Page 63 of A Touch Charmed

The man stood before Nirah with his arms crossed over his chest. “This is beyond Sheratan’s abilities. Leave her alone.”

“You think I don’t know that?” This version of Nirah had tawny eyes and a normal tongue. He clenched a fist and dark tendrils of night leaked from his palm. “I’m not trying to use Sheratan. I’m trying to warn her, Zuben.”

“Warn her about what?” Zuben’s face pinched with fury. He grabbed the front of Nirah’s cotton tunic, shaking him. “What did you do?”

A wave of black smoke rose over the scene and crashed down between me and the men who had lived so long ago. It shut me out from the vision before I could see more. When the smoke cleared, I stood in the present. Grief rolled off Nirah in waves so thick, it stole my breath. It shrouded him in smoke and ash, stealing light from the moon.

Tight bands of pain pulled at my chest. As if I grieved along with him. But it wasn’t sadness or empathy that had a grip on me. Black vines, darker than the space between stars, were wrapped around my body. I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe. A white-hot blade of panic clawed at my throat.

Nirah approached, young and handsome once more. He tipped my chin. His forked tongue slithered between his lips. “You should’ve run when I told you to, healer.”

He gave the vines a sharp tug, knocking me to the ground.

And began to drag me into the forest.

Chapter 18

Finn

I’dnevermeantforThora to see that ring.

I should’ve gotten rid of it years ago, but I couldn’t let it go.

I sat on the floor of my closet and rubbed my thumb over the dusty velvet. All my deepest regrets were stored in this box. This was what I should’ve done instead of walking away and going to the bonfire all those years ago. If I’d proposed that night, like I’d intended, instead of starting an argument out of fear, our lives would’ve been so different.

We would’ve been married, had a family. This house would’ve had more rooms.

I flipped open the lid and let out a humorless laugh. The diamond was so tiny. It took me over a year of working construction for Newcomb to save up the money to buy it. I’d been so damn proud of myself. Like I was finally worthy of having Thora share my name. I’d been so young, so dumb, and so full of hope.

I closed the box.

She thought I’d bought the ring for someone else. I could see it in her eyes before she fled from me. After everything we’d gone through, she still didn’t believe it when I said she’d been the only one for me.

I couldn’t even blame her. What had I done the last seven years besides drink and fuck my way through endless days? I hadn’t bettered myself. I hadn’t become someone who deserved to call a woman like Thora my wife. Fuck. I would’ve run from me too.

For days now I’d been hoping to wake up and see my light twined with Thora’s. To share her healing power and take the pain for her. But now I had to admit there was a chance we’d never connect like Wes and Audrey. She cared about me. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have been so upset when she saw that ring. It would have to be enough for now.

Maybe one day she’d give me her trust. Maybe one day I’d actually do something worthwhile to earn it. Until then, I wouldn’t make the same mistakes I’d made when I was twenty-three. This time, I’d go to the ends of the earth to fight for us.

I stood and put the box back on the rack. Telling her about the ring would add to her hurt and regret, but this wasn’t one of those things where she could go quiet and I could walk away and we’d just push it down until it boiled over. We’d already been down that road.

As I stepped out of the closet, everything went dark. Earlier, moonlight had washed the bedroom in a silvery light. The soft twinkles of Thora’s healing power had long since faded. I peered out the window. Heavy clouds hung low over my house, leading out to the forest, thick and swirling like the curse’s smoke. I choked on my fear as I ran for the back door.

Please, God. Let me find Thora on the cliff.

A still and silent night greeted me. Waves crashed against the rocks far below, but there was no sign of Thora out here. Maybe she’d gone around to the front. I didn’t like how close that put her to the forest, but she knew better than to go in there alone.

I rushed to the sidewalk across the street from my house. The one that bordered the woods. A wisp of smoke leaked out of the tree line. It curled around itself. Mocking me.

“Son of a bitch.” He had her. The forked-tongue man had her.

I dove head first into the woods, my mind replaying the last time I’d followed her, when I’d almost been too slow to reach her in time. All we needed to do was touch once and she’d be safe. Thorns from the dense overgrowth tore into my shirt as I searched for any sign of her.

Up ahead, the tall grass had been flattened. As if something human-sized had rolled through. Or been dragged. Icy claws of panic sank into me. It couldn’t be too late. The forked-tongue man would’ve been here taunting me otherwise. He wanted Thora for a reason.

The flattened trail appeared to be headed for the center of the island. To the cave.

My legs felt like lead weights as I pushed through the thick overgrowth, past tangles of hanging vines. What I would’ve given for just a small shot of speed. Or even some of Wes and Audrey’s powers to help clear the way.

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