Page 88 of This Witch Is Not Wicked

“Vine,” I said, relief flooding me. “Is Enid in there?”

It shook its head, and I blew out a breath. Fuck. At this rate, I’d never find her. I had no idea where she might be, and this was a huge bog. I thought about the last time she’d run away after Vine had destroyed that statue.

Maybe she’d gone there again? Knowing Enid, that’s exactly why she wouldn’t go there again. She would go to another place to ensure I didn’t find her.

I jumped when I felt Vine wrapping around my arm and tugging me forward. I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t even noticed it slithering down the side of the cottage.

It pulled at my arm again, and I let it lead me. “Are you taking me to Enid?”

It just kept moving forward, around her cottage and toward the back. I groaned. Of course this would involve getting on one of those damn lily pads and navigating the channels. At night, no less. I swallowed back my fear. I’d been doing the damn swimming lessons with Enid daily, and I was getting better and better. I was by no means a strong swimmer, but I could now float unassisted, and I’d practiced a few strokes in the shallow part of the water. If I fell in, I wasn’t entirely sure I wouldn’t drown, but I had to do this. I had to find Enid. If this was anything like that statue incident, she was alone and probably spiraling.

I wasn’t sure what had set her off, but I would be there for her.

I stood at the edge of the city and stepped onto a waiting lily pad, quickly moving to the center where it was most stable.

The lily pad lurched into motion, that wobbly feeling taking over my legs like it did every time I rode one of these things. I turned back to look at Vine, its body risen in the air.

“Where am I going? Does this thing know where to find her?”

Vine just stayed motionless. Perfect. So I was riding this lily pad in the middle of the bog in complete darkness, and if I got lost, no one would find me.

That wasn’t alarming at all.

I glanced at the lily pad as it brushed past reeds poking from the water. Crickets chirped; a frog croaked nearby. “Okay,” I said. “I don’t know if you can understand me like Vine does, but if you can, I need you to find Enid. She might be in trouble or something.”

The lily pad moved faster, and I crouched down, almost losing my balance and tumbling into the water.

Enid had never said anything about the other parts of this bog being able to follow commands, but it seemed like the lily pad had understood me. This place was truly a wonder of the world.

We rode for what felt like forever, past the limits of Fairwitch Isle. I glanced behind me as we crossed the barrier, the entire city disappearing, nothing but bog stretching as far as the eye could see.

The lily pad lurched to a stop at the edge of a marsh, and there she was. Moonlight bathed her in silver, and she sat among tall cattails and grass, not moving, just staring out into the distance, her back to me.

I breathed out a sigh of relief as I stepped off the lily pad and onto solid ground.

“Enid,” I said.

She turned, and the moonlight illuminated her tear-streaked face.

“Hey,” I said gently and approached her like I would a scared animal. I was terrified she’d run again, and I’d never have the chance to do this. “Are you okay?”

What a stupid question. Of course she wasn’t okay.

She swallowed thickly, and finally, I was right in front of her. I held out a hand, and she grasped it, letting me pull her up and into me.

“I’m so sorry,” I said into her hair, inhaling her rose scent. “About everything. That dinner, Cillian, my family⁠—”

“It’s okay.” She pushed herself out of my arms and backed away. She was putting up walls again, and that terrified me.

“Thank you,” I burst out. “For standing up for me like that. No one has ever done that before. No one has ever known what I needed and actually wanted it for me.”

Her dark eyes widened.

“Everyone is always demanding more of me, of my time, of my attention. But no one has ever noticed how much I’m drowning in life. Until you.”

“Nevan,” she started.

“No, just let me get this out.” I took a deep, steadying breath. “This last month has been the best of my entire life, and it’s because of you. You’ve seen me in a way no one else has. You made me like just lying in the grass and staring up at the sky.”