Page 42 of Innocent Until Proven Witch

"What happened?"

He exhales slowly. "I left."

The answer isn't surprising. Not really. "I spent years moving from one place to another." His shoulders lift slightly. "Turns out you can travel pretty far and still bring yourself with you."

That earns a laugh from me. A genuine one.

Finn smiles. "There she is."

I narrow my eyes. "Don't ruin the moment."

"No promises."

The warmth between us grows, not from the bond, something deeper. Something earned.

We reach the second damaged ward shortly afterward. I kneel beside the stone, and Finn joins me, this time not standing back to watch. He holds tools, moves debris, clears damaged sections while I work, the teamwork developing naturally. Neither of us comments on it.

The ward gradually brightens, the protective barrier stabilizing, and by the time we're finished, the coastline feels stronger. Safer.

I rise slowly. Finn offers his hand. I hesitate, then take it. The contact sends a familiar rush through me, warm, electric, neither of us lets go immediately. My pulse betrays me. Again.

His gaze holds mine, steady, certain. The bond hums quietly between us, not demanding, simply present. The wind moves through the cliffs, the ocean crashes below, and everything else fades. The storms, the investigation, the accusations and the fear. All of it.

His hand tightens slightly around mine, not enough to trap, just enough to reassure. The gesture settles somewhere deep inside my chest, a place I thought had long since stopped hoping.

We stay mute. Words would probably ruin it.

Eventually, Finn releases my hand, the loss of contact feeling immediate. Annoyingly immediate. He clears his throat. "We should check the last ward."

I nod. "Probably."

Neither of us moves. Finn notices, a smile tugging at his mouth. "So we're both pretending that wasn't awkward.

"Extremely."

"Good."

I start walking again, and Finn falls into step beside me. The path ahead remains uncertain, the storms growing worse, the danger surrounding Moonhaven continuing to build. Yet as we continue along the cliffs together, the weight feels lighter than it did before.

Not because the problems are smaller but I no longer feel like I'm carrying them alone.

16

FINN

The secretary groans the moment she sees me. I haven't even reached her desk.

"I don't like that look."

I stop in front of her. "What look?"

"The one that means you're about to ask for more records."

I smile, her expression immediately worsening. "Absolutely not."

"I haven't asked yet."

"You were going to."