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Spells
Aprilynne Pike
To Kenny – for all the little things.
And the big things.
And everything in between.
Thank you.
Table of Contents
Laurel stood in front of the cabin, scanning the tree line, her throat constricting in a rush of nerves. He was there, somewhere, watching her. The fact that she couldn’t see him yet meant nothing.
It wasn’t that Laurel didn’t want to see him. Sometimes she thought she wanted to see him too much. Getting involved with Tamani was like playing in a roaring river. Take one step too far and the current would never let you go. She had chosen to stay with David, and she still believed it was the right choice. But it didn’t make this reunion any easier.
Or stop her hands from shaking.
She had promised Tamani she would come see him when she got her driver’s licence. Though she hadn’t been specific about a date, she had said May. It was now almost the end of June. He had to know she was avoiding him. He would be here now – the first one to meet her – and she wasn’t sure whether to be excited or afraid. The feelings mixed into a heady blend of something she’d never felt before – and wasn’t sure she ever wanted to feel again.
Laurel found herself clutching the tiny ring Tamani had given her last year, the one she wore on a thin chain around her neck. She had tried not to think about him these last six months. Tried, she admitted to herself, and failed. She forced herself to unwrap her fingers from around the little ring and attempted to make her arms swing naturally, confidently at her sides as she walked towards the forest.
As the shadows of the branches fell across her, a streak of green and black swung down from a tree and scooped Laurel up. She screamed in terror, then delight.
“Did you miss me?” Tamani asked with that same bewitching half-grin that had entranced her since the first time she’d met him.
Instantly, it was as though the last six months had never happened. Just the sight of him, the feel of him so close to her, melted every fear, every thought…every resolve. Laurel wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could. She never wanted to let go.
“I’ll take that as a yes,”Tamani said with a groan.
She
