They followed Daniel back down the stairs, waiting for him to say something, but he was silent. When they got back to the study, he said, “I want to look over that notebook again; it may be just what we need to convince the council to repeal their ban on mixed marriages.”
Willow understood the importance of the notebook they’d found, but what she didn’t understand was why the spirits had sent it to her. But she wasn’t about to voice that question in front of Daniel; the less he noticed her, the better, she decided.
But she wasn’t going to get away that easily. “What I’d like to know is why this ended up with the rest of the stuff in your room. Other than the novels, it’s the only recent piece of work, and I can’t see what this has to do with your magic.”
Willow’s heart leaped in her chest, her fear of what Daniel might think nearly taking over, but she’d done nothing wrong, “I wish I had an answer to that question, but I don’t,” she said, hoping he’d believe her.
“Maybe it’s time to try to talk to these spirits of yours,” Daniel said, then shut the door in their faces.
***Taylor***
The look on Willow’s face when his brother slammed the door made Taylor want to gather her in his arms. “Don’t worry about him; he gets that way when he’s working on a problem.”
Willow shivered. “I just hope I’m not the problem he’s working on,” she said.
Taylor stopped fighting what felt so normal and gently pulled her into his arms, wanting to sigh with pleasure when she laid her head on his chest and put her arms around him. “You know what we need?” he asked, pulling back slightly to look down at her.
Willow looked up at him, her blue eyes making his heart pound a little harder. “What do we need?”
“We need a break from all of this,” he said. “A few hours to just try and forget everything and relax.”
Willow looked at him skeptically, “I’m not sure that’s possible right now.”
Taylor gave her a big grin as the perfect idea popped into his head, then asked, “Will you be okay on your own for a few hours?” his voice full of mischief.
“What are you planning?” she asked, suddenly wary.
“Something I think you’ll like,” he said, “but it’s a secret. You’ll just have to wait and see.”
He walked her to the door of her room but didn’t go in. “I’ll be back for you in a few hours. Are you sure you don’t want to spend some time in the library or sunroom or something?”
“No, I’ll be fine. There’s still a message buried somewhere in all those books, and I’ve got to figure it out if I want to get my magic back,” she said. “I’m going to sort through the books again and see if we missed anything.”
Taylor frowned at her. “That’s fine, but then we’re going to take a break tonight.”
Willow smiled up at him. “Okay, that’s a deal.”
Relieved that she wasn’t going to fight his plans, he grinned at her. “Promise?”
She crossed her heart. “Promise.”
It wasn’t going to be hard to put together what he was thinking about, but the first step was charming the cook, so he headed for the kitchen, feeling more excited than he had in a long time. Feeling like he was planning a date, he realized that it would be the first time he’d spent time with a woman he was attracted to in seemingly forever.
When he knocked on her door almost two hours later, everything was in place, and he was nervous. He knew that he was taking a risk tonight, that the last thing he should be doing was planning a romantic dinner, but he pushed all his reservations aside, deciding that for once in his life, he was going to go for what he wanted.
He’d spent so much of his life living the way the council and the society wanted him to; he was tired of it. Witch or not, Willow was the first woman who’d sparked his interest in a long time, and he wasn’t going to push those feelings away any longer. Deep down, he knew that he could trust her, that she’d only gotten mixed up with Lucas because she wanted to feel safe.
As he raised his hand to knock on her door, he realized that his attraction to her might be mixed up with his need to protect her, a need that had sprung to life when he’d had to save her and hadn’t gone away. He remembered Daniel’s words of caution and knew that he was right, but something kept driving him toward Willow.
She made him feel like no other woman had ever made him feel and he wanted to explore that feeling. He wanted to get to know her, but not the witch that he’d saved from a burning boat; he wanted to know the real Willow.
When she opened the door, those feelings hit him again, desire mixed with affection, and suddenly a sense that they’d done this before. Momentarily stunned by the feeling, all he could do was stare at her; even with her eyes puffy and swollen from too little sleep and too much emotion, she was beautiful.
“Are you ready for a little break?” he asked, his heart pounding in his chest, his palms getting sweaty.
“I think that sounds like an excellent idea,” she said, smiling at him and making his body go haywire.
“Grab a jacket; you might need it later,” he said.
Willow looked at him inquisitively. “Where are we going?”
“That’s a surprise, but I think you’re going to like it,” he said, then waited while she found a jacket in the crowded room.
When she came out of the room, he held his hand out to her, hoping she’d take it and that she wouldn’t notice how nervous he was. There were a hundred things he wanted to say to her, but instead, he led her out of the house, keeping it all to himself, afraid he’d scare her.
They crossed the gardens and followed a path into the woods, neither speaking, but he felt her eyes on him from time to time. Once when their eyes met, she opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it again, and he wished he knew what she was thinking.
It wasn’t long before they emerged from the woods into a clearing. Willow stopped walking and looked around, gasping with surprise. “This is one of my favorite places on the grounds. When I’m out here, I feel like there’s no one around for miles,” he said, tugging her forward.
Willow looked at the picnic table covered with a white cloth, a big basket sitting on one end, and a fire pit. “This is wonderful, Taylor, like a little escape,” she said, a huge grin spreading across her face. “Can we have a fire?”
Taylor wanted to tell her that he’d give her the world if he could, but instead, he said, “Absolutely, and a picnic for dinner. You pick which one you want first.”
Chapter Eight
***Willow***
“Can’t we do both at once?” she asked, going over to the basket and lifting the lid. “This smells wonderful. How did you manage it?”
“A little flattery, and a few bribes,” Taylor said, winking at her, “but it’s going to be worth it.”
When he winked at her, Willow’s heart went crazy, and the smile that followed was almost her undoing. She wondered if they should be here together like this, if it was a bad idea, especially now that she knew about the society and their strict rules.
But then she realized that she didn’t care. Taylor had been kind to her, kinder than most people had been. The way he made her feel scared her sometimes, and the sense that she’d met him before, that they’d walked the same path, hadn’t gone away, had only gotten stronger.
“I think so too,” she said, returning his smile. “Thank you for doing this; I really did need a break.”
His eyes met hers, and she saw so much in them that she had to break eye contact. “I’ll see what’s in the basket if you start the fire,” she said, turning away from him, her heart pounding in her chest.
But before she could take a step, Taylor grabbed her arm and turned her back to him. “I’m glad you like it, but I think you should know that I didn’t do this just because we needed a break,” he said, his eyes full of desire.
Willow’s heart went crazy, and she quickly looked down at the ground, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks.
When he reached out and tipped her chin up, she didn’t fight him; instead, she took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes. His eyes searched hers, looking for something, and she felt a thrill go through her, a sigh escape her lips.
He must have found what he was looking for because he stepped closer to her, framed her face with his hands, then leaned down and kissed her. When his lips came down on hers, they were soft and warm and felt so familiar it took her breath away.
The kiss didn’t last long, but it was long enough for desire to begin throbbing deep inside her. He pulled back and looked down at her again. “I want to get to know you, Willow. I want to know what you think, what you feel. I want to know if what I’m feeling is real.”
Willow was speechless, fighting for breath, as a thrill shot through her. Part of her wanted to run, wanted to disappear into the woods and never look back. But something kept her rooted to the spot, a feeling deep down that Taylor was important to her life, that he was worth any pain that might come with caring about him.
She stepped a little closer to him and wrapped her arms around him. “I think I’d like that too,” she said, listening to his heart beat in his chest. Then she looked up at him. “I know this is going to sound strange, but I feel like we were supposed to be thrown together, that this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”
He was silent for so long Willow wished she hadn’t said anything. But then Taylor said, “Maybe that’s what I’m feeling too. I can’t explain it, but I’m drawn to you.”
Willow let that sink in, his blue eyes locked on hers, then said, “We’re not supposed to fall in love, Taylor: the council, the society, I’m a witch.”
“Let’s not worry about all that,” he said, then bent his head and kissed her again.
When he gently parted her lips with his tongue and slipped it into her mouth, her body exploded with sensation. As desire and pleasure rushed through her body, her legs went weak, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her, their bodies pressed together.
She wanted the kiss to go on forever, to savor every second of it, but eventually, they had to breathe and parted, chests heaving with the power of the passion between them. Willow felt her face heat up instantly as they stood looking at each other, torn by the passion she was feeling and the knowledge that they might be making a huge mistake.
“Umm, maybe we’d better see about dinner,” she finally said, breaking the silence between them.
It took Taylor a second to answer. “I think that’s a good idea,” he said. “I’ll start the fire, you see what’s in that basket.”
Willow turned away and walked over to the basket, a huge smile on her face, warmth spreading through her as she watched Taylor build them a fire. She’d just opened the lid on the basket when what she could only call pictures began to flicker through her mind.
They were all snapshots of the two of them together, but none stayed long enough for her to get a true vision of what she was seeing. When it stopped, she was aware of that same feeling, that same knowledge that she and Taylor had been together for far longer in some other life, but now it was stronger than ever before.
She gasped, and Taylor immediately asked, “Are you okay?”
Smiling, she lifted the lid off the basket. “This smells wonderful,” she said, avoiding his question, wanting to explore the feeling a little longer.
By the time she had their food arranged on plates, he had a big fire going, and for the first time in days, Willow felt herself begin to relax. Their chairs side by side, they watched the sun sink into the trees as they ate the wonderful meal the cook had sent.
***Taylor***
Taylor scraped their uneaten food into the fire and took their plates over to the picnic table. “I know Marie said she sent dessert, but I couldn’t eat another bite,” he said when he came back and sank into his chair.
“I’m so stuffed, I won’t need breakfast in the morning,” Willow said, rubbing her stomach.
Taylor laughed. “We’ll see if you still feel the same way in an hour or two. Marie is known for her desserts and she said it was something special.”
Willow groaned. “It will have to be,” she said, then closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of her chair. “It’s so nice out here, and you’re right: I feel like there’s no one around for miles.”
Taylor looked over at her, his heart pounding, and took her hand where it rested on the arm of her chair. She laced her fingers through his and sighed with contentment, but never opened her eyes.
The fire burned steadily, the only sound in the night, and the silence between them was strangely comforting. But then she looked over at him and said, “I don’t think I’ve been a very good witch. I think that’s what the spirits have been trying to tell me.”
It took him a second to bring himself back from the contented stupor he’d been in and at first, he wanted to scold her for thinking about their problems. But then he saw the look on her face and realized that she needed to talk.
“What makes you say that?” he asked, turning slightly so he could look directly at her.
“I’ve been sitting here thinking that as simple as this night has been, it’s been one of the best I’ve had in a long time,” she said. “I’ve spent my whole life striving to get somewhere better: first it was off the street, and then I thought I needed what Lucas had to offer, but somewhere along the line I forgot that life isn’t about what we have, but about who we are.”
“You did the best you could do,” Taylor said, thinking about the story she’d told about how she grew up. “You didn’t have anyone to help you, to guide you.”
Willow shook her head. “I did, and I ignored them unless I needed them. I’m not a good witch; that’s why they took my powers: to show me that I was wasting my magic, not using it like the gift it was meant to be.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Taylor said, wishing he did.
Willow sighed. “When I went back to my room today, I noticed that the books had been rearranged. There was a stack of books on my bed, histories and journals of witches, about their lives and deaths, some so brutal it hurt to read them.”
He gave her a minute to collect her thoughts. “But those were the old days, Willow; what does that have to do with you?”
“Don’t you see that all those witches were persecuted for the same reason? They were helping people. I’ve never helped anyone in my life unless it benefitted me in some way,” she said. “Even Lucas gave me something in return for my magic.”
“Never?” Taylor asked, “I can’t quite believe that.”
“But it’s true, as awful as it sounds, it’s true. There were many times I could have used my magic to help someone but I was too scared of getting caught, or too absorbed in myself to bother,” she said. “I think the spirits want me to learn what it really means to be a witch, and until I do, my powers aren’t coming back.”
“How do you feel about that?” Taylor asked, the sadness in her face making his heart break.
“I’m sad. I miss my spirits, but at least I know what they want from me now,” she said, giving him a weak smile. “I just have to figure out how to learn to be a good witch.”
Taylor squeezed her hand. “I think what your looking for is inside you, Willow; deep down you’re a good person, but you’ve just been given more obstacles than most people,” he said.
“But it’s time for me to stop using that as an excuse,” she said, sitting up straighter. “Being a better witch starts with being a better person. It was easy for Lucas to pull me in because I was always looking for something better. I’m going to stop doing that and just appreciate what I’ve got, and right now, what I’ve got is pretty darn nice.”
Taylor hoped that he was a part of what was nice in her life, but was too afraid to ask. But only a second later, the answer came when she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for believing in me when everyone else didn
’t; thank you for saving me. And most of all, thank you for tonight,” she said, blushing.
He only hesitated a second before leaning over and capturing her mouth with his. He threaded his fingers through her hair, noticing the slightly sweet scent that wafted into the air, and kissed her, until breathless, they broke apart.
Their eyes met, and Taylor felt something between them connect, felt it deep down inside. It left him a little rattled, but happier than he’d ever been before.
“Witch or not, I think you’ve put me under your spell, Willow,” he said, then reached for her again.
Chapter Nine
***Willow***
Willow climbed into bed that night happier than she’d ever been, the blush of first love on her cheeks, and snuggled down under the covers. It had been one of the best nights of her life, and all she wanted to do was relive it in her mind, but the books piled around the room kept intruding on her thoughts.
Closing her eyes, she focused on Taylor, his rugged good looks, the way it felt when he kissed her, and soon the rest of her problems melted away. Without opening her eyes, she switched off the light and let the darkness envelop her, and before long, she was fast asleep, dreams of Taylor swirling through her mind.
She slept soundly for several hours, the dreams a balm to her confused brain, but then the dreams began to change. Instead of the comforting images of them together, she saw them ripped apart time after time, their love shattered by the world.
The years and lifetimes peeled away like the skin of an onion: each parting more painful than the last until she was crying in her sleep. The pain of losing Taylor over and over, even in her dreams, was so acute it finally woke her, making her sit up in bed and gasp for air as she sobbed.
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