Page 61 of The Sea Witch
Susannah nodded readily. “On moonless midnights, I’d practice off the roof of the granary. It was a wonder, tasting that kind of freedom. I never wanted to come back down to land. My home was with the gulls and cormorants.”
Stasia, however, grimaced. “Such a skill is new to me, and I dare not attempt it here.”
“Susannah,” Alys directed, “you’ll take Stasia with you, and I’ll manage the sailing master.”
Ben and Stasia exchanged a look—the first time they had ever been in solidarity together.
“Trust me,” Alys said, “and trust Susannah.”
She held out her hand to Ben. He stared at it for a long moment.
“There’s no poison in my flesh,” she said wryly.
Slowly, he threaded his fingers with hers, and his palm slid against hers. His hand was large, nearly engulfing her own, and the heat and callused texture of his skin rubbed against her flesh, equally rough from labor.
Yet there were parts of her hand more delicate than she expected, to be able to feel him against her skin with such sensitivity.
She sucked in a breath. So did he.
They both stared down at where they were joined. Golden magical light sprang to life around her hand, and it coursed up her arm... and his.
His jaw tightened, yet he didn’t pull away. If anything, he gripped her hand tighter. A faint hint of his interest and curiosity danced.
By silent agreement, together they stepped to the edge of the precipice. Her heart beat in her throat. Mixing fear and excitement strengthened her magic.
She looked out over the green valley that spread before her. Farther beyond was the azure sea stretching toward the equally blue sky. Drawing in a deep breath, she reached out to the winds that were ever present in the Caribbean. She drew them toward her, calling upon them the way one would call to old friends. And they were her friends... They filled the sails of her ship so she and her crew could traverse the waters, doing the work and living the lives they were meant to.
Come to me,she silently beckoned.
She waited several heartbeats, and then with words that were not words, the winds answered.
We are here.
Wind blew across her face and gusted against her body, filling her coat up so that it flapped behind her like wings, her hair wild. It grew in strength, rising up, surrounding her and Ben.
Hold us,she urged the winds.
The gusts increased even more, buffeting them. Spray from the waterfall flecked across their faces.
“Now,” she said to Ben.
Breathing in, they stepped off the edge of the cliff.
They fell, spinning. They hurtled down too fast. And then the wind grew stronger, pushing against them. It barely held them aloft as they tumbled. The ground rushed closer.
And then—it was over. They both stumbled when their boots touched the rocky soil. The winds gave one swirl around her before shooting upward. At the very edge of the precipice stood Susannah, calling the wind to her, as a frightened Stasia clung to her hand.
Energy danced through Alys’s body. Where was the exhaustion that often followed working a challenging spell?
“When can we do that again?” Alys asked eagerly.
“I never thought...” Ben said softly. “I didn’t believe I would ever fly. It was...” His eyes were warm and brightly blue as he gazed at her. “Terrifying... and... incredible.”
Awareness shimmered between them. Awareness of him as a man, and her as a woman. He was bigger than her—yet she could meet his strength with her own. They both knew it.
Her gaze went to the lapel of his coat. The dark blue garment was fraying, but most of the brass buttons remained. Slightly ragged as his coat was, it still marked him as a sailing master for the Royal Navy.
She was a pirate. A witch.
