Page 48 of Charmed

“I don’t understand. Can’t all sorceresses scry? I mean, isn’t it something you would have inherited from your mother?”

“I am not sure. But it seems like in the last few days I’ve been seeing the start of something. I guess, since I am half elf, there is the possibility I can’t inherit her magical abilities, at all.”

“But you are seeing something in the orb now,” he pointed out. “Why is that, if you don’t have the ability to scry? I don’t understand.”

“I just remembered something that the ghost of my mother told me.”

“What is that?”

“That the orb only works if its power is first unleased.”

“And how do you do that?” he asked.

“I’m not sure, but I have an idea.” She put her finger to her mouth in thought. “The last few times I’ve seen the swirling colors in the orb is when I was with you. Especially after you kissed me.”

“Really?” He seemed interested. “So our kisses somehow spark the orb to life?”

“It could be.”

“Shall we try it again? To see if it works, I mean.”

She smiled and wet her lips with her tongue. “I won’t stop you. As an experiment, of course.”

“Of course.” He cradled her cheek in his large palm and kissed her ever so gently. “Is it working?” he asked, his face still up against hers.

“I don’t know. I can’t see it.”

“We’d better try a few more kisses, just to make sure its power was unleashed.”

She didn’t stop him from doing just that. His kisses were sensuous and downright alluring. And when his tongue parted her lips and entered her mouth, she felt a stirring below her belt that she’d never had before. A part of her seemed to be coming to life and she liked the way it felt.

“Let me look now,” she said, her lips up against his as she spoke, her eyes still closed. The warm breeze kissed her skin and the sweet smell of wildflowers filled the air.

“Not yet,” he whispered, his hands slipping around her waist, and then trailing lower until he cupped her buttocks in his palms. And when he pulled her tightly up against his groin, a buzzing sensation from the orb scared her and she dropped the crystal.

“Oh, my,” she said, pushing away from him.

“I’m sorry. Did I go too far? I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Nay, I loved it, Stone.” She looked to the ground. “I was startled when the gazing orb started to vibrate in my hand.” She hunkered down to pick it up. When she brushed the sand off of it, she actually saw a vision emerging in the orb. “Stone, look! Can you see it? I see something in the orb.”

“Where?” he asked, leaning over the orb, holding her hand in his. “Nay, I don’t see a thing.”

“Mayhap, I’m the only one who can see it, since I’m a witch.”

“What is it? What do you see?”

“It looks like…oh, no! It’s Fang. He’s in terrible trouble!” Her head snapped up and she looked out in the water for the dog. “There, I see him.” She pointed far out in the waves. “The current must be too strong and he can’t get back to shore. It’s my fault. I threw the stick and now he’s going to drown.”

“Stay here,” Stone told her, removing his tunic, exposing his broad, bare chest. “I’ll get him.” He kicked off his shoes and ran, diving into the waves, making his way toward the dog.

Persimmon watched nervously, hoping that Stone was a strong swimmer. She prayed that he could save the poor dog. If his hound drowned, she would never forgive herself for being so careless.

“Show me what happens,” she said to the orb, shaking it and trying to get another vision in it. It remained dark. Her asking it to give her a vision did not work at all. Anything she’d seen before was now gone. She quickly slipped the orb back into her pouch and kicked off her wet shoes, holding up her gown and running down the beach, making her way to Stone and Fang.

“Do you have him? Stone, are you all right?” she yelled into the wind. She wanted to jump in and swim after them, but she wasn’t a good swimmer. Being in the convent for most of her life, she was never allowed to experience things that most girls her age could do. She’d only been able to practice swimming the few times she snuck out of the abbey to bathe in the lake. “Stone, do you have him?” she called again, barely able to see his head out on the water. Tears filled her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. Everything had been going so well, and now it was about to end in tragedy. She prayed that it would not.

Falling to her knees, she squeezed her eyes closed and prayed once again the way the nuns had taught her. She asked that Stone and Fang would return unharmed.

“Persimmon, what are you doing?” she heard after a short while. Her eyes popped open. Stone emerged from the water, half-naked and wet, carrying the drenched dog. He looked like a water god emerging from the sea.

“You saved him! You’re both all right.” She jumped up and ran to Stone, throwing her arms around him and the dog as soon as they got to shallow water. “Thank goodness you are both alive.” She kissed the dog. Fang licked her face before squirming out of Stone’s hold. He shook, getting them all wet, but Persimmon didn’t mind.

“Fang gets a kiss but not me?” Stone asked playfully. “I’m the one who risked my life to save the mutt.”

“I’ll gladly give you a kiss, too,” she answered, throwing her arms around him and kissing him over and over again.

He laughed. “Keep that up, and the gazing orb is going to explode.”

“Let it,” she said with a devilish grin, wondering in her mind what she’d be able to see in the globe if they actually had made love.