by S. E. Smith
“Let me help you,” Marina offered, stepping out of the shadows.
“Shit!” Mike exclaimed, dropping the bundles in his arms and reaching inside his jacket. He shook his head at her. “You need to call out a warning next time.”
“I think half of the forest knows where you are,” she chuckled.
“You have strange plants here. There was one that glows when you touch it,” he commented.
“The Nightstars. They help light the forest. They are beautiful when they release their seeds once a year. The entire forest lights up,” Marina explained.
She bent and pick up some of the dead limbs he had dropped. It wasn’t until she straightened that the wave of fatigue hit her like a Tsunami, pulling the strength from her. Her lips parted on a cry of frustration when she felt the world begin to spin.
“Hey, steady there,” Mike said, wrapping his arm around her waist.
“It’s Magna’s spell. I hate feeling so weak,” Marina softly groaned.
“Why did you come out if you knew the spell would affect you like this?” Mike demanded, holding her close.
Marina leaned her head forward, resting her forehead against Mike’s chest. She hadn’t realized how tall or how broad he was. He also smelled incredibly good—warm with a hint of the rainforest. A frown creased her brow as another feeling swept through her—she felt stronger—as if her magic flowed through her again.
Lifting her head, she gazed up at him with a puzzled frown. Her eyes searched his face. She couldn’t see the aura of his magic, but he must have some to make her feel like this.
“What kind of magic do you have that can work against the power of the Sea Witch?” Marina asked with a faintly incredulous voice.
Mike’s arm tightened around her, and he chuckled. “The good ole Hallbrook kind,” he teased before his expression sobered, and he lifted a hand to brush it against her cheek. “Will you be okay?”
Marina nodded. “The nights are difficult, but with the first rays of the sun the spell lifts. We should get back to Erin and Geoff,” she said.
She reluctantly pulled away from him. Almost immediately, she could feel a weight settle around her as Magna’s spell drained her magic once again. Mike’s arms fell away, and he studied her for several seconds before he bent over and picked up a stack of branches. He handed them to her when she held her arms out. He finished picking up the larger pieces and straightened.
Marina turned back toward the tree. She was confused by her reaction to Mike. When she touched him, she felt strong again—but there was something else. She also felt flustered. Her body reacted to him in a strange way. Just now, she had actually wanted to press her lips to his! The urge had never been so strong before. If that wasn’t bad enough, she felt warm and tingly all over. For a moment, she wondered if she was coming down with the same sickness as the children.
Ducking her head, she stepped through the narrow opening in the tree. Geoff looked up in relief. She could see that the fire sticks were barely glowing. The small pot of soup had thin spirals of steam rising from it. Marina’s gaze moved to Erin who was quietly lying with Charlie asleep by her side. Her sister’s eyelids fluttered open.
“Are the healing stones helping?” Marina asked, placing the pile of branches down on the ground.
“They helped a little, but their magic faded with the sun. I’m so cold,” Erin responded in a barely audible voice.
“Here,” Mike said, setting down the limbs he’d been carrying next to the ones Marina had deposited.
Marina turned and watched as Mike shrugged off his jacket. He stepped forward and laid it over Erin. The stone she had placed on Erin’s forehead slid off when her sister turned her head. Mike leaned down and picked up the stone. Marina gasped when she saw the sudden, powerful glow as he gently placed it back on Erin’s forehead.
Erin must have felt the sudden influx of healing power because her body bowed upward. Mike’s hand jerked back, and he straightened. Almost immediately, the glow faded, and Erin sank back against the blanket with a soft moan.
“Mike, touch the stone again,” Marina said, stepping up to the blanket before sinking down next to her sister.
“What? I… What happened?” he asked, confused.
“I’m not sure. Please… touch the stone again,” Marina begged.
She could see the hesitation on his face before he knelt down on one knee beside Erin. He reached out and gently touched the healing stone. Once again, it glowed with the magic held inside. Erin’s eyes opened, and she stared up at Mike with wide eyes filled with awe.
“Now, move your fingers until you are touching Erin,” Marina ordered.
He glanced at her before turning his gaze down to Erin’s face. Sliding his fingers off the stone, he cupped the little girl’s face with his large hand. Marina’s lips parted when she saw the colorful aura of Erin’s magic swirl around her sister. She hadn’t seen it this strong in months!
Reaching out, she grasped Erin’s right hand in hers. Marina closed her eyes when she felt the strength of her magic flowing through her. She opened her eyes and looked down at Erin.
Her sister’s face was flushed, but not with the heat of fever. Instead, Marina could see the healthy glow on Erin skin. Several minutes later, Erin blinked. A wide smile lit the young girl’s face.
“I’m hungry,” Erin said, looking hopeful at Geoff.
Marina’s throat tightened at the clear eyes and the smile that came naturally instead of being forced. She reached up and removed the healing stone from Erin’s forehead and placed it on the blanket beside her sister. Erin sat up and bundled the blanket around her shoulders. Charlie softly groaned and shifted beside her, taking up the space Erin had made. Erin giggled and tenderly stroked the puppy.
“Thank you, Mr. Charlie, for keeping my spot warm,” Erin teased.
Marina reached over and tenderly brushed the dark purple hair from Erin’s cheek. The sound of her sister’s teasing warmed Marina’s heart. Even though she could feel the pull of Magna’s magic on her, it wasn’t enough to dampen her relief at seeing her sister feeling better.
“Warm soup coming up,” Geoff said with a grin.
Turning her gaze back to Mike, she gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you,” she said in a soft voice.
Mike shook his head. “I don’t know what just happened, but whatever it was worked,” he said, pushing up off the ground. “Let me make a fire. We don’t want her to have a relapse.”
Geoff removed the fire sticks that were no longer glowing and replaced them in his knapsack. Marina took the cup of soup from Geoff when he held it out to her. She bit her lip when she realized there was only enough for the three of them. Mike looked up and caught the expression of indecision on her face. Her blood heated when he gave her a slightly crooked grin.
“Eat. Charlie and I had a big breakfast a couple of hours ago,” he said.
“I… If you are sure,” Marina replied with a relieved smile.
He nodded and continued working on the fire. “What is this place called?” he asked.
“What do you mean? The forest? It is called Rindheart,” Marina said.
Mike shook his head. “No, I mean this world. You called this place the Isle of Magic. Where exactly is it located? I come from a place called Earth and a town called Yachats in a state called Oregon and a country called the United States of America on the North American continent,” he explained.
Marina thought about his question. “That is a lot of places to come from. This is the Seven Kingdoms. Our world is made up of seven isles, each a gift from the Goddess,” she said.
“What is that?” Geoff asked when Mike pulled a small cylinder from his pocket and leaned closer to the stacked wood.
“Good old-fashioned magic called a cigarette lighter,” Mike said, flicking the starter.
“How did it do that?” Geoff asked in excitement.
Mike chuckled. “I only have a basic idea, but it involves pressure, butane, air, and a catalyti
c coil. It is much easier than the Boy Scout method of rubbing two sticks together or using two flint rocks,” he said.
“Do these Boy Scouts rule your world? You have mentioned them before,” Marina asked in curiosity.
“No—It’s kind of hard to explain. So, this is the Seven Kingdoms. It is sort of like our world where we have seven continents. Is each kingdom divided into different countries?” Mike asked, sitting back as the fire began to burn.
Geoff frowned in confusion. “What are countries?” he asked.
Mike raised an eyebrow. “I guess that is a no. So, each kingdom belongs to one species of people,” he clarified.
“Yes,” Erin said, smiling up at him. “We are the Isle of Magic. We each possess different kinds of magical abilities. Are you a healer as well? I felt stronger when you touched me.”
Mike paused in breaking the long stick in his hand. Marina could see a flash of pain before he hid it. He shook his head and looked down at the fire.
“I wish, but no. I wouldn’t say I have any magic abilities, but I’m good at what I do,” he said.
“What are you good at?” Erin asked, licking a drop of soup from her bottom lip.
“Protecting people,” he replied.
Warmth filled Marina when Mike looked at her. She looked away when Erin giggled and nudged her. A blush heated her cheeks. From under her lashes, she studied Mike as he asked questions and answered others from her brother and sister. She liked his patience with them and the sound of his smooth, rich voice.
Erin giggled when he teased her about the size of her yawn. Soon, the warmth of the fire Mike built, the stress of the day, and the drain on their magic was luring Marina and her siblings to sleep. Marina slid down next to Erin. Her sister was curled up next to Charlie and wrapped her arm around the pup. Marina lay with one arm curled under her head for a pillow.
“Here,” Mike said, rising to his feet and covering both of them with another thin blanket and his jacket.
“What about you?” Marina asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Mike assured her, moving back to sit down again.
“Thank you,” Marina replied before closing her eyes.
“Will you be here when we wake up?” Geoff asked, his exhaustion reflected in his voice.
Mike nodded. “Yes, I’ll be here. Get some rest, I’ll keep an eye on things,” he said.
Geoff gave him a tired smile before pulling his blanket up to his neck and quickly falling asleep. Marina listened as Geoff and Erin’s breathing slowed and became steady. She was too tired to open her eyes. The sound of the fire snapping, the warmth of her sister’s body against her back, the heat of the fire in front of her, and the faint masculine scent clinging to Mike’s jacket gave Marina a sense of security that she hadn’t felt in over a year.
“Thank you,” she murmured again.
“My pleasure, Marina. Get some sleep. I won’t let anything happen to you guys,” he replied in a soft voice.
Chapter Eight
Mike snapped some twigs and fed the fire. His gaze moved from the glowing worms that made their home in the tree to the woman sleeping across from him. He’d been trying not to stare at her but realized it was an impossible endeavor, especially in the cramped confines of their shelter.
“Marina Fae of the Isle of Magic. She’s a witch, of course,” Mike murmured under his breath. “A witch! A beautiful, exotic, daring, and brave witch.”
He ran his gaze over her relaxed face. Wisps of her dark wavy hair caressed her cheek. Her coloring reminded him of the forest. Her dark brown and gold hair and tanned skin had the same highlights of the tree trunks with the sun shining on it. Her dark lashes lay like crescents against her sun-kissed cheeks. Her nose was long and slender while her lips made him want to taste their fullness.
Mike shook his head at his musing. Since when have I ever been poetic? he thought. I really need to get my head examined. Instead of thinking of how much I want to kiss Marina, I should be focusing on what happened today, where I am, and how in the hell I’m going to get home!
Silently rising to his feet, he decided he’d better collect more firewood. He motioned for Charlie to stay when the pup lifted his head. Turning, he quietly stepped around Geoff and slipped through the narrow opening in the trunk. He took several steps away before he paused and drew in a deep breath of the cool, clean air. He looked up at the night sky. One moon was full while the other looked like a waxing gibbous.
He kept the large tree to his right as he walked in a tight circle gathering several large pieces of dead wood. As he collected the wood, he listened to the different sounds of the forest. A hundred yards away, a large bird hooted from one of the tall trees. It sounded a lot like an owl. He could see the Nightstars light up and fade. The lights made the forest look more like something on a movie set or a theme park ride than a reality.
The sound of flapping wings and several dark shadows blocking the light from the moons drew Mike’s attention to the treetops. Looking up, he caught his breath when he saw dozens of large birds flying overhead. At a rough guess, he’d have put their wingspan at almost twenty feet from tip to tip. He decided anything with wings that big must have an even larger beak. The last thing he wanted was to become their next meal.
He retraced his steps as silently as he could, wincing every time he stepped on a branch. Ducking his head, he entered the tree and released the breath he had unwittingly been holding. He quietly stacked the wood near the fire before taking two logs and placing them across the coals.
“I thought I had dreamed about you.”
Mike’s head jerked up, and his gaze locked with Marina’s. She was watching him. He sank down to the ground next to Geoff.
“You should be sleeping,” he chided.
“I know. It has been difficult to rest well over the past year. There is always a sense of fear that something will come for us in the dark, even though I know none of the Sea Witch’s creatures can,” she admitted.
“Why can’t she attack at night?” Mike asked with a frown.
Marina drew in a deep breath and released it. “She created a spell that drains all magical creatures of their powers from nightfall to dawn. You would think she would have realized that the same spell would affect her and the creatures she made, but for some reason she didn’t. She—and the unnatural beasts she uses like the ogres—are just as defenseless as the rest of us. Unfortunately, there are still things that can hurt us,” she explained.
“Well, that was a big uh-oh,” Mike chuckled, poking at the fire with a stick.
“Yes, but at least her mistake gives us some reprieve,” Marina replied with a yawn.
“Get some sleep. We should have enough firewood to last until morning,” he assured her.
“What about you?” she asked, biting her lip.
Mike smiled and shook his head. “It is still morning for me. You don’t have to worry about me too. I’m old enough to take care of myself,” he responded.
Her lips twitched at his comment. “Yes, you are,” she murmured on a yawn. “You are a very….”
Mike stopped poking the fire and waited for her to finish the sentence. He was a very… what? A silent groan echoed through his head when he realized that she had fallen back asleep. It took him a moment to realize he was still staring at her—and that his body was hard and throbbing.
Leaning back against the inside of the tree, Mike blinked. What the fuck was going on? His body hadn’t reacted to a woman like this since he was about fourteen and Kylie Mooney sat in front of him in eighth grade science.
He itched to bury his fingers in her long hair, but it was his cock that he wanted to bury somewhere else. He tilted his head back and watched the wisps of smoke rise from the fire to the top of the tree. It was going to be a long, long night.
* * *
“Come on, boy. You’ve watered enough trees,” Mike called to Charlie.
Beside him, Mike heard Geoff chuckle. The teen had become his shadow since he and his
sisters woke up as the sun peaked over the horizon. Mike wasn’t sure if it was because the boy wanted to know more about him or if it was to keep an eye on him. When Mike stated he needed to take Charlie out for a bit, Geoff had eagerly stood up as well.
Mike shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He had wanted to go with Marina when she said she would find some food to break their fast but, before he could suggest it, she had disappeared. Erin stayed to pack up their blankets.
“He listens well,” Geoff commented when Charlie came up.
“When he feels like it,” Mike retorted with a wry grin.
Mike watched as Charlie came trotting toward them with a long stick that kept getting caught in the tall ferns. Of course, Charlie didn’t come to Mike. Geoff bent over and gave Charlie a rub when the pup dropped the stick at the boy’s feet.
“Watch him. He’s playing you. If you try to grab the stick, he’ll take off,” Mike warned.
Geoff grinned and winked at Mike. One second Geoff was there, and in the next he was gone. Mike stumbled backwards and blinked—and blinked again, and again. Either he was having issues with double vision or there were now two Golden Retrievers.
Mike lifted a hand and rubbed it over his eyes. Looking between his fingers, he still saw two dogs. They looked identical.
“Geoff, knock it off,” Marina ordered, walking past them.
Mike started and turned to look at her. She was carrying several large, dark orange roots by their leaves. In a flash, Geoff was back into the shape of a teen and following her back to the tree. Mike looked down when Charlie whined. He could see the pup’s gaze following Geoff.
“I’ve fallen down the fucking Rabbit’s hole!” he muttered before shaking his head. “Come on, boy.”
* * *
Marina scowled at her brother. Geoff just grinned at her, adding to her irritation. Bending over, she grabbed the pot and held it out to him.