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Sixteen
The words died on my tongue, the fear of revealing the secret too overwhelming to voice out loud. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”
Roarke’s side-glance told me he wasn’t buying it. “Are you sure? You seem pretty upset.”
“I’m sure.” I shrugged, playing it off. “I just saw another news report about something happening in one of the places we visited before. But you’re right. It has nothing to do with us.” I pushed to stand, kicking around the yellow and brown leaves with the tip of my boot, hating myself more and more by the minute.
“Is there somewhere we need to go tonight?” I asked, desperate for an escape.
Roarke gave me a pensive look—as though he still didn’t believe me—but his eyes remained kind as they met mine. “You know the drill. All you have to do is pick a place.”
I turned away, feeling a crevice opening inside me, and in the next instant, we were perched on the edge of the glorious Grand Canyon. “I’ve always wanted to see it with my own eyes.”
“Great choice! It’s one of my favorite modern wonders of the world.”
The sun was just beginning to set, and the colors radiating from the canyon walls mimicked its power in a vibrant spectrum of oranges and reds.
I leaned forward, peering out over the edge. “It’s enormous. Its size is hard to comprehend from pictures alone.”
“Indeed. But do you want an even better view?”
I nodded without even knowing what he meant. In the next second, we were standing at the side of a beautiful waterfall and aqua-blue pool. The lush green trees and red rocks surrounding it created the most vivid and contrasting image. Its beauty was so overwhelming it brought tears to my eyes.
“Look up,” Roarke instructed.
I did and almost wept.
The stunning oasis was at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, seemingly wedged between the cracks of two rock faces.
“This is Havasu Falls and probably one of the most famous Havasupai waterfalls on the reservation.
“What do you mean?”
“There are five Havasupai falls located within the Indian reservation, which is in an offshoot canyon next to the main one. Tourists can book reservations with the tribe to either hike or pack mule down to this site.”
I turned back to this hidden gem, awed by the juxtaposition between the harsh desert surrounding it and the beautiful paradise before me. “I honestly have no words.” Overwhelmed, I walked to the water’s edge with tears trickling down my cheeks. “Can we get in?”
Roarke waved a hand in the air, filling the sky with shooting stars while a turquoise light glowed from beneath the water’s depths. “Of course.”
I met his eyes and was flooded with emotions I’d rarely felt before. Lust definitely, but there was something else… Gratefulness, perhaps? I wasn’t sure, but as I walked into the warm water, I waved my own hand and removed my clothes.
Roarke followed me in, scooping me into his arms and kissing me softly. “I’m glad you like it.”
“How could I not? It’s incredible.” I pulled back. “And so are you.” I wrapped my legs around his middle and let my mind and body float away.
Roarke kissed me again, this time deeply. Passionately. And we spent the rest of our night locked in each other’s arms, lost to the world around us.
By morning, we’d hiked the canyon, picnicked on the plateau above, and flown to the North Rim for a glass of wine at the lodge as we watched the sun set over the rim.
“This has been one of my favorite trips so far,” I admitted, not caring I’d spent almost twenty-four hours in the dreamscape with him.
“Me too.” Roarke reached behind his back, pulling out a cactus blossom in full bloom. “For your collection.”
I took the flower, sniffing its sweet scent, then tucked it behind my ear. “Thank you.” I thought about the viola still sitting on my altar at home. “But how is it I can bring something from the dreamscape back with me into the real world?”
Roarke shrugged. “Just another perk to my Weaver magic.”
I lifted my glass to my lips, the sweet wine puckering the taste buds at the back of my mouth. I thought back to all the times he’d used that same excuse or deemed something “just part of the rules.” But now, after seeing into his soul, it no longer felt like he was hiding something from me, but perhaps something was being hidden from him. What if there were aspects of his magic that even he didn’t understand?
