‘Keep them, I have copies.’ Lifting his chin, he nodded towards the room across the hallway behind me. ‘How’s she doing?’
‘Better than I did. Feels like I’m racing to keep up with her.’
‘You know, I could’ve driven the two of you out to Wormsloe for that thing last week.’
‘Again, it’s not a competition,’ I insisted, softly this time. ‘Lydia couldn’t know about it in advance, I didn’t want you to have to lie to your own sister, plus I had no idea what to expect.’
‘I get it. I don’t have magic. You don’t need something else to worry about.’
‘No,’ I corrected. ‘I don’t want to put people I care about in unnecessary danger.’
Too quickly for me to stop it, the atmosphere between us changed and I was painfully aware of how close we were to his bed, how he couldn’t seem to shift his gaze from my lips.
‘I’d better go,’ I said, slicing through the tension between us with the bundle of paper. ‘Thanks for this, I think it’s really going to help.’
‘Stay for dinner? It’s fixing to rain out there.’
‘It is?’
Sure enough, the sky outside was darkening rapidly. A regular summer storm or was Lydia fighting with someone on Reddit again?
‘Good job I have an in with someone who can take care of the weather. Catch you later.’
‘Hey, Em,’ Jackson said as I bolted for the door. ‘Everything’s going to work out, you know, it just is.’
‘Oh yeah?’ I gave a nervous laugh as I stepped backwards into the hallway. ‘Have you been having visions too?’
Framed by the doorway, he smiled at me, easy and sincere.
‘Don’t need magic to believe in you.’
I flushed with unexpected pride, colour rising in my cheeks as my magic surged through my veins.
‘Thanks again for this,’ I said, waving the papers at him. ‘I’ll call if I figure anything out.’
‘I’ll be waiting.’
It was a promise and a reminder.
‘You’d better go,’ he said. ‘Before the rain comes.’
Still leaning against the desk, Jackson raised one hand in a wave. I mirrored the gesture, taking one last look at my brave,loyal friend. In another life, I would walk in there and kiss him goodbye.
But not in this one, I reminded myself, turning away to run straight down the stairs and out the front door.
Lafayette Square was scarred by the loss of the trees Astrid Hansen chopped down to make her toxic bonfire in Hilton Head. Everyone was talking about the mindless act of vandalism that somehow took place without leaving a trace of evidence. No one saw it happen, no one saw the trees leave the square, no one remembered a thing. Local outrage was still loud enough but it wasn’t very committed. There wasn’t much the authorities could do without evidence and soon enough, only days later, there was something new to be mad about and the naked north-west corner faded to the back of people’s minds unless they were looking right at it. After all, trees would grow back, wouldn’t they? I heard people say when I passed by, and thankfully no one was hurt.
No one they knew about.
Still clutching Jackson’s evidence, I crouched in the grass and whispered healing words to the stumps she left behind. Recovery had already begun, harsh chunks hacked out by her axe softened and gentle trails of moss soothed the deepest cuts. It wouldn’t have been too difficult to strike a bargain with the park and speed up the process. Every other tree for miles around would willingly offer its own energy to return their fallen comrades to their former glory. But inexplicably disappearing trees were one thing, magically reappearing trees were another. Drawing that kind of attention to a place so close to home wasn’t a good idea. Kneeling beside the tree stump, I stroked the broad tops of the pale stumps, whispers of Spanish moss and lichen trailing after my fingertips. The trees could wait. Nature was patient. More patient than me.
‘Am I interrupting?’
Wyn appeared in front of me, sleepy-eyed and smiling, more relaxed than I’d seen him in what felt like weeks.
‘Hi,’ I said as he crouched down beside me. ‘And yes. We were enjoying a little alone time.’
‘Been a long time since I saw you look that peaceful.’ He pressed a palm to the trunk, a jolt of heat shooting through the tree and into me. ‘Do I have to watch out for every tree now too? I already have enough folks to be jealous of.’
