"Goodbye, Greenwitch."
As the thin plate of gold disappeared beneath the surface of the shimmering waters, Jane Drew nearly stumbled off the slippery rock where she had been precariously balanced before she threw it.
"Ooh!" she cried out, as Will Stanton's thin arms encircled her and tightened, preventing her from falling.
Jane regained her balance and steadied herself on the sand beside Will, whose right arm had dropped back to his side, leaving the left lying gently on Jane's lower back. "Thank you," said Jane softly. "You're not quite like the rest of us, are you?" She was aware that Will still was touching her, but for some reason she didn't mind; in fact, if he retracted his arm she felt she would have burst into a million pieces.
"Not quite," Will answered.
Jane seemed satisfied with his answer, and the two continued to watch the gentle waves roll in and out, the sun reflecting off the waters and creating a warm light.
Will cleared his throat after a few minutes. He slipped his arm off Jane's back and opted instead to lace his fingers in hers. "I…I wanted to thank you, Jane Drew. Before you went away home."
Jane turned to face him. She had this big, goofy grin on her face due to her excitement of the handholding. "What did I do?"
"You were always nice to me," replied Will, a bit of color coming to his cheeks. "Even when your brothers weren't. And also, you found the manuscript. We couldn't have—I couldn't have--made it through this trip without you."
Heat immediately went up to Jane's face, flushing her face an embarrassed scarlet to match Will's, a feeling that Jane decided that she liked. "You're welcome, Will."
Without thinking and without mutually deciding it, Will Stanton and Jane Drew drew each other into an amiable hug, both hearts pounding from either excitement or sheer adolescent terror.
* * * * *
At that same moment at the picnic in front of the Grey House, Merriman Lyon closed his eyes and sighed sharply, as if he had sensed something terrible. Old One, what are you doing? He demanded to Will in his mind.
No reply.
The Drews were engaging in a nice match of cricket with Bill Stanton as Captain Toms watched from a chair beneath the trees.
"Barnabus Drew, you are a cheat and a liar!" hollered Simon, tackling his considerably younger brother onto the ground. Barney had just discreetly thrown the cricket ball rather than hitting it, and Simon Drew did not lose to a cheater.
Captain Toms looked over at Merriman, after seeing the same vision. What are YOU going to do about this one, Merry? he inquired of Merriman. He's only a boy, after all.
He is an Old One, first and forever, Merriman snapped back. He has no time for love, particularly not with Jane Drew, who happens to be one of the Six AND my grand-niece!
Captain Toms chuckled. Getting a little bit like a father on the first date of his daughter, Merry. Will Stanton is harmless, and it's harmless for him to fall in love.
I hate to do this, Merriman answered. But Will needs to focus on fighting the Dark, not falling in love! And if I can't magic him, then I shall have to rely on good, old-fashioned non-magic spell. He stood up. "Boys, where did Jane run off to?"
Barney stood up and brushed some grass out of his blond hair. "She said she was going for a walk…jeez that was close to an hour ago. Would you like me to go find her, Gumerry?"
"No, you can stay here and help me clean up the picnic." Merriman sighed. "I'd much prefer Simon to go out and fetch her."
Simon! Cried Captain Toms. Merry, he's itching for any reason to go after Will Stanton! Don't throw poor Will to the wolves! If Simon sees him within an inch of his sister—
"Okay," said Simon. "Do you have any idea where she might be?"
"The cottages," answered Captain Toms desperately, attempting to buy Will and Jane some time.
Merriman glared at Captain Toms, such a glare that propelled the captain to sit down in his seat like a bad toddler, looking ashamed. "I think she may be down by the cliff where they made the Greenwitch, you know, saying goodbye."
Send Barney. Perhaps he'll just scare them and make them nervous…
Captain Toms' efforts fell on deaf ears. Merriman wordlessly cleaned up the picnic with Barney, while Simon, the Merry's hired thug, went out in search of his sister.
* * * * *
The embrace was long and warm, neither of them letting go until they absolutely had to. Jane leaned back and looked at Will, studying his features. "Will you come to see me in London?"
"Of course I will," he replied, grinning. "We can battle the Dark in front of Buckingham Palace."
Jane smiled. "And will you write me?"
"As often as I can. I'll write all of you."
"I just don't want this to be it, you know?" Jane stammered, turning away from him. "I don't want this to be the last time I ever…" She stopped for fear of sounding like an idiot.
Will sighed. "Jane, I've stood in the face of the Dark. I've seen the raising of fear, the killing of love…and I haven't even been frightened. But I am so scared for what I'm about to do that the Dark could rise right now and this would still be my number one fear."
Before Jane could even question whatever he was speaking of, Will gently placed his lips on Jane's. Jane stood frozen, not entirely knowing what to do. She'd never kissed a boy in her life. After a few seconds, Will stepped back and sighed. "Well. I did it and I'm STILL nervous."
They both laughed, the pressure off, but the start of something bigger looming on the horizon.
And as a horrified Simon Drew watched from a rock about ten yards away, it became clear that Will Stanton's problems were just beginning.