Page 70 of Charmed

Which meant…heat engulfed my body and I instinctively hopped out of reach when he reached for me.

He frowned. “Why are you hopping away?”

“Because you’re about to kiss me!”

The crimson swarming his cheeks deepened. “You didn’t seem embarrassed to break the spell in such a manner when we spoke of it earlier.”

It was one thing to discuss something intheory, and quite another to be moments away from feeling his lips against my skin, an experience I wasn’t certain I could survive in my current fluster lingering from the curse.

“It’s true I did agree to it, but…”

Yet I had no argument forthcoming for why I’d suddenly changed my mind, leaving me no defense when he plucked me from the air mid-hop, enveloping me in the feel of his fingers wrapped securely around my body. I squeezed my eyes shut as my body went rigid with tension and anticipation, awaiting the kiss…only for nothing to happen. After a long pause I peeked my eyes open a sliver.

I expected to discover his lips inches away…but he maintained a suitable distance, eying my rigid posture with a frown. “Why haven’t you kissed me?” I asked.

“I could never force a kiss upon a maiden if the thought of kissing me is so disagreeable to you.”

It wasn’t, and that was the crux of the problem. “I suppose we’re left with no choice if we want to break the spell.” Who would have imagined my first kisses would have been as a frog, but all that mattered was that they were with the man I cared for, no matter the logistical reasons for it.

With a wavering breath he lifted me and pressed his lips to the top of my head with aching gentleness. As before, magic swelled over me to tingle my limbs as it transformed me back into my true form before Alden could set me down; the force of my sudden human weight sent us both tumbling to the ground with me landing on top of him.

Our breaths caught simultaneously, but rather than begin the work of untangling our bodies, we remained frozen, staring at one another.

Alden’s face was inches away, a proximity entirely different than before now that we were both human. I hungrily took in every detail of his handsome features and he seemed just as mesmerized by mine. He stared into my eyes a beautiful moment before he hypnotically burrowed his fingers through my fluffy hair with an expression as fascinated as when studying his favorite subject.

I was about to act on the ridiculous impulse to caress his cheek or even burrow my fingers in his own hair…but in an instant the spell eclipsing us shattered. With a gasp we both sat up and I scrambled away, desperate to put some distance between us.

“Thank you for breaking the spell,” I managed breathlessly. “That was…a lovely kiss.”

His cheeks pinked and his gaze flickered down to my lips with a glimmer of longing…before he hastily looked away with an awkward clearing of his throat.

“Indeed.” His voice had become airy, but the strange emotion cleared as determination straightened his shoulders. “You need to take the potion to combat the effects of the curse.”

He handed me the vial and I obediently took a sip. Unlike before, I immediately felt the potion begin to work. It was an unusual sensation, as gradual as the transition from night into day, but it didn’t dispel the befuddlement making a chaos of my memories, nor restore what had been taken…though at least my headache went from a sharp pain to a dull throb and I felt less dizzy and more like myself, albeit weary.

Alden helped me ease down onto my bedroll. “Rest up.” When I made to protest, he rested a gentle finger against my lips, silencing my words. “It’s your turn to be tended to.”

It was a surreal experience to be the one nursed rather than embodying my usual the role of caregiver, but I allowed myself to become enfolded in Alden’s care. I could only hope I made Corbin feel as cherished as Alden currently made me feel.

He hesitated a moment before taking my hand, as I did with my brother whenever I sat by his beside. My heart sped up, making it impossible to relax…but the last thing I wanted was for him to pull away. He remained by my side as he murmured additional spells that helped soothe the lingering effects of my tampered memory until no other symptoms remained but the unsettling emptiness left by the stolen memories.

We settled into companionable silence. After a long moment, he offered me a timid smile and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’m relieved the spell worked. I much prefer you as a human. Please don’t change back into a frog.”

“But I want to help—”

“Turning you back into a human requires a lot of magic. If I eventually run out, I fear…your condition would be permanent. Should that happen…I would miss you. Please promise me, Mae.”

He looked so earnest that as much as I yearned to help him, I understood the wisdom of his suggestion. “Very well, I promise.”

His shoulders slumped in relief. “Now that you’ve had a chance to rest, how are you feeling?”

“Much better…except for my memory.”

“Unfortunately there is no cure for the memories that have been taken unless they’re restored by the caster themselves.” Anxiety suddenly twisted his expression. “I’ve been wondering…do you still possess all your memories withme?” He awaited my answer with bated breath.

I recalled each and every recollection together that had become precious ornaments adorning the shelves of my memory. “As far as I know they’re all still intact.”

He released a whooshing breath of relief and stroked the back of my hand for a few moments before a smile twitched his lips.

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