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the gentle breeze causing ripples that sparkled like diamonds.
    In the distant darkness he could see the outline of one of the castles. There had been seven once, one for each of the witches, but most had fallen into ruin, leaving only three.
    He remembered what it looked like in daylight, with the hot summer sun beating down and the sky as blue as sapphires above. The whole valley had an aura of blue about it, the trees tinted with it and the lakes reflecting the heavens.
    It was breathtaking.
    He looked at Celene. She was staring into the distance at one of the castles. Did she know that was the one they were heading for? She hadn’t spoken much since they had left her sister.
    Her sister.
    He got the feeling that there was more to Elektra than met the eye, just as there was more to Celene. She had taken him to a place beyond earthly reality. He remembered the brightness of the room and the heat, as though they were standing on the surface of the sun itself. It had scorched him but hadn’t seemed to affect Celene at all.
    She raised her eyes to the stars and smiled.
    “It’s a beautiful night,” she whispered.
    He stepped closer to her and placed his arm around her shoulders. Her eyes drifted down to meet his and he gave her a smile as he gently brushed the hair from her face. He thought about producing another moonflower for her, but there were rare blooms down in the valley that would be just as beautiful against her dark hair and pale skin.
    Her eyes shone like the moon and he lost himself in them, searching for how she felt and hoping that the kiss they had shared had been what they both wanted. He’d had to show her that he had feelings for her. She needed to know before they confronted Erikka that she had replaced the witch in his heart.
    “Do we travel there now?” she said, turning to look at the castle. “We could get this over with before dawn.”
    He frowned and then laughed. “It is a long walk to the castle. I don’t think we’ll be able to make it before another night falls.”
    She tensed and he felt it. His frown returned and he ran his eyes over her profile. Something was wrong. Couldn’t she feel the magical field over the valley? It interfered with magic, preventing certain spells from working. A simple transport spell was one of those things. It dulled most basic magic, but more complex spells still worked.
    Curses for instance.
    “Celene?” he whispered, not wanting to disturb her as she frowned at the sky, a distant look in her eyes. “What is the matter? It isn’t far to the castle but we can’t use magic to help us get there.”
    Her eyes widened. She couldn’t feel it. All magic users could. Why was she any different?
    “We should get moving then,” she said, her voice as distant as her stare.
    She moved out from his embrace and began down the hill. He watched her for a moment, confused. What was wrong? Even novice witches and wizards could feel the power here. It was as ancient as the hills and as dark as the bottom of the lakes.
    Striding to catch up with her, he tried to push the questions away but they crowded his mind and were only joined by more when he saw the anxiety written across her face.
    Something was worrying her.
    He almost gasped when it dawned on him.
    The sunrise.
    Dawn would break before they had even made it halfway to the castle. That was why she was worried. There was something about the day that she feared.
    He locked his eyes on the distance to the east, waiting for the sun to break the horizon. Dawn was hours away, but he wished it would come sooner. He wanted to see with his own eyes why she locked herself away each day.
    He only hoped that he wouldn’t change before then. The potion he had drunk should last until long after the night had lost her hold over him but he only had a little left in the phial for tomorrow night. Maybe they could make it to the castle before then.
    They walked in silence until they reached the first of the seven lakes. It was