“I always want to hear how your mind works.”
That was possibly the sweetest thing he could have said under the circumstances. He had no idea what he was in for, however. “You asked for it,” I warned him.
He laughed.
“I’m committed to the idea that Bogdan crossed over,” I started. “He was here, wreaking havoc, and even though he’d supercharged himself he knew there were enough paranormals here to end him. He’d overstayed his welcome, but this is Moonstone Bay. There’s no easy way off the island.
“He could have tried to swim for it, but that would have drained him, even if he’d swum at night,” I continued. “He needed a quick escape, and what better way than to go to a plane that doesn’t look to me as if it sees any sunshine?”
Galen shot me a quizzical look. “I’ve never really thought about it that way, but it makes sense.”
“Even if Bogdan had heard stories about the door being only one way, he likely assumed that he was so powerful he could find a way back,” I said. “It would just take time.”
“Also a solid hunch.”
“Except he didn’t find a way back. He was trapped. His stuff was still here, his life was still here, and yet people seemed to forget him.”
Galen snagged me around the waist and pulled me down to his lap on the beach. “Make the water dance,” he whispered into my ear.
I gave him a derisive look over my shoulder. “We’re not in front of the lighthouse. What if someone sees?”
“I don’t care.”
“I do. I don’t want to traumatize a tourist.”
“There are no tourists out here.”
“Then some local.”
“You can’t traumatize them. I guarantee they know you’re magical.”
Because he was right and I was looking for a way to vent some magic, I sent his favorite spell toward the water. The waves reared up, forming faceless dancers, and they began their choreography.
Galen watched for several seconds, then frowned. “I don’t recognize this one.”
“Frozen,” I replied, leaning back into him.
“Isn’t that a horror movie? Three people are trapped on a lift overnight and can’t get down. Wolves show up and two of them die.”
“Not thatFrozen. The Disney one with the ice princess.”
Galen’s eyes returned to the water and he grinned. “That’s kind of cute. IsFrozenyour favorite Disney movie?”
I solemnly shook my head. “The Fox and the Hound.”
“I don’t know that one.” He looked troubled.
“It’s one of their least famous. I love it. It’s about a basset hound and fox who become best friends but are then separated by circumstances as they grow and are forced to fight.”
“That sounds awful. What happens?”
“They save each other even though they’re from different worlds. They have to separate — the fox won’t survive otherwise — but they acknowledge the bonds of their friendship will survive no matter what. It’s about loyalty and love surviving despite all the odds.”
He pressed his cheek to mine and went back to watching the dancing. “Now I kind of want to see it.”
“One day.”
He fell silent for a beat, then redirected the conversation back to where it had been. “Do you believe Bogdan is still over there?”
