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Ten
“Mmm… this smells delicious.” Roarke sniffed the steam rising from my pot of clams.
“Thank you. I’ve decided to honor my hometown and make clams three ways: on the half shell, clam chowder, and clam cakes over rice pilaf with a side of fresh asparagus for the main course.”
“Damn, Milly, you really do know how to cook.”
Roarke had been waiting for me in his hidden forest, greeting me with a friendly wave and a big smile as soon as I’d fallen asleep. The ingredients I needed came to me inside his cabin the moment I gave thought to my culinary plans.
“Mama taught me well.” I threw in a pinch of salt and walked away from the stove. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course. Anything you’d like.”
“This morning I woke up to a news report about a vineyard in Italy burning to the ground. And I think I saw smoke in the dreamscape right before we left last night.” I moved closer to the fireplace. “I want to know how your magic affects the real world.”
Roarke stood still, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I guess what I’m asking is… did the vineyard we visited in Tuscany burn up because of us?”
With a deep sigh, Roarke moved to the couch. “Milly, come sit with me.” He held out a hand, and I took a seat beside him. “Yes, there are things that happen in the dreamscape that also take place in the real world, providing the balance required. However, sometimes the things that happen there are just dreams. And in this case, a nightmare it seems.”
“Whose nightmare?”
“Whoever’s dream it was.” He shrugged. “It could have been the vineyard’s owner, a disgruntled worker, or a paranoid tourist worried about his first vacation to Italy.” He squeezed my hand. “Either way, it’s nothing you need to worry about.”
The clatter of boiling clams pulled me back to the kitchen. I stood over the pot, stirring and wondering if he was right. None of my earlier visits with the Weaver involved a nightmare of any kind, but it would be silly to think they never would. We all had nightmares lying in wait within our psyche.
I started to lift the clams out of the pot but had another thought. According to Roarke, I didn’t really need to be doing any of this. I could simply focus my magic to complete our meal exactly the way I envisioned it.
I pictured the clams lying open in a bowl of ice, then the chowder peppered and dished into two bowls with accompanying plates of clam cakes, rice, and asparagus prepared beside them.
Turning to the table, I smiled. “Dinner is served.”
Roarke’s hearty laugh filled the cabin. “There you go! Way to use your magic, Milly. And just in time… I’m starving!”
I untied the apron from around my waist and joined Roarke at the table. I needed time to process what he said, but I wasn’t about to ruin our meal. “I hope you like everything.”
Roarke slid out my chair, whispering in my ear, “I have no doubt I’ll love it all.”
A chill shivered up my spine as I scooted forward.
Roarke settled across from me at the table, winking as he began to enjoy his meal. I was never one to think the act of eating was sexy, but seeing him slip the clams onto his tongue and watching as he licked his lips caused a flush to run through me. My body felt like it had that day in the barn with Peter, and suddenly, I didn’t have anything else to say. I lifted a spoonful of chowder to my lips, blowing on it to bring the temperature down, when I caught the Weaver’s eyes. He was staring at me as if I were part of the meal.
I lowered my spoon. “Is something wrong?”
A smile pulled at his lips, and he shook his head. “Milly, when you’re here, there’s absolutely nothing wrong in my world.”
I couldn’t stop the blush that heated my cheeks. “May I ask you another question?”
“Of course.” He nodded and slurped down another clam.
“From some of the things you say, I assume you’ve been watching me for a while. How long, exactly, before I saw you in my dreams?”
Roarke set down his fork, placing a hand on either side of his plate. “Milly, I haven’t been spying on you if that’s what you’re thinking. That’s not how this works.” He chuckled. “Once I became the Weaver, my magic instinctively began to search for my queen. I’ve appeared to multiple witches throughout time, but until I found the one powerful enough to see me in return, I had no way of pinpointing who you were. However, the longing to connect with my mate was always there, pulling at my soul.”
“I’m sorry… Did you say mate?”
Roarke laughed. “I did, but it’s not as barbaric as it sounds.”
