Then a fat raindrop fell and splattered on her smile.
The next one came down hard and fast, hitting the side of her face and racing down her neck. We looked up, and lightning ripped across the angry sky.
“Quick, what comes first, thunder or lightning?” Circe rushed to say, her eyes bright and full of life.
“Lightning.” And the two of us waited to hear the boom shake the sky.
Two seconds later, thunderclapped,letting us know the storm was less than a mile away.
I grabbed the oars from the bottom of the boat as Circe pulled in the fishing lines.
Clouds broke in two, and rain pelted down on us as I rowed against the waves. Rain soaked my hair, curling it into my eyes, making it difficult to see. Circe laughed the entire way back to the lighthouse.
SAILING CIRCE’S ISLE
Alec & Circe
The island wasthe only home Alec had ever known. Since his father and mother had passed, Alec has lived alone. It was only him and the sea surrounding him. And though he never minded the silence, no living soul could go on sanely without human connection. The lighthouse stood alone, a tower of history sealed with secrets. It had stood for fifty years and may endure a hundred more beyond Alec’s lifetime. His only job was to keep Weeping Hollow’s border safe from oncoming ships.
Each night, he lit the cluster of candles in front of the glass window at the top of the spiraling staircase, knowing he wasn’t only protecting the town. Since laying eyes on Circe, as long as he was living, he was keeping her safe as well.
A bruised sun cowered behind grotesque skies, and wind iced Alec’s face as he sat beside a boulder. He was sketching the golden sunset with a fishing rod plunged into the sand at his side. His art was only expressive when inspired. And with Circe haunting his every thought, drawing was all he could do.
When he lifted his gaze, a boat was coming toward him from Weeping Hollow.
He wasn’t expecting anyone, especially not her.
Circe jumped from the boat once the shallow water was reached.
She wore a linen dress, and her beloved sapphire swayed on its necklace.
Her skirt clung to her golden legs as she almost floated over the waves to him, dragging her boat from behind. Once she was close enough, she tossed the anchor into the water with a splash without removing her ill-tempered glare. Then she stood over Alec, blocking the scarce daylight and casting shade to the side of his face.
Unable to speak from her sudden arrival, he only gazed up at her.
She continued to look at him with feral cat-like eyes, the green so intense and tantalizing. She was pretty in all ways, but there was something bewitching about her when she was mad.
What Alec didn’t know was that Circe could not rid herself of the thoughts of him since their first encounter. She’d often wondered what life would have been like outside of Weeping Hollow. Since Alec, she fantasized about a secluded island with an artist who had kind eyes while living with a monster her coven had forced her to marry.
Noticing the war in Circe’s eyes, Alec got to his feet and took her hands into his. “You came.” A curious and playful mixture inflicted his tone, and a shade of pink crawled up her neck to her cheeks.
It happened so suddenly. Alec’s first catch of the day yanked on the string.
An aggressive fish took the rod from the sand.
Circe pounced to snatch it just before it took off into the ocean, but her foot slipped upon a rock. When Alec rushed to catch Circe’s fall, the two of them tumbled into the sea, where the ledge had fallen off. It was deep enough that Circe couldn’t touch the bottom. Their heads and clothes were soaked. Foamy waves tumbled over themselves again and again, rocking the two with force and spraying their faces.
Alec circled his arms around her waist and pulled her to him to keep her head above the water. They looked at each other when laughter broke between them. Their laughter came easy, light, and Circe couldn’t remember the last time she’d genuinely laughed.
And when the laughter died, Circe regarded him with naked curiosity.
She loved how mist splattered his cheeks and slid along his jawline.
She loved how the waves splashed against his chest.
She loved how the sea loved him.
So, she touched his face as the two floated, together swaying with the waves.
