groan slipped from my lips and Arik grabbed my elbow just as my knees began to buckle.
“Embrace the memory,” he urged. “Only think of it.”
The umbrella? I used to sleep with it after my mom passed away. Carried it everywhere. It was a way to keep her with me. Electric sparks sped up my chest and across my arms. A pink sphere grew to the size of a peach pit on my palm before it busted.
“You have it!” His boyish excitement surprised me. “It startled you. That’s why you lost control. Try again.”
I concentrated on the umbrella for several minutes, willing the globe to form. When it materialized, it puffed up like blowing a bubble with pink gum. “What do you think it does?”
“All I know is that it released the charmed shackles from Faith. The entry in the book is unclear.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Try throwing it.”
I cocked my arm back, the sphere wobbling like Jell-O, and tossed it. The globe flopped to the ground near us and burst.
“That’s a horrible throw. Have you ever thrown a ball before?”
I glared at him. “Yes. It’s just that this thing is awkward and jiggly.”
He glanced up at the sky. “A storm is coming. We might have time to try once more.”
My entire body went weak. “I don’t feel so good.”
“Shall we take a break, then?” He snatched up the bag and pulled out a chocolate covered pastry.
I shoved it in my mouth as though starved. Which I was. I hadn’t eaten since lunch.
Amusement danced in his eyes as he watched me gobble it down like a troll. He took one out for himself, ripping off a piece and popping it in his mouth.
“Holy crap, this is delicious,” I said with a full mouth. The sprinkling of rain turned into fat drops.
“I’ve not found any better.” He removed bottled water from the sack, unscrewed it, and handed it to me. Something on the side of my face caught his attention. “You have a bit of something right there.” He pointed it out.
“Oh.” I rubbed at my cheek.
“You missed it.” He rubbed the corner of my mouth with his thumb.
Surprised at his touch, I dropped the bottle and slipped back on my heels, grabbing his hand and pulling him down with me. I landed on my back in the mud. He fell on top of me, bracing himself with his arms so as not to smash me with his body. Cold mud crawled under my shirt and up my back. I shivered. Rain dumped on us.
Our faces were mere inches apart, his chocolate-laced breath brushing my lips—every bit of my body sharply aware of his nearness. The rain slapped the bag beside us and clapped the ground.
A serious expression pulled on his face as his head lowered closer to mine. He swiped my lower lip with his finger this time, causing an eruption of tingles to spread across my skin. “Those pastries are messy. I should have grabbed some napkins.”
“No, I’m just a slob.” I licked my lips, and his breath hitched.
What just happened? And why is he looking at me like that? I thought he was still mad at me.
He straightened his arms, his face moving away from mine. “Are you injured?”
“I don’t think so.” Only heart palpitations.
He scrambled to his feet and grabbed both my hands, yanking me up. “We best find cover before we drown.”
We made a mad dash for the wall, rain drenching us. My feet kept slipping as I climbed up the vines beside him. The village roads were practically vacant of people. Our feet smacked the puddles as we sprinted to the door into the castle.
Dripping water and mud on the tunnel’s floor, we tried to catch our breaths. I was freezing, but too lost in the moment to care. Arik’s laughter had me completely entranced. His eyes danced and dimples deepened with each chuckle.
“You need to get dry,” he said, a hint of amusement lingering in his voice. “Moreover, your entire backside is caked in mud.”
As we walked through the corridors, we did a sort of hide and seek thing with our glances. He’d peek at me, and I would hide my eyes by looking at something on the wall. I’d look at him, and he would glance down at his feet. Both trying to conceal our smiles.
I was disappointed when we reached my room. “Well, thanks for seeing me to my door.”