Blood Witch_ Book Three - Cate Tiernan [58]
He leaned over and pushed my hair off my neck to kiss my nape gently. I shuddered at the warmth of his lips. “Nothing is wrong with you,” he whispered. “We have our whole future together. There’s no hurry. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
I swallowed, worrying that if I opened my mouth again, I would definitely start crying.
“Look, let’s do a circle,” he said, rubbing the tension out of my neck. “Not a circle circle, but just like a joined meditation. It’s another way for us to be close. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay,” I choked out.
I reached for him, and we held hands loosely, with our knees touching. Together we closed our eyes and began to systematically shut everything down: emotions, sensations, awareness of the outside world. I felt embarrassed about not wanting to sleep with him, but I deliberately released those feelings. It was almost as if I could see them falling away from me. My eyes stopped stinging; my throat relaxed.
Gradually our breathing, in sync, slowed and quieted. I had been meditating almost every day, and it was easy for me to slip into a light trance. I lost the sensation of touching Cal: we felt joined, breathing as one, drifting as one into a place of deep peace and restfulness. It was a relief.
I became aware of the strength of Cal’s mind, aligning with mine, and it was very exciting and intimate. It was amazing that we could share this, and I thought of all the nonwitches in the world who would probably never be able to achieve such closeness with their lovers. I breathed a long sigh of contentment.
In our meditation I felt Cal’s thoughts; I read the intensity of his passion, felt his desire for me, and my flesh broke out in goose bumps. I felt his admiration of my strength in the craft, as well as eagerness for me to progress—to get stronger and stronger, as strong as he was. I tried to share my own thoughts with him, unsure if he was reading me as well. I expressed my desires and hopes for our future together; I tried to let waves of pure emotion convey my feelings in a way that words never could.
Eventually we drifted apart, like two leaves separating as they fell toward earth. I slipped back into my self, and we remained there for a while afterward, gazing at each other. It was the most intensely connected I had ever felt to another person. I knew it. But knowing this also made me feel vulnerable and nervous.
“Was it good for you?” I asked, trying to lighten the moment.
He smiled. “It was great for me.”
I looked into his face for a while longer, allowing myself to get lost in his eyes, enjoying the silence and the glow of the candles. Dimly I became aware of the ticking of a clock nearby. I glanced at it.
“Oh my God, is it one o’clock?” I gasped.
Cal looked, too, and grinned. “Hmmm. Do you have a curfew?”
I was already climbing off the bed. “Not officially,” I said, searching for my shoes. “But I’m supposed to call if I’m later than midnight. Of course, if I call now, I’ll wake them up.” Quickly I gathered my presents into a pile. I found Maeve’s athame and put it back inside my coat. We trotted downstairs. A pang of longing welled up inside me; I wanted to stay here, in the warmth and coziness of Cal’s room, with him.
Cold wind blasted my face when we stepped through the front door.
“Ugh,” I moaned, gripping the neck of my coat tighter.
Heads down, we hurried out to Cal’s Explorer. “Maybe we should call your folks and tell them you’re having a sleep-over,” he suggested with a grin.
I laughed, thinking of how well that would go over with Mom and Dad, then carefully placed my beautiful birthday presents on the backseat. But as I was about to climb into the front, the sound of a car arriving made me pause. I glanced at Cal. His eyes had narrowed. He looked alert and tense, his hand on the car door next to me.
“Is it your mom?” I asked.
Cal shook his head. “That’s not her car.”
Using magesight, I squinted into the approaching headlights, staring right past them. My heart lurched. It was a gray car. Hunter’s car.
He pulled to a stop in