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And lovers they would be. He’d never been one to hem and haw about pursuing a girl—with the exception of Maeve, where the closeness of their families put a damper on his usual straightforwardness. Apart from that, he always jumped in with both feet when he was attracted to a female, because what was the use of life if you didn’t go for what you wanted, no-holds-barred, relishing the way love would steal your breath before you even knew you were falling?
He wanted her, wanted to see if that buzz in his veins when she was near, that charge in the air between them, that subtle pull in his chest when he looked at her, would develop into the more he could almost taste.
But there was something else he wanted to try first.
He peered at her. “Now I know what your element is, can you help me find out about mine?”
“Sure. It shouldn’t be too hard. Let’s sit.”
They settled on cushions on the floor.
“All right,” Isa said, “let’s see which element you feel most drawn to. Try wood first. We are surrounded by it, so it should be easy for you to connect.”
He frowned. “Okay, how exactly do I do that?”
Isa shrugged. “Try closing your eyes, rest your hand on the wood beside you, and just feel it. If it is your element, you should sense a sort of pull toward it. Or rather, you should hear it…singing, for lack of a better word.” She shook her head. “I promise, you'll know when you feel it.”
“Okay.” Here goes nothing.
Basil took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and laid his hand on the wooden plank floor beside him. He spread his fingers, feeling the texture of the wood, the unevenness of the material. After growing up among witches, seeing all the magic they were capable of, he shouldn’t feel so foolish waiting for an object to sing to him. Nothing happened. The wood didn’t greet him as an old friend, or anything along those lines. It was just dead.
He opened his eyes and shook his head.
“Nothing?” Isa asked.
“Absolutely nothing.”
“Very well. Let’s try—oh, what the hell—stone.”
“You think our elements could be the same?” He cocked an eyebrow.
“I don’t know. We’ll see.”
She grabbed one of the pebbles still lying on the floor and held it out to him. He took the small stone from her hand, the contact of their skin sending an electric buzz up his arm and into other parts of his body.
“Same procedure.” Isa inclined her head, nodded at the pebble in his hand.
Again Basil closed his eyes and tried to connect with the element he was touching. Again, nothing happened.
With a sigh, he tossed the pebble aside.
Isa tapped a finger against her mouth, pondering. “I wonder…” She got up, and half-turned to him. “I’ll be right back.” She walked out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. A minute later, she reappeared, holding something in her hand. She closed the door and sat down opposite him again.
“Here, take this.”
He opened his hand to accept what she was holding out to him. When the cool earth touched his skin, an involuntary shiver ran down his spine.
“Earth?” He glanced at Isa’s face.
“Try it.”
And he did. Closing his eyes, he reached out to the element in his hand, listening, waiting. At first there was nothing. Just like with the wood and the stone, he didn't feel anything.
He was about to toss the earth out the window with a frustrated sigh, when…he heard it. A low-level hum, not unlike the one he experienced after his glamour was lifted. Only this one came from outside him, from the earth in his palm.
His mouth fell open of its own accord. His heart beat faster. Could it be? He went deeper into himself, opened himself to the buzzing melody inside him. He strained to hear more of the other melody, too, the one coming from his hand. And yes, they were one and the same.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” Isa said breathlessly.
