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"Sure. He's cool."
"I'll take care of her," Grant says. "You have my word."
From his tone and his expression, I know he means that.
Willow hops up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. "Go help Allison. I'll be fine."
I march across the sand, staying as far away from the wooded cliff as possible, and edge around an outcropping so I'm out of sight of Grant and Willow. This is the best I can do. Whether anything can protect them if I make a terrible mistake, I have no idea. But I must try. This is more than a quest to reunite with the woman I love. She and I have a connection to the Echo and to the magics my brother crafted, a link that might help us stop the alchemy of worlds.
I freeze, barely noticing the wavelets that lap around my feet. Did I just think… Yes, I did. I've known Allison for such a short time, and yet I know what I feel, know it with a conviction that sinks deep into my soul. I am in love with Allison.
Could she ever feel that way about me? After the things I've done, the answer must be no.
Forget about everything else. Focus on Allison.
I shut my eyes and picture her face, her smile, the way she looked at me when we made love the other night. I hear her voice whispering "you are not a beast" and feel her arms wrapped around me. Pressure bears down on me from everywhere and nowhere as a prickling sensation sweeps over my body.
The pressure releases with such suddenness that I stumble sideways and bump into an object. I should open my eyes, but I feel like I can't move even the smallest muscles.
Arms wrap around me. A familiar scent envelops me, and familiar lips press against mine.
I pry my lids open and gaze straight into Allison's eyes.
She grins at me. "You're here."
"Yes, I—" Something incredible happens to me, something I haven't experienced in years. I grin at her like an idiot and laugh too. "It worked. I found you."
She throws her arms around my neck and kisses me.
"Uh, just FYI, you guys aren't alone."
Grant's voice jerks me back to reality. I keep one arm around Allison as I turn toward him. Willow stands beside Grant, and they can't be more than six feet from me. When I'd left them, they were much further away, out of my sight.
It's magic, you bloody moron. Line of sight doesn't matter.
Allison breaks away from me to rush over to Willow and give the girl a firm hug. Then she notices our other guest, and her brows wrinkle. "Who are you?"
"Grant Larson," he says, offering his hand to Allison. "I met Dax and Willow on the beach yesterday."
"Beach?" Allison turns her attention to me. "Where did you end up?"
"The Lost Coast," I tell her. "It's in Northern California."
But now we're in the bedroom where Allison has been sleeping.
Grant seems a bit confused as he walks up to the window and gazes out at the estate. "Where exactly are we now?"
"England," I say. "This is Fallenmouth Manor, my ancestral home."
"Really? Are you royalty or something?"
"I am the Earl of Fallenmouth. Not that titles matter anymore." My attention swerves back to Allison. "Where is Sefton? If he has hurt you in the slightest, even a tiny scratch—"
"He hasn't. Sefton had to go check on some outpost of the Echo, though I have no clue what that means." She grasps my hands. "But he did tell me everything about those boxes."
"What do you mean?"
"Sefton explained to me how he created the Echo and the alchemy of worlds, and I think I know how to stop him—now that you're here."
