Beyond that, her responsibilities were nobody’s business but hers. And it wasn’t responsible to go around practicing mumbo jumbo and clinging to some stupid legend that was as much nonsense now as it had been three centuries before.

She was the island deputy, not part of some mystic trio of saviors. And she wasn’t destined to mete out some nebulous psychic justice.

Now she’d lost her appetite, and her desire to hit on Gladys Macey’s nephew. Served her right for wasting time with Mia Devlin.

Disgusted, she stalked out of the kitchen. The first thing she saw as she moved back toward the party was Zack. He was in the middle of things, where he always seemed to be when it came to people. They were drawn to him. But even as he stood in the middle of a group who chattered at him, she could see that his gaze and his mind were aimed elsewhere.

It was all for Nell.

Now, Ripley watched her brother as he watched Nell circulate with her fancy little egg rolls. There was no doubt about it.

The man was completely over the moon.

While she could resist and ignore Mia’s talk of destinies and responsibilities when it came to herself, when it came to a newly formed and still evolving friendship, it was an entirely different matter. Especially if it involved her brother.

There was nothing she wouldn’t have done for Zack, even if it meant linking hands with Mia.

She was going to have to pay close attention to the situation, reevaluate periodically. Do some hard, uncomfortable thinking.

“He’s on the edge,” Mia whispered in her ear. “The shimmering edge just before the breathless tumble.”

“I’ve got eyes, don’t I?”

“Do you know what happens when he falls?”

Ripley took the wineglass out of Mia’s hand, drank half of it. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“He’ll lay down his life for her, without an instant’s hesitation. He’s the most admirable man I know.” She took the glass back, sipped. “That, at least, is a point of absolute agreement between us.”

Because she knew it, Ripley weakened. “I want a protective spell. I want you to take care of that.”

“I’ve already done what I can. In the end, it has to be a circle of three.”

“I can’t think about this now. I’m not going to talk about it now.”

“All right. Why don’t we just stand here and watch a strong and admirable man fall in love? Moments this pure shouldn’t be wasted.” Mia laid a hand on Ripley’s shoulder, a casual link. “She doesn’t see it. Even as it passes over her like a breath of warm air, she isn’t whole enough to know it.”