His brow furrowed.There was no light at all.
“The lantern,” Conrad said, noticing at the same time.
Sage untangled his arms and legs from his companion and stood up out of the water.His jaw began to quiver almost immediately.He wrapped his arms around himself to shield against the breeze that had settled to almost nothing again, but it certainly felt like something against his bare skin.By the time Sage emerged onto the grassy bank, Conrad was already leaving a trail of wet footprints on the dock.
“What’s happened?”Sage asked helpfully.He looked for where Conrad had set the towels down next to his clothes, but they weren’t there—the towels or the clothes.Frustration bloomed in him.“Is someone playing a trick on us?”He turned to the trees behind him, squinting into the darkness.
He spun back around when he heard Conrad curse under his breath.The man was on his hands and knees, reaching down toward the water.As he sat back, one of the towels came with him, soaked through and cascading water all over his thighs.
Sage might’ve focused on that a little longer than was necessary.
“I’m afraid the lantern met the same fate.”
“And your clothes?”Sage lamented.“And the towels?!”
“The gust came out of nowhere,” Conrad said as he hopped to his feet and made his way back down into the water.“I guess it was so strong that it knocked everything off the dock.I think I see one of my shoes.”
Sage grimaced at the thought of wading into the shadows to help him find the rest of what had been lost.Conrad must’ve known, because he kindly did not ask for any assistance.When he emerged, he had the aforementioned shoe, the other towel, and what appeared to be his shirt in his hands.
Sage was still convinced that someone was hiding in the bushes and silently laughing at their misfortune.
“It seems awfully unlikely that a simple breeze could do such damage.”
“I agree,” Conrad said as he prepared to go back under.“I am no expert, but I have to say it almost felt like something I’ve seen Roger and Wyndham do in the study.”
This earned Sage’s full attention.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I suppose you’ve seen it,” Conrad went on easily.“They demonstrated their wedding spell.It was so impressive.”There was the sound of splashing before Conrad produced another piece of his outfit.
“You mean…it felt likemagic?”
“I cannot feel magic, sadly.Merely a human, remember?”He could hear the smile in Conrad’s voice.“But it seemed strong like magic, yes.”
Sage stepped away from the puddle he’d dripped onto the dock and glared into the trees.Someone must have been playing with them.It was the only answer.Emrys was the likely culprit, of course.Perhaps he’d even convinced Keelan to help, or simply join in for a good laugh.But there was no laughing.There were no sounds at all.Sage and Conrad were still alone, and if that was really true, then the magic could’ve only come from one person.
Him.
Slowly, he turned back to the dock.
“Impossible,” he whispered to himself.
His magic couldneverhave been so powerful as to move a single item that far, let alone dump everything they’d brought with them into the water.Sage pressed a hand over his mouth as he searched for some sort of explanation.He’d hardly even noticed what was happening until it was over.He was too focused on Conrad.On kissing Conrad.On becoming thoroughlyadriftwith Conrad.The magic in his chest lifted pleasantly at the memory.
Sage shoved it all aside.The faster they returned to the house, the sooner he could stop shivering, and the sooner he could give this some proper thought.His skin was mostly dry, so he stalked toward the branch where he’d hung his clothes.At least one of them would not be naked for the walk back.He tried to think of something clever to say about that, hopeful for another bright laugh from Conrad, but instead he stopped dead in his tracks with a gasp.
Then, he screamed.
