The Devil's Eye

Ignoring her question, he nodded at the stone wall running alongside the road. “The gate posts are just ahead.”

She slowed the car and steered between two stone pillars on either side of a narrow dirt driveway. A tangle of leafless trees closed in around the car, skeletal branches scraping the sides and roof like bony fingers. The dull screech set her teeth on edge.

The trees to her right fell away abruptly and the ground dropped to a steep slope. Ocean, the same twilight blue as the sky, stretched out deep and infinite.

Her stomach fell like a stone off a cliff. Icy sweat sprang to her skin. She tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry. Her gaze stayed fixed on the terrifying expanse of water, and every muscle in her body seized. She couldn’t breathe.

For an instant, she could feel icy water stinging her skin. Taste the gritty, metallic flavor in her mouth. Her nose burned with the rush of frigid water into her sinuses and down her throat.

For an instant, she was drowning all over again.

Chapter Two

“What the hell?” Reece’s shout barely penetrated the fog wrapped around Brynn’s brain. He reached over and jerked the steering wheel sideways. The wall of trees on the opposite side of the drive rose up fast, and she stomped on the brake, seatbelt digging into her shoulder.

“Clutch!” Reece yelled.

She slammed her other foot on the small pedal, as Reece maneuvered the gearshift. The car jolted to a stop across the width of the drive, facing the tree-lined ridge.

At least she wasn’t looking at the sea anymore.

Brynn slumped against the seat, bile creeping up the back of her throat. She locked her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut. The last thing she wanted was to wind up doubled over emptying her stomach—and with an audience, no less.

“You nearly took us over the bloody cliff,” Reece snarled.

Even if she could have spoken without retching, she didn’t have a clue what to say. The minute her gaze had landed on the ocean, her brain ceased functioning. Her body had locked up except to steer where she looked.

She’d had panic attacks before when faced with large bodies of water, but she’d never shut down so completely. To be fair, she’d never come face-to-face with the place where her phobia had originated, either.

Cold dread curdled her insides. Had she made a mistake coming here? All those questions, maybe she was better off not knowing the answers.

Something brushed her stomach. She jerked back and opened her eyes. Reece reached across her lap.

“What are you doing?” she muttered, between clenched teeth.

“You’re white as death.” He pressed the button, lowering her window. Frigid air swept inside. The soft hush of the surf beating the shore filled her ears and a quiver rippled up her spine.

“Put your head down before you’re sick or pass out.” Reece pressed his hand to her back, forcing her to bend forward and to the side of the steering wheel. She might have argued, but she didn’t trust her insides enough to open her mouth.

Heat from his palm seeped through her knit jacket, warming her despite the wind gusting through the window. Brynn let out a slow breath, releasing some of the tension gripping her. She closed her eyes, dragged in another gulp of damp air. The pounding of her heart eased, and her breathing turned regular.

“Was it the height?” Reece’s tone was softer and slightly less combative than before.

She shook her head, but didn’t look at him. Heat stung her cheeks despite the chill. God, she must look crazy. “The water.”

“The water?”

The amused disbelief in his voice grated her already taut nerves. She sat up and his hand fell away. “A fear of water isn’t unusual, you know?”

“I suppose not, but someone suffering a fear of water visiting an island seems odd. Did you not know Ynys Mon was an island?”

“Of course I knew,” she snapped, wishing she didn’t sound so defensive.

He frowned. “How in the hell did you ever manage to fly across the ocean to get here?”

“I’m not afraid to fly.”

“You pitch a fit when you catch sight of the sea—”

“I did not pitch a fit!

“—but flying over it has no effect?”

“If the plane went down, I’d be dead when I hit the water. I wouldn’t have to worry about drowning.”

He stared at her like she’d sprouted another head.

She wished she could crawl under the seat. “Can we just go?”

“You tell me.”

She reached for the keys, but his hand wrapped around hers, warm and strong. Something fluttered low inside her. Just nerves.

“Maybe I should drive.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off. “Aside from not wanting to wind up crushed at the bottom of the cliff, God knows how bloody long it’ll take you to get turned around again.”

She just wanted this trip to end. “Fine.”

Reece didn’t give her a chance to change her mind. He got out of the car; she did likewise. They passed each other wordlessly as they rounded the back. She kept her gaze fixed on the muddy ground, refusing to allow herself a glance at those dark waves. Her breathing was still coming faster than normal. It wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge she clung to.

She collapsed into the passenger seat and tugged the belt over her shoulder. As if unable to help herself, she peeked at the slate water roiling and exploding against the shore. Her blood iced over, drained from her face. She squeezed her eyes closed.

The engine rumbled to life, low vibrations humming through her taut muscles. She felt the car roll slowly forward and curve back onto the drive.

“It still runs.” Reece said. “I was a bit worried you’d left the gearbox back there.”

“Ha, ha. You must have been a comedian before landing this job.”

“Not quite. Are you keeping your eyes closed to avoid looking at the water?” The image of those endless waves flashed across her mind and a shudder crawled over her skin. The question must have been rhetorical. He didn’t bother waiting for a reply. “You do realize Stonecliff overlooks the sea? Unless you plan on keeping your eyes closed your entire visit, you’ll likely have to look at it at some point during your stay.”

Didn’t she know it. Her reaction to open water hadn’t been this bad in years, but to be fair she usually made considerable effort to avoid lakes and oceans…rivers…paddling pools.

She’d be fine. She hadn’t expected to come upon the water when the car emerged from the trees. She’d just been caught off guard.

“You’re not about to go off again, are you?” Suspicion laced his deep voice.

“I’m ignoring you.”

He snorted, and she cracked an eye risking a peek at him. Even with only the faint glow of the dash lights, she could make out his grin. His entire face changed when he smiled like that, those granite features softening. The flutter in her belly returned.