invigorating power of the element as if it flowed in my veins.
Kicking off my boots and tearing off my socks, I rolled up my jeans and waded in a couple of steps, just until I could feel the current wash past my ankles.
Closing my eyes, I raised my arms, feeling the warmth of the bracelet make its way up into my shoulder and then explode through my chest and belly.
“Let me see you, dark spirits of the trees. Show me your secrets,” I whispered, focusing all my energy on my task.
The water began to churn around my feet, slapping at my ankles in agitation. I opened my eyes and looked around. The trees were empty of the creatures, that or they were not allowing me to see them.
As my eyes came back around, they met Jackson’s where he stood on the bank, arms crossed over his chest, watching me. My stomach twittered in response to him, but I ignored it, closing my eyes once more and concentrating with all my strength.
I repeated the process, to no avail. Angrily, I bent to roll my jeans up further and then I walked deeper into the water, hoping more contact would increase my power. But, alas, it did not.
Irritated, I realized that I was going to have to either strip down in front of Jackson and get back in or save myself some embarrassment and just go home with wet clothes.
Of course, that was a no-brainer.
Turning, I walked into the deepest part of the water, which was up to my waist, and I stopped. Closing my eyes once again, I let my hands trail along the surface of the water, feeling the glorious kiss of the stream against my palms.
I called to the dark spirits of the trees, praying to God that they would show themselves to me. But they did not.
Frustrated, I looked helplessly back to Jackson, who stood in the exact same position on the bank, watching me. He was frowning.
“I can’t reach them without the Seer.”
“And you can’t call the Seer,” he said, stating the obvious. His brow furrowed deeper, as if he was thinking hard. “Come on then. We’ll just have to find another way.”
I dragged my legs through the still-choppy water toward the bank. As I neared him, Jackson offered his hand.
I looked at it and then up at him. His face was an unreadable mask. With a sigh, I slipped my fingers into his palm. The instant our skin made contact, heat started to ascend my legs from the suddenly-roaring waters at my feet.
Shocked, I looked up at Jackson. His expression was far from inscrutable. Now, he plainly wore surprise.
We stared at one another for what seemed an eternity, an invisible currency buzzing between us, tingling where our skin touched.
Jackson recovered more quickly, stepping easily from the bank down into the water with me. He nodded toward the center of the creek.
“Try again,” he said sternly.
He kept hold of my hand as we made our way back into the deeper water. When I stopped, Jackson took another step and came around in front of me. Squaring his shoulders to face me, he took my other hand in his and laced our fingers together.
Power surged between us, through us, around us. I felt Jackson’s strength flowing from him, from his skin, into me. It poured into my palms and ran in waves up my arms to flood my body. My scalp tingled with it. My lungs expanded with it. My soul danced with it. My heart burst with it.
It was the tie. It was love and strength and a bone-deep connection that made everything else seem small and insignificant.
I looked into Jackson’s eyes, hoping to see understanding there, hoping he recognized what we shared. But they gave me no answers. He closed them, shutting me out of his mind, out of his heart.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes as well, pushing the complexities of Jackson out of my mind and directing all my thoughts, all my energy to the tree spirits.
“Let me see you, dark spirits of the trees. Show me your secrets,” I said one last time.
Immediately, I felt the
Kicking off my boots and tearing off my socks, I rolled up my jeans and waded in a couple of steps, just until I could feel the current wash past my ankles.
Closing my eyes, I raised my arms, feeling the warmth of the bracelet make its way up into my shoulder and then explode through my chest and belly.
“Let me see you, dark spirits of the trees. Show me your secrets,” I whispered, focusing all my energy on my task.
The water began to churn around my feet, slapping at my ankles in agitation. I opened my eyes and looked around. The trees were empty of the creatures, that or they were not allowing me to see them.
As my eyes came back around, they met Jackson’s where he stood on the bank, arms crossed over his chest, watching me. My stomach twittered in response to him, but I ignored it, closing my eyes once more and concentrating with all my strength.
I repeated the process, to no avail. Angrily, I bent to roll my jeans up further and then I walked deeper into the water, hoping more contact would increase my power. But, alas, it did not.
Irritated, I realized that I was going to have to either strip down in front of Jackson and get back in or save myself some embarrassment and just go home with wet clothes.
Of course, that was a no-brainer.
Turning, I walked into the deepest part of the water, which was up to my waist, and I stopped. Closing my eyes once again, I let my hands trail along the surface of the water, feeling the glorious kiss of the stream against my palms.
I called to the dark spirits of the trees, praying to God that they would show themselves to me. But they did not.
Frustrated, I looked helplessly back to Jackson, who stood in the exact same position on the bank, watching me. He was frowning.
“I can’t reach them without the Seer.”
“And you can’t call the Seer,” he said, stating the obvious. His brow furrowed deeper, as if he was thinking hard. “Come on then. We’ll just have to find another way.”
I dragged my legs through the still-choppy water toward the bank. As I neared him, Jackson offered his hand.
I looked at it and then up at him. His face was an unreadable mask. With a sigh, I slipped my fingers into his palm. The instant our skin made contact, heat started to ascend my legs from the suddenly-roaring waters at my feet.
Shocked, I looked up at Jackson. His expression was far from inscrutable. Now, he plainly wore surprise.
We stared at one another for what seemed an eternity, an invisible currency buzzing between us, tingling where our skin touched.
Jackson recovered more quickly, stepping easily from the bank down into the water with me. He nodded toward the center of the creek.
“Try again,” he said sternly.
He kept hold of my hand as we made our way back into the deeper water. When I stopped, Jackson took another step and came around in front of me. Squaring his shoulders to face me, he took my other hand in his and laced our fingers together.
Power surged between us, through us, around us. I felt Jackson’s strength flowing from him, from his skin, into me. It poured into my palms and ran in waves up my arms to flood my body. My scalp tingled with it. My lungs expanded with it. My soul danced with it. My heart burst with it.
It was the tie. It was love and strength and a bone-deep connection that made everything else seem small and insignificant.
I looked into Jackson’s eyes, hoping to see understanding there, hoping he recognized what we shared. But they gave me no answers. He closed them, shutting me out of his mind, out of his heart.
With a sigh, I closed my eyes as well, pushing the complexities of Jackson out of my mind and directing all my thoughts, all my energy to the tree spirits.
“Let me see you, dark spirits of the trees. Show me your secrets,” I said one last time.
Immediately, I felt the
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