The Forbidden Trilogy(215)

"It was the best birthday ever, Bro. You did an awesome job." She helped him stand and walked him to his sleeping pad, where he collapsed, a silly grin on his face.

"I love you, Luke. Thanks for making this day so perfect."

He reached for her as she stood to leave. "Luce, you're my best friend, you know that? I'm sorry I made you handle so much alone since we got here. I promise I'll do better."

She kissed his head. "It's okay. We always have each other's back."

Hunter stood by the fire, the flames giving him a very wild look.

Lucy's heart lurched as she approached, and something lower burned in her.

He reached for her hand. "Now that your brother's asleep, I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?"

"Yes. You and I are going on a date."

"A real date? Where are we going, to the other side of the fire pit?"

He tweaked her nose. "Funny." He pulled her away from the fire. "Follow me."

They neared Mr. K's tree, and his branches moved aside to reveal a fairly large raft.

Hunter bowed. "Lady, your chariot awaits."

"Wow, Hunter, this is impressive." She walked up to examine it. "When did you make this?"

"During my lonely late nights. Your birthday needed something special."

"No. You couldn't have known about my birthday."

"Luke knew. The tree read his mind, and then told me."

Some more branches moved aside, revealing Mr. K in the back. His voice rumbled out to them. "You're welcome."

Lucy grinned from ear to ear. She'd never been on a real date before, and this one was extra special. How many girls had their first date on a handmade raft in a magical valley with a super-hot secret agent?

"After you, m'lady." Hunter helped Lucy onto the raft and then joined her. It tilted a few times, but steadied itself as he paddled them off the bank and into the water.

The warm evening air pulsed with the scent of honey and roses. Fireflies filled the sky with their bright twinkling and lit the couple's way as they floated on the cool water strewn with flowers. The crescent moon completed the picture, and Lucy wished this moment could last forever. She dipped her hand in the water, and something glowed along the trail left by her fingers. The beauty and magic of the valley made it easy to forget the evil that had facilitated its creation. They floated along, and nothing else existed but her and Hunter and the magnificence around them.

He cupped her face and kissed her deeply, and the pressure of his lips and feel of his hands sent her heart fluttering like a hummingbird. He pulled away and reached for his backpack. "I have something else for you."

"You've already given me so much. What more could you have?"

He pulled out a wreath of star flowers. At night, they glittered as though sprinkled with pixie dust. She bent her head so he could place it on the crown of her head.

"Thank you. This is beautiful."

"And now for your real present."

She looked around and laughed. "Isn't all this real? Although I could almost believe I'm dreaming all of it."

"Nope. You deserve so much more than a raft and a few flowers. But since you'll have to wait until we complete our mission and get back to civilization to get a proper gift, I have one more thing for you."

"Okay, what's that?"

"Answers. For tonight only, I'll answer any question you have for me as honestly as I can. Unless the answer would break any confidentiality agreements I'm bound by."

Wow! She never expected this. "Fair enough." She thought about it. Before, a dozen questions would have leaped from her tongue, but the power of the night had done strange things to her. "Okay, first question. What is the exact nature of your para-powers?"

"That one's easy. I'm extra agile and extra strong. Basically, most of my senses and abilities are heightened."

"Oh! Show me!"

Hunter shook his head. "Nope. You've seen enough, I think."

Without warning, Lucy giggled and pushed against him, trying to knock him into the water. His eyes widened, but at the last second, he jumped over her and landed lightly on the other side of the raft, balancing shakily. Lucy tipped to the side, leaning out over the lake, but Hunter grabbed her and pulled her close.

"Did you have any more questions?"

Deep in her mind, Lucy knew she did, but she couldn't think of them at the moment. He kissed her, and his hand ran up her back and into her braid. The kiss lasted longer than any kiss she'd had before.

Finally, she pulled back, out of his embrace, afraid that she'd lose this chance to get to know him better. She rapid-fired questions at him, on the alert for any lies. His favorite movie: Shutter Island. His favorite food: seafood, particularly lobster. His favorite book: Forgive Me, Alex by Lane Diamond—with the added, "I can't wait for the sequel!" His favorite date spot: this lake.