Shanna blew a raspberry.
Mom scooped her up into her lap. “You’ll change your mind when you grow up.”
Shanna watched in horror as Armando’s strong, rugged fingers slid down Jane’s leg. She put her finger in her mouth to imitate puking. “Never!”
***
They left their kayaks on a narrow, pebbled beach next to the waterfall.
“You’re saying we have to run through that.” Chris pointed at the curtain of water.
“It’s not so bad,” Shanna said. The waterfall wasn’t too thick or powerful, and they were all already wet.
“Yeah, no thanks.” Chris crossed her arms. “I’ll wait here.”
Shanna looked at Simon.
“I don’t have much choice,” he said, although the good mood in his voice made it clear he’d have gone with her regardless. “On three?”
“On three,” she agreed.
They positioned themselves in front of the waterfall. She counted up, then sprinted toward the waterfall, screaming with laughter as she got showered by millions of fresh, cold drops. Simon came behind her, holding his hands above his head as if there were still a dry inch of his body to protect. Soaking wet, Shanna shook her head and wrangled with strands of hair plastered to her face.
“Here we are.” Simon calmed his breathing. “Nice little spot.”
They were in a natural alcove carved into the granite rock. Despite the rush of water, it was wonderfully calm, with the waterfall protecting them from the outside world. Shanna closed her eyes, lifted her chin, and reveled in the sensations. The smellof rain, the cozy semi-darkness of the alcove, the even song of the waterfall meeting the ground. Even without the usual buzz of a tracking spell, her skin tingled, charged with expectation. She sensed it—there was a witchiness to this place, even if Mom was long gone.
It still called to her.
“Do you know what we’re looking for?” Simon asked.
She didn’t—and yet, she did. She let her supernatural senses, instead of her eyes, lead her—further into the alcove, fingers scraping along the smooth, slippery rock, until she found it, hidden inside a crack. A small, flat metal box.
She brought it over to Simon. “This is it.”
“You know?”
She nodded. As she reached for the lid of the box, his fingers stopped her.
“Wait,” he said.
“It’s all right. It’s safe to open.”
“I know.” He swallowed, his eyes searching hers. “I just wanted to say …” He covered her hand. “Shanna, come back home with me.”
“Of course I’m going home,” she said. “I need to see Gran. And Jinx.”
“I mean, after that. Even with the bond broken, even with everything fixed.” He locked her in his gaze, soft and pleading. “Stay with me.”
The cave around her whirled. “You’re not …”
“I’m serious.” He drew in, leaning his forehead on hers. “I may have already known it the night in Vegas. I’ll never be sure, but even with those memories gone, I still know it now. I know it again. I want to be with you.”
She stuttered.
“Give this a chance. Give us a chance,” he breathed next to her cheek. “Please.”
The rushing in her ears outpaced the rushing of the waterfall, just as the wild beating of her heart outpaced her breathing. In here, they were safe from her doubts and fears. If Simon believed, then she did, too—because she wanted to believe in them, in love. In the dreams she’d held onto for so long.
