Sarina's wet hair dripped water in her face, and water dripped from the hem of her jumper to pool at her feet. Her clothes stuck to her, and she shivered when a gust of wind wrapped around her. Dagon wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms and carry her to the warmth and safety of his castle.

Ali had different ideas for her husband. "Interfered? You dropped her."

"Because of your shout," Sebastian accused with a shake of his finger.

"He's right," Sarina agreed again and irritated Dagon all the more.

"You had no business being outside the castle," Ali said with a firm stamp of her foot.

"You told me to get lost," Sebastian said with a laugh. "And while I didn't take you literally, I thought

it best to vacate the premises for a time."

Ali pointed to Sarina. "So you convince this poor girl to let you practice your magic."

Sarina laughed at her remark. "I volunteered."

"To allow a novice to levitate you over a pond?" Dagon asked incredulously.

Sarina was quick to defend. "Sebastian is no novice and he was doing excellent with his lesson until you

two, who I should point out should know better than to interfere with a person's magic, did just that-interfered!"

"So it's our faults?" Dagon asked in disbelief.

"Exactly," Sarina and Sebastian said in unison.

"Two inept witches practicing magic, and yet it is the fault of two skilled witches," Dagon confirmed, though he shook his head at the absurdity of the notion.

"Now you understand the problem," Sarina said with a tilt of her chin and another shiver that was obvious to all.

"You're cold," Dagon said, concerned.

"Chilly," she corrected defiantly.

Dagon turned to Ali. "This is all your fault."

"Mine?" she said, shocked.

"Yes, if you would allow your husband to practice his magic on you, he wouldn't seek out anyone

else's help."

Ali placed her hands on her hips ready for battle.

"He's in for it now," Sebastian whispered with a smile to Sarina.

Sarina agreed with a nod and her own grin.

"This is your fault," Ali accused back.

Dagon laughed at her remark. "How is that?"

"You should teach Sarina how to countercommand a spell."

"And how do you suppose I do that when she doesn't have a lick of powers."

"Sebastian barely possessed the ability to cast a decent spell, but I've trained him," Ali said

defensively.

Sebastian raised a brow and looked to Sarina. No words needed exchanging, they both understood each other completely.

"So what you're saying is that I have lacked in training Sarina properly?"

"You haven't given her the time and patience she requires to develop her skills, therefore, this is your

fault."

Sarina spoke. "I think you both need cooling off." With that Sebastian pointed his finger at them, and

with a crook and a whirl of his finger he sent the startled couple flying into the pond.

"That was fantastic," Sarina said, praising his magical feat. "Perfectly executed and completed."

"Wow, I even impressed myself," Sebastian said, staring for a moment at his fingertip. "I guess I'm

getting the hang of this after all."

Ali and Dagon swatted at each other like irate children until finally they both burst into a fit of laughter

and fell into each other's arms. They then made their way easily out of the pond and hurried to catch up with Sebastian and Sarina, who were strolling back to the castle. It was two laughing couples who burst into the kitchen with Dagon demanding, "Send hot tea and brandy to mine and Sebastian's quarters."

And with peals of laughter following them through the hallway, not to mention trails of puddles, the couples made their way to their rooms. Margaret looked at Sydney, who had been sitting at the table, a hot cup of raspberry tea in hand. "Love is good."

"At any age," Sydney said with a raise of her teacup. Dagon and Sarina fell laughing into his room, their hands hurriedly undressing each other, their chilled bodies seeking warmth. Dagon retrieved a beige, soft knit blanket from the closet and wrapped it around the both of their shivering bodies as they sat down on the thick carpet before the blazing fire. A knock on the door announced the tea and brandy had arrived, and Bernard entered at Dagon's command. He arranged the silver serving tray on the floor beside them and brought two towels from the bathroom to place alongside Dagon. With a thank you from Dagon, Bernard left the room as quietly as he had entered it. Sarina saw to pouring the hot tea and adding a liberal amount of brandy while Dagon reached for the towels, quickly drying his hair as best as possible and then seeing to hers. When he finished she handed him a teacup, and they both relaxed against each other and allowed the heat of the tea and the strength of the brandy to warm their insides.

"In all my years here, I have never fallen into that pond." His free hand wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer to him. She went willingly, content in the safety of his arms. "I thought it a delightful dunking and a good time amongst friends."

Dagon thought it best to tell her of their planned departure. "Ali and Sebastian are leaving tomorrow."

He felt her disappointment in the slight tensing of her body against his.

She sighed. "I will miss them."

"Sydney will remain."

Sarina said nothing, but understood everything. The time was drawing near, the spell would be tested.

What would be the outcome? Would she disturb or hurt the spells cast if she admitted to Dagon her love for him now? Could she take the chance?

"You grow quiet. Is something wrong?" he asked with a hug to her midsection.

"Deep thoughts."

"Share them with me," he urged. "I would like to know more about you."

The tea and brandy were beginning to relax her, and she sighed contentedly, nestling back against him.

And while she would have loved to tell him of her life, she wisely chose to avoid the issue. "There's nothing to tell."

He placed his empty teacup aside and wrapped his other arm around her, resting his cheek against her temple after kissing there lightly. "There's always something to tell. Tell me what you enjoyed most as a child."

She smiled and ran her hands along his arms, favoring the feel of their strength wrapped so protectively around her, and chose a safe answer. "Wandering in the forest."

"You favor the outdoors."

"The Mother Earth holds the essence of life; what better place to learn?" She moved the questioning to him. "And you? What did you enjoy most as a child?"

His answer came easily. "The freedom to explore who I am."

"And did you find your answer?" She held her teacup up for him to take a sip.

He did, then answered. "I feel I did and yet I still question at times."

"A natural reaction and one shared by many. We think we know who we are, but we fail to understand

that we change, grow, evolve with the years. So, therefore, who we once were we no longer are, and the search continues, an exciting journey for sure." She sounded much wiser than a mere one hundred years, and he felt it was time to confront the issue of age. "Don't ask me, Dagon," she said, sensing his question and hoping to prevent it. His arm tightened slightly around her waist. "Why?"

"You may not like the answer."

He recalled Sebastian speaking those very words to him, but then he wanted to solve the whole puzzle, and he persisted. "Tell me your age."

She attempted tact. "It isn't nice to ask a woman her age."

He was firm in his resolve to learn the truth. "I think that at this point in our relationship it is

necessary-not that it will change anything."

"Are you so sure?"

"Age matters not to me, I told you this."

"Then why ask?"

"Let's say it's a piece to a puzzle I am trying to solve."

"Am I the puzzle?" she asked, moving out of his arms and walking to the closet to retrieve his black silk

robe and slip into it.

He admired the trim, firm set of her body and the way she moved with grace and ease, comfortable with herself and with him. His arousal was quick and expected, though he chose to ignore it. This talk was necessary, and he would have his answers.

"You must admit, you are like a puzzle, so many pieces yet nothing fits, nothing makes sense." He eased himself off the floor, wrapping the blanket around his waist to conceal his desire from her as he walked to his closet.

Sarina reached in the closet and grabbed his silver robe, handing it to him. "And I must make sense to you?"