Chapter Thirty-Five
“The first time is easier to find the harmony of the stones if ye close your eyes and just feel. Ye must learn to trust yer senses.” Torin took her hand and pressed it against the cold rough surface of the megalith towering beside them.
Emma swept her gaze to the top of the eerie spire then back down to the hard-packed ground from where it sprouted. A shiver prickled across her skin, standing every hair on end. Something just wasn’t right about this. It was just too—out there. But what if all the mystical mumbo jumbo Torin spouted was true? What would she do then?
Torin’s face fairly glowed with hopeful anticipation. Was it too late to turn back? A guilt-filled whisper of you owe him poked the most sensitive part of her conscience. How could she refuse this man who not only saved her life but set her soul on fire? “Torin, are you sure about this? Just because I’ve got this necklace, doesn’t mean I’m a…you know—just like you.”
Torin squinted at the sky toward the direction of the sun then placed his hand over hers. “‘Tis almost time for the alignment of the equinox. We should be close enough for ye to tap into the wheel’s full power.”
“What wheel?” Emma shivered again. Her body reacted to Torin’s touch, damning to the wind all the doubts racing through her mind.
Torin smiled down into her eyes. A knowing glimmered in the depths of his gaze as he glanced at his hand atop hers. His smile widened as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “The seasonal wheel. The energy of the shifting year. ’Tis an unstoppable force of the universe.” He fingered the amulet at her throat and gave a slight nod as a faint glow emitted from the center of the stone. “And if ye were not a true guardian, your amulet wouldna live and breathe whenever your skin touched the heartstone.”
Emma’s stomach flip-flopped at the emotions echoing in his deep, throaty voice. Or was it because of his touch? She wished she hadn’t worn such a heavy sweatshirt. The early fall breeze nudging against her back suddenly seemed overly warm. Stretching the ribbed neckline away from her throat, Emma pushed his hand away from her necklace. “It’s awfully warm out here. Could we please just get on with it?” Emma struggled to ignore the scent of Torin’s tempting body just inches away from hers. Male spice accented with a hint of desire. Her mouth watered at the prospect. Geez! Get a grip, Maxwell. You’d think she was some lusty co-ed on a manhunt during summer break.
Torin’s laughter rumbled across the hillside. “Aye, little Emma. Just follow my instructions and ye’ll get a glimpse of the wonders I’ve foretold.”
Returning her hand to the shoulder-high spot on the obelisk, Emma sucked in a steadying breath and nodded. It was now or never. Maybe once he discovered she was just plain old Emma, he’d realize the mistake he’d made. A snarky voice of self-conscious uncertainty nagged at the back of her mind. Would he still be interested in plain old Emma? Shaking free of the malicious whisperings of potential failure, Emma spread her fingers across the cold, grainy surface of the monument at her side. “Okay. I’m ready. What do you want me to do?”
“Close your eyes,” Torin repeated, returning his hand atop hers.
As soon as she closed her eyes, an iridescent light show of vibrant colors exploded through her mind. Emma gasped, lost her balance and nearly fell as multi-dimensional bursts of fiery reds, searing oranges, and blinding whites hurtled past her into a tunnel of sparkling lights. She couldn’t see anything and yet she saw it all. Every retina-piercing explosion enveloped her in a blast of mind-numbing colors. A spinning sensation threatened to knock her feet out from under her. Taking care to keep her eyes tightly closed, she batted her free hand through the air and grappled the edge of the stone for support. “Torin?”
“Keep your eyes closed. The energies are merely greeting ye. They’ve waited a long time for ye to connect and seek them out.”
The soothing warmth of Torin’s breath against her cheek neutralized the panic pounding in her chest. Torin wouldn’t let anything hurt her. The heat of his hand pressing atop hers transmitted security to her brain. The firm weight of his other hand supported the small of her back. She was safe. No matter what, she needed to keep that in mind. With Torin, she was safe.
Her breathing slowed, as did the hammering of her heart. Thank goodness. Now that she didn’t feel as though she was suffocating, she’d be able to pay more attention to her surroundings. The streaming explosions of mind-boggling colors gave way to what appeared to be a velvety black carpet dusted with twinkling white lights. Emma floated into the center of the cocooning blackness pierced with a galaxy of stars. Surrounded by the winking sparks of whiteness, Emma stretched out her hands before her. The points of light showed through her flesh as though her body consisted of nothing more than a pale-pink mist. “Torin?” Her voice echoed through the space and faded off into a tinkling softness like faraway wind chimes rustling in a breeze.
“Your spirit walks. Your soul has freed itself from your body. Dinna fear it. I’m here to watch over ye and keep ye safe.” Torin’s rumbling brogue filtered through the starlit darkness like a warm caress. “Stretch your hands out in front of ye, lass. Concentrate on your fingertips. Ye’ll see they vibrate with the golden glow of a guardian. All will know ye as a mystical being and help guide ye along your way.”
Torin was right. Her fingertips glowed, luminescent and golden against the blue-black void surrounding her. When she waved her hands across the space in front of her, a stream of shimmering particles echoed her movements, trailing her hands with phosphorescent shadows. A sense of buoyancy lifted her, propelled her through the endless space as though she levitated among the stars. She’d never experienced such a breathless freedom; a shiver of excitement rippled through her.
“Come back to me now, Emma. ’Tis time ye returned so I can show ye more of our ways. Ye lack the experience and the control to tarry long among the pathways.” Torin’s voice grew louder, echoed deeper as though inhabiting every particle around her.
“I don’t know how to get back.”
“Think of the stones. The blessed stones of Tursachan Chalanais will always serve as your anchor.”
Emma visualized the circle of towering megaliths dotting the barren hillside. She remembered the sharpness of their rectangular outlines, dark and shining as they cut into the glowing horizon of the yellow-white rising moon.
“Now open your eyes.” Torin’s lips brushed the side of her face, his arms circled around her.
Emma opened her eyes. The pull of gravity, the weight of the physical world crashed against her body with rude, demanding force. Her knees folded and her lungs clenched with the sudden inrush of air as she clawed against Torin’s chest to keep from going down.
Torin scooped her up into his arms as she gasped and wheezed to catch her breath. “Breathe, Emma. Take slow deep breaths. Ye’ll be fine. Returning to the physical plane isna always pleasant.”
“You could’ve warned me.” Emma coughed and spewed, struggling to hang onto his muscular neck as she gasped in great gulps of air.
Torin chuckled, cradling her closer against his chest. “The spirit walk isna the sort of thing easily described.”