the shelves just to have something to focus on other than Caden’s pensive expression. Finally, he glanced at his watch. “Your father will be up soon. Do you want help traveling or are you going to pass out on me?”
“I know what to expect this time. I can make it on my own.”
I took a deep breath as his arms encircled me. The red and black void came immediately. To keep my mind off the lack of air, I counted. I made it to thirty-three before instinct took over and I tried to take a breath. I remember gagging and Caden’s crimson eyes. Then nothing.
I woke to the sound of waves lapping over sand and Caden’s mouth on mine. Since blue sky showed over his shoulder, I guessed we weren’t in Hades.
He lifted his head. “I was only joking about passing out.”
My brain felt as if it were floating in gelatin, but other than that I was okay. I propped myself up on my elbows and surveyed our surroundings. The sun glistened off the ocean directly behind Caden, and to my right, green mountains rose to meet the sky. “Where are we?”
“Azores. You did worse this time. Didn’t even make it halfway.”
“Great.” I went to stand, swayed, and decided I’d sit on the shore a little longer.
He fell back on his butt and rested his arms on his bent knees. “You must not have fully recovered from the trip to London. We need to either find the airport or you accept my help.”
My phone chimed, announcing I had a message. It was from Isaac, letting me know he’d be late picking me up. A glance at the time told me Dad and Chase would be downstairs eating breakfast already. The fact that I didn’t have a text from Dad meant he hadn’t noticed me gone, yet.
“You could tell your dad you left early.” Caden let a handful of sand slowly escape his grasp like grains in an hourglass. “With luck, there will be a flight that gets us into Boston before evening.”
“And Isaac? What do you suggest I tell him? That I couldn’t sleep, so you and I snuck off in the middle of the night and went to London?” I slipped my pinkie ring off and on my finger. “I’ll be single and on the outs with half my coven before our flight takes off.”
Kaylee might understand, but I was pretty sure Josh would say What did you expect? and side with Isaac due to an unspoken guy code.
“I’m afraid there are no other options.”
“Perfect.” There I was, magic coursing through my veins and powerless to avoid an argument with my boyfriend without lying to him. Plus, I had a test in history that I’d actually studied for. When my teacher discovered that I ditched—and she would—she’d never let me make it up. The school would call my dad, and I’d still end up in trouble with him.
I stood and brushed sand off my butt. “We use your hoodoo to get us home now.”
“As you wish.”
He got up and waited for me to move in front of him.
“Why do I feel as if I’m cheating on Isaac?”
“We can still catch a flight.” He indicated with a nod to our left. “Sounds like the road’s that way.”
“Caden, zap us home before I change my mind.”
His hand came to rest on the side of my face as his other arm pulled me closer. I watched his irises bleed to red as his scent became smoky. His thumb followed my jawbone and sent shivers through my body. I may have had a very good reason for kissing him, but standing that close to him and it being my choice to do it was definitely cheating on Isaac. Before I could hate myself more than I already did, I closed the distance between us.
His lips were firm and moved tenderly over mine. I braced myself for the overwhelming heat to consume me. When that didn’t happen, I peeked and saw we were still standing on the coastline.
As if in reply to an unspoken question, Caden’s tongue brushed my lips, and I knew the gentle nibbles weren’t enough to get me from Azores back to the continental United States. My hands found his hips as I gave in to our kiss. His fingers tangled in my hair a moment before I felt his hold on me tighten and the ground beneath me vanish.
It would have been easier on my conscience if he were a