the boat up to the new shore, we discovered an additional twelve miles of land had been added to the perimeter of the island. Land that didn’t technically belong to anyone. We decided, as an island, to let whoever won the election decide what to do with it.
Knowing Thora would win by a landslide.
No one had forgotten how much fear and pain could’ve been avoided if the former mayor hadn’t fought us so hard in the earlier days. His grudge against Thora had cost him everything. He was lucky all he lost was an election. But, well aware of just how unpopular he’d become, he had no reason to stay. His house was gone, the respect of the town was gone, and his wife had finally left him. So he moved to the mainland. Good riddance.
Thora’s first act as the new mayor was to gift the land to the residents of Zodiac Cove, to do with it as we pleased. She outlined how we could use this opportunity to make island living more affordable for all of us, so the winters wouldn’t be so hard. We ended up keeping a small private beach just for residents and used a lengthy section to rebuild the homes that had been lost, mortgage-free. It was a fresh start for all of us.
Galen’s theory about time after the barrier went up had been correct. What had been several weeks to us had only been a day to the outside world. Something we still had trouble reconciling. Though it explained why none of us had been able to tell what time it was, despite the many clocks that still functioned on the island.
Paranormal researchers had crawled out of the woodwork once word had spread to the mainland. We’d passed the destruction of all our buildings off as a freak earthquake for insurance purposes, but island gossip had a way of reaching past our borders. Some believed we cooked up the curse to add to the legend of the island and increase tourism, while others truly believed something unexplainable had happened.
The residents wouldn’t cooperate with the paranormal researchers who’d come hoping to make their careers on the Zodiac Cove curse, so they eventually gave up and left. The only researcher anyone would consent to talk to was Galen. Living through the things we had together only served to tighten the bonds and loyalty of a town that had already looked out for each other. Despite the petty gossip they still reveled in.
As an island, we all pitched in to finish rebuilding. Insurance covered most of the expenses, but the Lathams chipped in where it didn’t. Everyone who called Zodiac Cove home during the lean months opted to stay. Brooke’s metal wielding came in handy when it came to setting up temporary homes until we could get everyone in their own places. It had been nice having the island to ourselves for a while. A chance to reconnect with each other without the curse looming over our heads.
Things hadn’t gotten better with Maybell. I was sorry for it, but she wouldn’t forgive Jocelyn, and I couldn’t put anyone above my other half. Now that none of us had mortgages anymore, it took some of the pressure off me to care for her and we went our separate ways. Sometimes I’d pass her on the street and ask how she was doing, but our interactions were always stiff and polite. We’d taken different paths in life, and I could no longer be beholden to the memory of a man I hadn’t really known at all.
It wasn’t long before Zodiac Cove once again shone as a tourist island for all things witchy and whimsical. The additional land allowed for more cottages, and the phenomenon that had taken place increased traffic tenfold. Everyone benefited, though none more than the Lathams, who still had a majority stake in the businesses here. Which suited everyone fine, since they also took on the bulk of the stress and dealt with the complaints.
I sat on my back porch, watching the sunset turn the sky into a kaleidoscope of orange, pink, and deep twilight purple. One day I’d watch the sun dip below that horizon without fear that it wouldn’t rise again. But I wasn’t there yet.
I raised my beer to my lips and took a sip just as the back door opened. My love, my heart, the other half of my soul stepped outside. How did I get so lucky as to call this woman mine? She took a seat on my lap and draped her arms over my shoulders.
I trailed my lips down the long column of her neck. “Evening, Mrs. Wilder. What brings you out here tonight?”
“I’m supposed to be rushing you along.” She took my hand and placed it over the rounded bump of her stomach. “She’s restless tonight.”
My daughter kicked against my hand. It never ceased to amaze me that I was going to be a father. The idea of being responsible for a tiny human scared the shit out of me. I didn’t have much in the way of a blueprint, but I had Jocelyn. We’d figure it out together.
Rubbing my hand over her stomach, I squeezed her hip. “Can we skip the ceremony?”
“No. Just like we couldn’t skip it when you asked last year.” She put a hand on my chest, pushing against it to stand. “The other ten are expecting us. Finish your beer and get dressed.”
“I don’t think you should be traipsing around the forest in your condition.” She didn’t dignify my comment with a response, just an eye roll before she headed back into the house.
Crickets chirped from the forest at the edge of our property as fireflies danced over the garden Jocelyn had planted this summer. Sweet perfume from her flowers wafted on the air. Owls swooped over the trees to begin their nightly hunt. They were now the deadliest things in the woods, but it wasn’t always that way.
I took another sip of my beer and let the quiet twilight wash over me as I took these last few moments of the day to reflect. Three years ago, I’d watched the woman I loved become a long-dead ghost to lure a cursed man to his death. And we’d almost been too late. It still seemed like something that happened to someone else.
Tonight, we’d head down to the cave to honor the dead lovers and do our annual check of the gates. The island was ours to protect now, until the next generation could take over. A generation that was already well on its way, with Audrey, Brooke, and Jocelyn all pregnant. Kenna and Galen had Galileo just six months ago and were already talking about wanting another. The baby fever was contagious.
I stood and stretched, bringing my empty bottle inside. In the bedroom, Jocelyn stood just inside the closet in her simple bra and underwear. My mouth watered as she smirked at me over her shoulder. It was like she didn’t even want to go up to the cave tonight.
I circled my hands around her waist, gently caressing the bump that held my world, and kissed the curve of her shoulder. “You’re killing me, buttercup.”
She pulled a shirt off the hanger and handed it to me. “Pull yourself together. We have all night for other activities.”
I groaned, but got dressed without complaint. As much as I wanted to stay in and run my hands over every delicious inch of my wife’s body, she was right. It would look bad if we didn’t show up. Kenna would never let us hear the end of it.
After we changed into clothes more appropriate for hiking through the woods than lounging around the house, we headed out.
Brooke and Cole met us at the forest edge. Galen joined us a few minutes later and let us know Kenna was finishing up Galileo’s bedtime feeding. Our mom was watching their son while we handled our responsibility, which she loved. She was already volunteering to babysit for us during the day when Jocelyn and I were at work.
“I’m here.” Kenna came running toward the rest of us, her red hair flying behind her. “Let’s get this over with.”
“She doesn’t want to go either,” I whispered to Jocelyn, who elbowed me in the ribs.
Our walk up to the cave was nothing like the trips the others had made through the forest at the height of the curse’s power, but Kenna and Galen’s gaze still darted around, as if they expected a warthog to leap out of the brush at any moment. We all still had ghosts that lingered. We were healing every day, though. Having each other to lean on helped.
When we crossed that ring of trees that once held a land so dead not even candles could be lit within the circle, we were greeted by everyone else who had arrived from various entrance points. Finn and Thora had rebuilt on the east-side cliffs. Wes and Audrey ended up moving in next door to them, and they rebuilt Selene and Ella’s house on the opposite side. Donovan and Violet had moved into a place on the beach. Jocelyn and I had built a cottage close to Galen, Kenna, Brooke, and Cole, preferring the forest to the beach.
The cave was nothing more than an open hole in the ground, but Brooke had used her magic to put a metal cover over it, disguised with greenery, so no adventurous tourists could make a day trip to the heart we’d been tasked to protect. Cole placed protective hands over the bump on her belly as his touch allowed her to melt the metal blocking our way down to the gates.
Audrey held the flowers she’d brought for Ceti and Nirah. “Ready?”
One by one, we filed down the stairs. No one needed to stay back and stand guard, and no smoke leaked out of the trees. Overhead, the bright stars twinkled as if to wink at us. Sometimes on clear nights, I’d look up at the sky and hear a melody of lost love.
And it would always be answered with the call of being found again.
