She could admit to herself that she would miss him. It wasn’t something she would ever say out loud. How would it sound telling him she was staying to spend a little longer with him?
Once she went home, she doubted she’d ever get a second chance. This was it. Only if she had no other choice would she use the necklace. She needed to go with him to the island even if she didn’t know why.
What did he think about her? It was impossible to tell. There were times she wished she was more normal and this was one of those times. She wished she understood body language better. Did he like her?
He was keeping her warm at night, he was looking after her. But was that something any man would do? Or something he would do for any woman?
He had given her no signs about whether he liked her or not. Or he’d given the signs but she’d not noticed them. She sighed to herself. Her head was starting to hurt from thinking about it.
“Do you think we’ll be safe on the island?” she asked.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” he replied. “Tell me what that thing was in your pocket.”
“This?” she replied, pulling out her cellphone. “I’m just glad it worked.”
“What does it do?”
“It lets me talk to other people that have one of these.”
“How?”
“I’m not sure. I’m no engineer. I know it sends signals out through the air and they get received at the other end. That’s about the best way I can describe it.”
“Can you show me?”
She shook her head. “There’s no one else in this time with one of these.”
“Can you show me how it traps souls.”
“It didn’t trap that man’s soul. I just took a picture of him.”
Cam frowned, not understanding.
“Like a portrait, a painting but faster.”
“With no brush? Show me.”
“The battery’s almost dead and I’m not sure when I might need to use it again. I promise I’ll show you before I go home though.”
“Deal. How far?”
She looked past him toward the approaching island. “Not long.”
“Then I better get moving. Who knows if he’s found another boat to come after us.”
Another ten minutes passed before they reached the shore. Cam brought the boat to rest on an old jetty, the wood rotten, several planks missing.
“Watch your step,” he said, helping her out.
She wanted his hand to remain on top of hers, feeling a pang of loss when he pulled away. What was it about him that made her feel safe every single time he touched her?
“How big is this place?” she asked when they stepped off the end of the jetty onto the rough grass that covered all the land she could see.
“Not too big. There’s the monastery and a couple of old fishermen’s cottages. If the woman is here that the thief spoke of, we’ll find her soon enough.
“Which way?”
“We’ll try the cottages first.”
