Page 39 of Innocent Until Proven Witch

I take my time answering, because the truth sounds dangerous. The truth sounds insane. Unfortunately, it also feels right. "I think this isn't the end."

Row's jaw tightens. "No?"

The currents, the wards, the attacks, the planted evidence, the old hurricane records, none of it feels random anymore. It feels deliberate, organized, purposeful. The pieces are moving toward something. I just can't see the final shape yet.

The rescue vessel continues toward shore. Behind us, the ocean churns beneath dark clouds, waiting, gathering, preparing. And the closer I look at everything that's happened, the more certain I become.

Whoever is responsible isn't testing their strength anymore. They're building toward something larger. Something that could put all of Moonhaven in danger.

15

REINA

Inearly walk straight into him. Finn is leaning against the stone wall beside the lighthouse door when I step outside with my satchel, his head lifting immediately. The moment our eyes meet, that familiar warmth stirs beneath my skin. The bond has become easier to recognize. Not weaker. Just familiar enough that it no longer catches me entirely off guard.

"Good morning," Finn says.

I glance at the sky. "It's barely morning."

"You're proving my point."

A reluctant smile tugs at my mouth. I should probably be concerned by how easily he does that. Instead, I shift my satchel higher on my shoulder. "What are you doing here?"

Finn pushes away from the wall. "I came to see if you found anything."

"I did."

His eyebrows rise. "That sounds promising."

"It isn't," I say, the smile disappearing as I turn toward the cliff path. "Several wards failed overnight."

Finn immediately falls into step beside me. "Failed?"

"Three that I know about."

His expression hardens. "That's bad."

"Very."

The wind catches my hair as we start down the path. "The coastline defenses are weakening faster than I can repair them."

Finn watches me carefully. "You look worried."

I let out a short laugh. "Worried is one word for it."

"What would you call it?"

I stare toward the ocean. "If the wards collapse completely, anything can cross into Moonhaven."

His gaze follows mine. "The storms."

"Not just the storms," I say quietly. "Whatever is hiding behind them."

That earns a long silence, not because he doubts me, but because he understands exactly what I'm saying. The realization lies between us.

Finn finally says, "Then let's fix them."

I glance toward him. "You do not have to."