I reached over to thumb the book open to the page I’d been working on as Jerry braced the book with his hands.
“’Tis a truth potion. Mary is gathering the necessary herbs. Would ye like me to try it on ye?”
Jerry jumped off the table so quickly he created a breeze. Laughing, he backed away and held up his hands as if to block me.
“Please doona ever slip me a potion. While I know I must use magic to get home, I’ve truthfully a great fear of it.”
“Of magic?”
Such a confession surprised me. If he was afraid of magic, why did he come to my spell room each and every day and expose himself to it? Why had he lived with a witch far more powerful than me for over a year?
“Not of magic, per say, but of being controlled by it.”
“Do ye truly believe I would do that to ye?”
His features softened.
“No, I doona believe ye would.”
Slowly, he closed the distance between us, and I held my breath as his thighs bumped into my knees as he stood in front of me. Leaning in, he whispered, “Hold still, lass. Ye’ve a lash that is perilously close to falling into yer eye.”
If not for my hands steadying me against the table, I would’ve trembled at the touch of his fingers across my lashes. With a soft pinch, he grabbed at something but blew it away before I could see the lash in his palm.
He stepped away as quickly as he neared me, and I held his eyes until he turned away. I could only see the shape of his eyes—the corner of the room where I sat was far too dark for him to see any of my lashes.
He said nothing else as he left.
I sat smiling long after he’d gone.
He had no real reason to touch me at all.
* * *
Jerry
* * *
For over a year, getting back to my own time was my greatest obsession. Every minute of every day, it was all I thought about. Even in my dreams, all I could see was my home. How could I relinquish my obsession so easily? Was any lass that powerful?
She couldn’t see it yet—how much I cared for her. Her innocence prevented her from seeing how desperately I wanted her. I was thankful for it. For if Morna ever reciprocated my feelings, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to make myself leave this time, even if she found a way for me to return home.
And I had to return home. Of course I did. If my destiny lay in this time, I would’ve been born here.
Regardless, each day when I snuck down into Morna’s basement, I hoped her news would be the same as the day before. Despite my better judgment, I hoped she found nothing.
It couldn’t last forever. Either she would have to find the spell soon, or my willpower would betray me completely.
One way or another, I had to return. And no matter how much I wished it, I couldn’t bring Morna with me.
It was torture to be near her, but it drove me mad to be away from her, even for the length of one morning.
Life at Conall Castle was miserable.
I was the happiest I’d ever been.
Chapter 15
“Psst…”
