witch’s Kitchen, so why wouldn’t I want to see her steps, too?
Honestly, I’m not even sure we’re discussing the same witch here because I get a bit distracted when Finn is talking.
His mouth is just so?—
“Remember you asked if you’d get to make a wish?”
“Yes,” I say suspiciously, eyeing the stairs. They’re not scary in theory—the steps, that is. There is even a railing, and at the bottom, I can see sunshine and hear the sound of trickling water. But the entrance? That’s another matter entirely. It’s definitely giving witchy vibes with its cave-like exterior that seems to appear out of nowhere. I can absolutely picture some noblewoman sneaking into these woods to find the witch who lives in the cave so she can buy a love potion or whatever.
“This is where you do it.”
“By flinging myself down a flight of stairs? Why can’t I just toss a coin?”
His shoulders shake as soft laughter fills the air. “Sorry. I don’t make the rules.”
“Okay, so what are the rules exactly?”
