“I promise you, I remember nothing of my life on land before you rescued me.” He shot me a pained look. “But where I’m going, you can’t possibly follow.”
“I don’t understand,” I whispered. “You came here, completely disrupted my life, and won my—” I took a deep breath and met his eyes. “Won my trust. And my heart. And now, you’re fleeing on a whim you won’t explain?” I stood taller. “Well, I won’t accept it! You’ll have to give me a better excuse than ‘I’m going somewhere you can’t follow.’ I’m every bit as capable as you.”
Slowly, his frown turned into something I’d seen on his face before. Sorrow, mixed with longing. “I know you are. But—”
“Has this summer meant nothing to you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Sweat beaded on Fynn’s brow. “You mean everything to me. Only it won’t matter if …” He hesitated, his eyes searching mine. “I want to stay here with you, if you decide that’s what you want. It was my mistake not to let you choose. I see that now.”
I nodded. “You’ve got that much right. But whatever do you mean? What won’t matter?”
“There’s something I need to show you.” Fynn’s expression was grim. “Before you decide how you feel about me—”
“It’s rather late for that.” I grabbed his hands, determined to hold on now that I’d found him again. “Out with it.”
“You’re sure you want the truth?”
I nodded. “Positive.”
“Then meet me on the beach in an hour.” He paused, clearing his throat. “You don’t have to get in the water, and we won’t stay long enough to make anyone worry or put ourselves in danger again. Just come. And know that I’ve fallen for you, too.”
I wanted to shout, to dance, to sing. Warmth spread all the way to the tips of my toes as I repeated his words. “You—”
“You say you won’t kiss me again until the witch brings back my memories, but there’s nothing to bring back. I know who I am, and I know who I want.”
He leaned in and kissed me with a ferocity that made my heart swell, but even his closeness didn’t silence the questions running through my head. What did he mean, he had no memories to bring back? And why couldn’t he show me whatever it was right here, instead of on the blasted beach?
We shared a second, longer kiss. Then he rushed off without another word.
“Fynn! Wait! You’ll hurt yourself again!”
The boughs of the trees hissed softly as he passed them; he didn’t look back.
When he was no more than a speck in the distance, I touched my swollen lips and stared at the spot where he’d been, far more confused than I was before I found him.
Fynn paced the sand in Da’s swim trunks, bare-chested but for his bandages, a lone figure on the deserted beach crunching sharp pieces of shell under his feet. He was mouthing words to himself, alternating wild gestures with running a hand through his hair.
I paused to observe my surroundings. He looked like he might startle if I approached too quickly. The tide pools on either side of me brimmed with new water brought in by the encroaching surf, and the bright day laid all the pools’ secrets bare. If only the sun could illuminate whatever Fynn was hiding from me as easily.
I crouched in the sand where a red-orange starfish clung to a rock. Within hours, the sun would bake it dry and steal its life. Taking a deep breath, I gingerly grabbed one of its five legs and pried it loose. The star put up little resistance and dropped into my waiting hand.
Cradling the small creature, I strode past Fynn and waded into the shallows. That would get his attention. Sea foam swirled around my ankles, but I summoned all my courage to ignore it and returned the star to the sea. “Good luck, little one.” The orange creature disappeared beneath a wave.
“Since when do you care about anything from the sea?” Fynn placed a hand on my shoulder, sending heat through my arm.
“Since it brought me a boy, I suppose.” I backed away from the waves, expecting Fynn to follow. But when I reached drier sand, he was still standing right where I’d left him.
“I’m going to show you now.” He raised his voice as he stepped into the crashing surf. “I know you’ll be frightened, but I don’t want any more secrets between us.”
A hot prickling started at the nape of my neck and spread across my skin. “Fynn, if this is dangerous, you don’t have to do it. Mally stitched your wounds up again, and you could undo all her work—do you really want to be in that much pain?”
He waded out farther, the water lapping at his knees. “My heart is yours, Bridey Corkill. I hope you’ll forgive me for what I didn’t say before.” He turned abruptly and dove into the waves. His dark hair looked bold against the whitecaps.
My knees threatened to buckle as I searched the horizon for signs of the fossegrim, or something just as sinister, waiting to devour the boy I so adored.