“Dream on,” I said. Hestia wasn't my confidante. She didn't deserve to share the private details of my life.
“I’m not asking as your bestie,” Hestia said. “I’m asking as a high-ranking member of this coven. You have to consider Eternal Springs, Kenna. It can’t be all about you.”
If she’d been standing in front of me, I would have set her hair on fire. “All I do is think about Eternal Springs. It’s literally my job to put this town first.”
“I realize that, but getting involved with a local man…” She trailed off, clearly trying to choose her words carefully. “It’s difficult to be close to someone without revealing your true nature. If he were to discover the truth, it could be problematic for you, for the coven, and for all of Eternal Springs.”
“So I guess I should have become a nun after all,” I griped.
“That’s not what I’m suggesting.” Hestia paused. “Okay, maybe it’s not the worst idea in the world, but you can’t put your own happiness ahead of the fate of the island. The residents have no clue what lurks on the other side. Without you four to maintain the balance…”
My frustration spilled out of me. “I don’t see how dating Lucas puts the whole island in danger.”
“How do you think Lucas would react if he knew you were a witch? If he saw you battling a flying monkey or hurling a fireball? Do you think he’d take it in stride? That the two of you would have a good laugh about it and then go for a coffee afterward?”
I plucked Jane Austen’s neck and hurt my fingers on the marble in the process. “Maybe.”
“Even if Lucas was willing to accept your identity, do you think the rest of Eternal Springs would be so open-minded?” Hestia challenged me. “Can you see Buddy embracing the four of you as the champions of Eternal Springs?”
No, that I could not envision. At all.
“I get your point,” I grumbled. “Witches equal angry townsfolk with pitchforks. I’ll bear it in mind.”
“Very well then,” Hestia said. “Please be sure to report back once you’ve handled the situation. I don't need to explain to you the importance of keeping those flying monkeys out of sight. It would cause more chaos than even you could handle, Kenna.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said, and yanked on Jane Austen's ear to end the call.
Gerald looked at me. Well?
“Fire up the stove, Gerald. I'm going to need a bowl of oatmeal to power through the rest of this day.” I paused. “Throw in some raisins and cinnamon, too.”
Gerald appeared shocked. Extra sugar, miss? Are you quite sure?
I gave him a firm look. “Do it.”
Chapter Sixteen
With my stomach full of oatmeal and my head clear of chaos, I was ready to tackle the items on my task list when the doorbell rang.
I’m afraid it’s Master…Lucas Holmes, miss, Gerald said.
My stomach plummeted. Was he here to berate me, now that he’d had time to process what I’d revealed? I didn’t blame him, really.
Thankfully, I was ready to face any challenge the universe threw my way. I gathered my courage and opened the door.
“Hi, Lucas,” I said. I didn’t smile, in case he was here to ream me out.
Although his hands were thrust in his pockets and his hair was slightly ruffled, he didn’t appear angry.
“Is this a bad time?” he asked.
“Not for you,” I replied. “I’m sorry about…”
He held up a hand. “I overreacted, Kenna. What you did…It happened more than ten years ago. It doesn’t matter now.”
“It was mean and it hurt you.”
“But you confessed,” Lucas said. “You didn’t have to tell me. I never would’ve known.”
“Yeah, that was pretty stupid of me, huh?”
A slow grin emerged. “You’re a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them.”
“So, you forgive me?” I asked. I didn’t know why it was so important to me, but it was.
“On one condition,” he said.
Uh oh. I dearly hoped it had nothing to do with karaoke. “What is it?”
“Do you trust me?”
I hesitated. “That depends. Trust you in what way? To do my taxes? Probably not.” Unless he was also a licensed tax professional, which, at this point, I'd be willing to believe. Lucas seemed capable of anything.
He laughed. “That's a lawyer answer. You're not secretly a lawyer, are you? I might have to rethink this relationship.”
Relationship? That was a heavy word.
Lucas must have sensed my thought because he quickly said, “Friendship, I mean.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. “If you do, put this on.”
I stared at the blue-and-white striped handkerchief. “Put this on? You mean fold it into a square and place it in my shirt pocket?” Because I didn't have one.
“You're not going to make this easy, are you?” He positioned the handkerchief like a blindfold. “I'm going to secure this around your head, so that you can't see where were going. Now do you get it?”
I got it. Lucas wanted to blindfold me and take me to an undisclosed location. Serial killer 101. But I knew Lucas wasn’t a serial killer. He was the kindest, most compassionate man I'd ever known. It helped that his hotness was off the charts.
Hestia’s words of warning rang in my ears, but I blocked her out. Hestia wasn’t living a life on this island, dedicated to protecting its inhabitants. I was.
“I trust you, Lucas.” I really did. He'd shown me over and over again that I could, and it was time that I listened to my gut.
He tied the handkerchief around my head and took my hand. I felt the electricity between us. I hoped my powers didn’t suddenly develop a mind of their own or Evian’s Firestarter comments would cease to be a joke.
Lucas guided me down the front porch steps to his golf cart in the driveway.
“Sit back and relax,” he said. “It's not a far drive. I'd say enjoy the scenery, but I guess I'll just have to describe it to you.” And he did. The entire ride, Lucas provided running commentary on everything we passed. He was funnier than I realized. He was also observant. When he made a crack about Mrs. Atwood’s outfit always matching that of her Yorkshire terrier’s, I burst into laughter.
“I thought I was the only one who noticed that,” I said.
“How could anyone not notice?” Lucas asked.
When the golf cart slowed to a stop, I actually felt disappointed. I liked listening to his voice as he entertained me. He wasn't trying to get me to organize or schedule anything. In fact, I felt that the only thing he wanted in the world right now was to make me laugh. It was a nice change.
“Right this way, Miss Byrne,” he said, taking my hand again. I could get used to all this handholding.
He had me step up–it seemed higher than a normal step and narrower.
“Get comfortable,” he said, “and I'll be around to remove your blindfold in a few minutes.”
I heard unfamiliar sounds and the click of a door, then seatbelts. Seatbelts? There was only one mode of transport on the island I could think of that involved a seatbelt.
“Lucas,” I said slowly. “Are we on a plane?”
“Two more minutes and I'll answer your question,” he said.
Magic and mayhem, we were on a plane! Panic rose in my throat and threatened to spread to the rest of my body. It wasn't simply the act of flying that concerned me, it was also the fact that I wasn’t allowed to leave the island. None of the witches could. I had no idea what would happen. What if there was a protection spell that crashed the airplane? What if Lucas was hurt because of me? The idea was too much to bear.
“Lucas!” I whipped off the handkerchief to object, but it was too late. The first thing I noticed were the clouds around us. How had he managed to take off without me noticing?
“See? You're perfectly safe,” he said.
“But how?” I gripped the edge of my seat, straining my knuckles.
“I didn't feel anything when we took off. I thought my stomach would do somersaults or something.”
“I tried to take it easy,” Lucas said, “so as not to frighten you.” He glanced over at me. “I want this to be a positive experience for you.”
“Why?” I couldn't bring myself to look down. Knowing the clouds were around me was bad enough.
“Because I'm hoping you’ll want to do it again.”
“Why do you want me to fly?” I asked. “I’m not a pilot.”
“Because flying is my passion, Kenna,” he said. “And, truth be told, so are you. I'd like to be able to bring my two passions together.”
My grip relaxed slightly. “I’m…your passion?" I’d never been anyone's passion before. Heck, I hadn't even been anyone's girlfriend before.
“That's why I was so upset when you told me about the Darth Vader prank,” he confessed. “I wouldn't have been so bothered if you were some random girl from high school, but it was you. You were my Charlie Brown football, constantly slipping through my grasp. I tried so many times to work up the courage to approach you, but I never felt good enough. You always seemed so cool and in control.”
“So are you,” I said. “You fly planes for a living. You can't do that without being cool and in control, right?”
“It's not the same,” he replied. “You basically herd cats for a living. That's so much harder than what I do. I only need to rely on myself, for the most part. You have to deal with groups of people.” He shuddered. “That's completely outside my wheelhouse.”
“Where are we now?” I asked.
“Take a look and see,” he said. “Go on. You won't fall out.” He paused. “Unless I open the door and kick you.”
I jerked toward him. “Lucas!”
He laughed heartily. “I would never hurt you, Kenna. Not ever. You can trust that, too.”
I stared into those blue eyes and knew that it was true. I drew a relaxing breath and looked out the window. Below us was a huge body of water and the northern end of the island. I could tell it was north because of the white caps.
It was insanely beautiful.
“Peaceful, isn't it?” he asked softly.
“It's so serene,” I agreed. And nothing happened to me. I was hundreds of feet in the air and nothing tried to pull me back to earth. It seemed that the coven trusted us enough to stay without the need of a protective spell. Good to know.
We circled the island a few times and Lucas pointed out places of interest. It was exhilarating to view the island from a different vantage point.
“I can't believe this is your job,” I said. “If this is your passion, you must feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”
He gave me a shy smile. “Almost, but not quite. There is the matter of that elusive football.”
I smiled back. “I'm not sure that I like being compared to a scrap of leather.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Would you rather I compare you to a white whale?”
“You wouldn’t dare.” I couldn't believe what was happening. The guy I had been lusting after just told me that I was the missing piece of his happiness puzzle. I'd been chasing after waffles, while he'd been pursuing something far more meaningful. I didn't feel worthy of him.
“So you’ve forgiven me?” I asked.
“You were young,” he said. “So was I. I like to think we've both matured since then.”
“You don't play with your lightsaber in the forest anymore?” I teased. “That's a bit of a disappointment. I was hoping we might play together one day.”
His grin widened. “We don't need to be on the ground to play Star Wars,” he said. He adjusted his headset and focused on the sky in front of us. “I have the Death Star in my sights, Captain. Permission to fire.”
“Are we in an X-wing fighter?” I asked.
He cast me a sidelong glance. “What else?”
In the middle of our game of destroy the Death Star, I caught sight of something below us, skimming the treetops. I may have been airborne, but the sight of the winged monkeys brought me plummeting back to earth.
I cast a sidelong glance at Lucas to see if he’d noticed. Thankfully, his attention was on the controls.
“A Star Destroyer ahead,” I said.
Lucas played along. As long as I could keep his attention away from the monkeys below, we’d pass over them quickly.
“A clean shot,” he cried, delighted.
I laughed. Lucas was so much fun to be around. I’d forgotten what it felt like to have fun for the sake of it. Most of my life centered around work engagements. Events that benefitted the island first, me second. Spending time with Lucas was purely for me and it was heavenly.
As much as I was enjoying myself, though, it was time to return to the island. I had to deal with those monkeys before they captured another dog. To say I was disappointed to end our outing was an understatement.
I wasn't even nervous when Lucas landed the plane. Unsurprisingly, he made an expert landing. Not even a bump out of place.
“So, what's the verdict?” he asked, regarding me.
“That was the most fun I've ever had in my life,” I said.
“I'm so glad,” Lucas said. “Now put the blindfold back on.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Why? What's the point?”
“You look better with it on,” he teased. “I can see much less of your face.”
I jabbed him with my elbow. “Not funny!”
He couldn't contain his gleeful laughter. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re fun to tease?”
I frowned. “No one's ever tried before.” I knew why, too. It was because I always seemed so serious. Well, Lucas got a glimpse of the real me—not the witch or the tourism director but the person—and he wasn't running. My body warmed from the inside out.
“Thanks for this, Lucas,” I said. “You have no idea how much it means to me.”
He gazed at me with those bright blue eyes. “Ditto.”
After my flight with Lucas and his offer of forgiveness, I felt reinvigorated and ready to take on the trio of winged monkeys. It was as if I’d surmounted a mental barrier.
I rode my scooter to the forest with Stuart flying above me. His job was to locate the terrible trio. As multitalented as Gerald was, he couldn’t possibly fly high enough to perform reconnaissance. Not until he lost weight. I made him stay behind for his own safety. He promised to have a pot of tea waiting when I returned.
“I see them,” Stuart cried, swooping close to my head.
“Personal space, Stuart,” I said. “Where are they?”
“If I tell you, can I be your new familiar?”
“No,” I said firmly. “But you will have my eternal gratitude.”
“I’ll take it. They’re back near the copse,” Stuart said.
They were tormenting the sarcastic trees again? Those monkeys did not learn boundaries. If they were children, they’d be spending some serious time on the naughty step.
“Thanks, Stuart.” I steered in the direction of the Cottonmouth Copse.
“What can I do now?” he asked eagerly.
“Just stay out of the way,” I said. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“It’s my job to protect you,” Stuart insisted.
I parked far enough away from the copse so as not to alert the monkeys to my presence. “It’s not your job at all. You owe me nothing, Stuart.”
“Go get ‘em, Kenna!” Stuart cried and flew off.
I took a few deep, cleansing breaths before heading into the copse. Sure enough, the winged monkeys were there, jumping up and down on branches and making a general nuisance of themselves.
“I hope you’re here to take care of this, witch,” Agatha said. “You’ve let it go on long enough.”
“You’re right, Agatha, and I’m sorry.”
The three monkeys took to the air and began circling me.
“You’ll pay for making us itch,” the alpha monkey said. “I have scabs from scratching t
oo hard.”
“At least they’re an improvement on your appearance,” I said.
“Look out, Kenna,” Earl cried.
I jumped back as the alpha monkey swiped at me with a deadly claw.
“Don’t you lay a hand on my witch,” Stuart cried.
“I’m not your witch, Stuart.” Did I really need to deal with Stuart’s exuberance now?
It was then that I realized Stuart was above us in a dive-bomb position, plummeting straight for the alpha monkey. There was no way he’d win in a fight with any one of the monkeys, let alone the alpha.
“Stuart, no!” I shouted.
The alpha monkey bared his teeth, and I watched as he extended his claws, waiting for Stuart to come within range. I had to do something now.
One of the fire spells from the spell book flashed in my mind. I poured my magic into my fingertips and recited, “For this situation dire, manifest a lasso of fire.” I extended my hand and a flaming rope appeared. I swung it over my head, making sure the loop was wide enough to encircle all three monkeys. I couldn’t risk any one of them escaping. I yanked hard and tightened the lasso so that the three monkeys slammed together and fell to the ground.
“The rope…” the alpha monkey grimaced. “It burns!”
Smoke billowed from their bodies. I didn’t want to kill them, only to send them back where they belonged. I ran toward them, still clutching the end of the lasso. I couldn’t afford to douse the flames until I’d finished the job.
“Are you going to roast us and eat us?” the second monkey asked.
“That’s disgusting,” I said.
“When I get my claws in you,” the alpha monkey spat, “I’ll start with your big mouth.”
I scrunched my nose. “You’re going to eat my mouth first? That doesn’t even make sense. My mouth is a gaping hole.”
“You’ve got that right,” Agatha interjected.
I ignored her and spread my arms as though I were embracing the trio. “Three creatures without a soul. Return them to their demonic hole.”
The wind blew so hard around us, that even the sarcastic trees bent to its will.
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