“Nobody else can see them.”
“What about you?”
“Not like you. I can sense them, but I cannot actually see the magic.”
“Why me?” I repeated to Silas. “Why do you think I—alone—have access to magic that could break this curse?”
Silas moved toward me, closing the distance until we were inches apart.
“Because you’re special,” he said. “I have a theory, but—”
“Dammit.” A new voice broke the silence, interrupting anything Silas might have told me. I felt disappointed as the voice continued. “The curse has encroached further than I thought.”
I stepped away from Silas, feeling like I had to catch my breath from the close proximity. A tall, handsome man in all black appeared between a set of trees, oblivious tothe way my heart was racing. Silas’s gaze seemed to have trouble leaving my face.
“Ranger X.” Silas turned toward the man finally, giving a nod. “I’d like you to officially meet the Doc. Alessia, this is Ranger X.”
“Officially?” I asked. “Have we run into one another before?”
“No,” Silas said, “but Ranger X knows everything that happens on this island, including your arrival. He’s the head of the Ranger Program—the Rangers are the protectors of The Isle—and also Lily’s husband. I’m sure she’s told him about you.”
Ranger X shook my hand firmly. His eyes were kind, but his look was all business.
“The curse’s spread is accelerating,” Silas said. “I just repaired the wards near here last week.”
“They’re not holding any longer?” Ranger X’s gaze was hard, his jawline set. “What can we do to help?”
“Did you bring what I asked?”
Ranger X nodded, pulled some vials from his pocket. “This is all Lily has right now of the Fortifier. She’s making more, but the ingredients are hard to come by, and the creation takes a while.”
Silas accepted the vials. Ranger X’s gaze slid to me.
“By the way, Doc,” he said, bowing his head so low it gave me a start. “Irina wanted me to thank you for all your help. Henry is doing wonderfully.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” I said, still mystified by the bow from Ranger X.
Was it a nod of thanks? A method of greeting outsiders to the island? I hadn’t forgotten the siren’s words or her deep bow, either. I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing an essential piece of a larger puzzle.
“Silas,” Ranger X said. “Can I have a word in private?”
“It’s okay,” I said. “You’re wondering why he brought me with him to the wards. I don’t blame you.”
“Alessia can hold her own in The Forest,” Silas said in answer. “For example, she just performed surgery on a siren.”
“There’s a siren nearby?” Ranger X’s voice was sharp.
Silas heaved the sigh to end all sighs. “Not anymore.”
“If there’s a siren in my jurisdiction,” X said, “I need to take care of it and—”
“I said ‘not anymore.’” Silas cocked his head toward me. “This one over here thought it would be a good idea to do surgery on one and then send the siren on her merry way.”
Ranger X turned a completely blank stare on me. “You actually tried to dosurgeryon a siren?”
“I thought she was a mermaid!” I exclaimed. “Long tail. Pretty hair. Water dweller. I was working with the information I had. I’m new here,remember?”
“Itoldyou it was a trap,” Silas said. Apparently we weren’t done with that argument. “You should have listened.”
