The Legend of the Eight: The Twisted (Book 3)

3: Home

THREE: HOME
PHOEBE DOMINGO
MARCH 31

FIVE MILES WEST OF THE house where Phoebe and the others were staying was a beach with some of the softest sand her feet had ever felt. And she never would've discovered it had Drew not suggested they go for a run Thursday morning.

Despite the fact he'd been chained up in the guesthouse cellar only hours earlier for the full moon, Drew ran one of his best times that morning. Phoebe almost couldn't keep up. After five miles along the ocean, they removed their sneakers and began to walk back to the house, taking their time and enjoying the view.

Every so often, Phoebe felt her hand brush against his and it was all she could do not to grab it. There was a magnetic pull between them, stronger than any magic or attraction in the Three Realms, and if she wasn't careful, it would consume her. She looked up, taking in all six-feet-and-four-inches of the guy beside her and she smiled.

"What?" he asked, wearing a smile of his own. "Do I have sand on my face?"

She giggled and shook her head. "No, I just... I don't know. I guess I'm just thinking."

"Oh no," he said with a deep chuckle. "Everything was going so well!"

She rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully. "It's good thinking. I promise."

"Okay. Well let's hear it."

"Hear what?"

"I don't know. Whatever it is that you've got cooking around in that head of yours."

Phoebe's freckly nose scrunched and she smiled again.

"Well, this place is supposed to be our home now, right? Only, it's not home. It's the Mortal World and we're wizards. By definition, our home is the World of Magic. But something about this place... I don't know. It feels like home. And I finally figured it out."

"You did?"

"It's you. And I don't say that to put a lot of pressure on you or to freak you out. I just... I don't know. You help me remember what it feels like to have a home. And I'm really happy about that."

Drew draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close so he could kiss her.

"I love you, darling," he mumbled against her skin, the words wrapping her up like a blanket fresh out of the dryer. "And I don't care if it's too sudden or if we haven't been together like this all that long. I've known for a while. I love you and I want you to know."

For a second, Phoebe's heart stopped beating entirely. It fluttered and she looked at Drew for a long time, almost like she was dreaming and he was the one thing that would wake her up.

And then, without a word, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled his lips down to hers. He chuckled at her enthusiasm but didn't stop her. He lifted her up and she wrapped her sandy feet around his torso kissing him more passionately with every second. Because he felt like home and she was terribly homesick.

LATER THAT NIGHT, THE HOUSE was incredibly silent. It was just after midnight and most of the Eight were asleep in their rooms (minus Wil who had snuck across the patio to be with Mr. Donovan). Though the abundance of Inter-Realm travel and whirlwind day with Drew left Phoebe exhausted, she couldn't sleep.

So she wandered downstairs to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She sat at the island counter and looked out to the pool, glistening in the moonlight. Beyond it was the guesthouse and beyond that were rows upon rows of grapevines, producing a sweet aroma over the property. It was so secluded. So peaceful. She almost forgot about the circumstances that drove her and the others there.