Cuckoo in the Coven

Cullen cautiously bent his head alongside hers.

“There’s someone else here. I guess you could say he’s a traveler of sorts.”

“Well I hope he’s everything you dreamed he would be. Is he a true charmer?”

Sunny wasn’t surprised by the amused tone in Celeste’s voice, but right then she was more concerned with reassuring Cullen, who looked deeply puzzled. “Er, yes, he is, but I better go play hostess. I’ll call you back later. I need to ask you some questions.”

“I’ll be ready. Do I get to meet him?”

“Yes, yes, I guess so. I’ll call you back.”

He stared at the receiver even after she’d hung up. “You are a witch, to be sure.”

“Not really, although there are lots of magic things here, as you’ll soon see.” What would he make of the modern version of Cornwall, the surfers and the holidaymakers? She looked at her lover, two hundred years out of time. How had this even happened?

Cullen nodded at her and was quickly at her side, nonchalantly wearing his nakedness as he joined her by the window. He wrapped her in his strong arms. For a moment she closed her eyes and just let it be, savoring his embrace.

It was going to take him a while to get used to living in the new millennium, but Cullen Thaine was about to be socialized, super quick.

“But, you know,” she added, “if you think I’m a witch now, wait until you see some of the other magic things I can do.” She winked at him, thinking of all the fun they were going to have together.

He captured her in his arms, looked into her eyes, and lifted a speck of stardust from her hair. “Oh, I know all about the magic things you can do, Sunny love.”

“And I you,” she replied, slipping her hands around his neck. Was it witchcraft? Well, there was certainly magic at play, because her wish to have him made real had come true. But where would the magic lead them now? If the ache in her heart was anything to go by, there was much more at stake between them than just a passionate affair.

The need to understand matters grew more pressing. Yet the more she thought about it, the vaguer the details seemed to get, as if their negotiations with Fox were drifting away on the tails of the night mist. Feeling slightly panicked, she extracted herself from Cullen’s embrace. It was important to remember. Surely Celeste could shed some light?

“Must we depart the bed already?” Cullen reached out to grab her, drawing her back toward him.

The look in his eyes almost swayed her. “We need to get help. We have to understand Fox’s intentions.”

He kissed the back of her neck. “Do you know what he means to gain from this ‘deal’?”

“No, but I know someone who might. The lady who phoned.” She turned in his arms and looked up into his eyes. “We’ll grab some breakfast then head down to the town. I’m sure Celeste will be able to shed some light.” I bloody well hope so, Sunny thought silently, very aware of the black cloud hovering over them.

She showered, and introduced Cullen to the concept too, which took rather longer than planned. Then she reached for her jeans and a T-shirt, but when she saw the expression on Cullen’s face, she changed her mind. He’d find her less of an oddity in a dress, she figured, and opted for a longish summer dress in a floating fabric. It had been such a shock to arrive in his time, so she wanted to make this as easy as possible on him. Cullen dressed quickly and followed her downstairs silently, scrutinizing his surroundings with a baffled expression on his face. She smiled to herself. It would be easy to relax into this and forget all about the viscount, but her arrangement nagged at her. She was the sort of woman who didn’t relish finding herself in a situation she didn’t fully understand.

She cooked scrambled eggs on toast, which he ate with some trepidation at first, then wolfed down hungrily. He frowned when he sipped the coffee she’d prepared, then reached instead for the milk, guzzling it directly from the carton as if it was water.

She thought about taking him down to the town in her battered old Fiat, but one look at his face when he saw the vehicle made her change her mind, and they went by foot.

As they crossed the meadows heading down to Raven’s Landing, Cullen walked silently beside her, observing everything the way she had, twenty-four hours earlier. She tried to keep chatting to him to make him feel more comfortable, but he was as spooked by the presence of cars on the road as she had been about the horses and carriages.

It was still early and the shops were just beginning to open. There were only a handful of tourists and locals on the pavements. When they reached The Cauldron, Cullen stopped dead and stared at the building from pavement to rooftop. “I’ve been in this house before.”

“Have you?” They were very old cottages and of course he might have been in them before, she silently realized.

“I recall coming here to have my fortune told. I was perhaps eleven years old, and I was with my older brother.”

“My friend Celeste lives here now. This is her shop. She may be able to answer some of our questions.” Then again, she might not. However, she would be able to tell them about the viscount, surely? She knocked on the door.

The door sprang open within a heartbeat.

Celeste stood there beaming at the pair of them, looking Cullen up and down happily. “We’ve been expecting you.”

Startled, Sunny forgot the things she planned to say in explanation.

Apparently they weren’t needed.