Page 85 of Hooked on a Witch
He gazed upward. Birds flew in lazy circles above them, looking for a meal on the exposed sandbar. The wind carried the sound of the sea as the boat rocked with the small waves. “I’ve been rationalizing my impending death for a long time. Me dying makes sense. Your dying doesn’t. You haven’t done anything to deserve this kind of end.”
His aura swirled with sadness. “I think you being forced to find the Trident is about me.”
“You think it’s your fault someone a continent away shoved a bespelled sword in my stomach which somehow linked me to the Trident?”
“I’m beginning to think it probably was.”
“Whether or not it does, right now, this feels right.” She snuggled closer to him.
He slid his hand over her nape to twine his fingers in her hair. “It is. This is where we belong. If I could give you every day like this, I would.”
She fell back against the boat with a grin. “You’re so stubborn.”
“What?” His forehead wrinkled, confused.
She rolled back toward him, smiling. “Those three little words won’t kill you.”
He grinned.
“God, you’re annoying.” She punched his shoulder.
“I’m not sure we’re at a three-little-words point in our relationship. We haven’t known each other like this long enough.”
They rested in silence for a while.
He suggested, “Let’s walk on the sandbar before the tide comes in.”
She hopped off the boat, her feet landing in the soft sand and knew deep warm water. As they walked in silence, the warm, dark sand squished through her toes.
“I might not be here tomorrow. This is as real as it gets.”
She didn’t reply. Couldn’t. No Merck. For her. For anyone, anymore.
Him gone? Her palms sweated. Her heart beat so hard she thought it’d bounce right out of her rib cage. A world in which he didn’t breathe or laugh or fight…
This was worse than someone showing up on her doorstep to inform her he’d died. At least there was finality with that, even though no less devastating. This was letting him go like sending a soldier into war, only the outcome seemed certain to be a coffin coming back.
“Okay?” He squeezed her hand. His bright blue eyes trapped hers. The hard expression that tightened his face reminded her he wasn’t just Merck the man, but he was the Enforcer. Tough. Stubborn. And totally ready to face whatever manner of weird magic might be thrown his way.
“Okay.”
No, not okay. Not even close.
Why couldn’t she have a normal life? Two people love each other, get married, and then everything was all roses, puppies, and happy days.
This was real life. It sucked.
“Before I go, I’m going to try to negotiate about the Trident for you with whomever presents my judgment.” Birds squawked overhead. He glanced upward. “It’s time. We have to return to shore.”
The ride in was quiet. The closer they got to land, the more her nerves drummed up. She held his hand tighter, although she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go.
Merck tied the boat to his dock, smooth and efficient. Not a wasted movement. He helped her onto the dock. Her arms wound around his neck to kiss him as if it were the last time she’d get the chance.
“I love you,” she said, getting lost in the deep blue of his eyes.
“I won’t forget it.” His mouth turned into that annoying grin. He enjoyed torturing her. She’d get the words out of him eventually.
He turned toward the house but held out his hand to halt her.
“What is it?” she asked.
His sudden stillness sent her natural alarms shrieking.
“Run for the trees. Go as fast as you can. Don’t look back. Get across the creek. If it’s too high where you end up, then run toward the ocean and it’ll get shallower.” He glanced down at her. “Hurry. You promised.”
Her heart beat hard as she gauged the distance to the trees. “What’s here?”
“Something evil.”
