Page 46 of Loched in Love

Lachlan’s hold on my hand tightens, and in a quick flash, the trident appears in his sure grip. With a sharp snap of his fingers, a blinding flash of bluish green fills the room, and in the space of a heartbeat, we vanish into thin air, leaving Vivian and Merlin alone with their spoils.

The air crackles, shedding blue-green residue, and I gasp as the world literally swirls in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Chapter 16

ELENA PIERSON

I’m grateful for Lachlan’s sure hold on me as I start to stumble at the sight of an empty beach before me. The moon overhead highlights the ground, a sparse tree line, and throws blue gray shadows that dance across the still water before us.

“We’re back at the lake,” I announce, recognizing the terrain from earlier.

The glass-smooth water mirrors a star-dusted twilight, offering no sign of civilization, and I gaze out across the expanse feeling like it’s been days since we arrived here in the van.

I swallow back the urge to panic and try to stop the wobble in my knees that threatens to put me on the ground.

“Aye we’re back at the lake. Are you alright, Elena?” Lachlan asks, his voice rife with concern over me.

His hand rubs a small circle on my back, and the last dregs of whatever weird power the Lady of the Lake has seems to go away.

“Yeah, I’m okay. That place was magic, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Lachlan says, turning toward a narrow and overgrown dirt path that’s almost swallowed by the shoreline.

Thunder rolls overhead in the distance, and I begin to panic anew as the usually placid waters start to churn.

“Lachlan, what’s happening?”

“Looks like Vivian doesn’t think we’re square after all,” he mutters with derision.

The sky bruises.

An unnatural frigid wind blows, pushing my short hair behind me and hurling spray of lake water at my face.

“Oh no,” I cry out when the sky opens and rain begins to pour down in big fat droplets.

The shower falls in relentless drive sheets that blurs the surrounding English hillside, engulfing the area in an opaque, gray tinged blur.

“We have to find shelter,” he says, just as a flash of violet lightning tears across the sky, and my stomach plummets. Thunder follows immediately—a deafening percussion that booms into my eardrums and vibrates the ground, just as I feel Lachlan’s arms go around me.

“Come on, we’ve a bit of a trek before us, and I’m afraid we won’t be able to go back and get our things for some time. Better we find somewhere away from Vivian’s fit,” Lachlan offers, gathering me into his arms and stepping onto the path that hopefully leads to somewhere to stay for the night.

Feeling a bit like a damsel but not minding with how the air keeps shifting around us like a maelstrom, I turn into Lachlan’s chest as he walks us easily toward what I hope is protection from the sea witch’s wrath and this weird storm.

He carries me easily, bending his head over my body to shield me from most of the rain as he walks.

Being so enveloped in his arms like this brings on another wave of want that goes right to my middle and my breath hitches, leaving me hyper aware of my clothes and Lachlan’s proximity. I swallow, trying to anchor my thoughts while being battered by cold night air and try to mask the sudden heat flushing my cheeks. I really wish I had my hoodie right about now to hide my face in it.

“Oh, no! My phone!”

Natalie is going to be worried sick.

“Hey, we’ll get your things back. Not to worry, aye? I swear it to you, my flower,” he says, his voice dropping into a sweet tone.

He’s right. She’ll be okay as long as I message within the next couple days. She’s used to me going quiet for days at a time, especially when I find a sample since I’m like a dog with a bone when I have something to work on.

His hand gently but securely squeezes the meat of my thigh, and a thrill goes up my spine. “You’re shivering. We’ve got to get you out of here,” he tsks, mistaking my bodily response for one of cold and fear.

The possessive touch of his hands sends another jolt of heat straight through me, making my stomach flip. A warmth starts in my middle, quickly turning my nipples hard as his hands seem to touch everywhere.