I stepped through the doorway that Stephan held open for me. He had that mischievous and brazen look that lately he'd decided to show without any shame, as if he enjoyed the effect it had on me. The warmth of the cabin enveloped me instantly, and with it, the impossible happened: both my clothes and my hair, still soaking wet, dried immediately, as if they had never touched water.
Stephan closed the door to the lake gently. The smile that curved his lips was so dangerous and luminous it could melt entire glaciers if he so desired. I didn't know if he was reacting to my confusion, or if he enjoyed seeing me on the verge of falling apart with each of his secrets that came to light. Perhaps, just perhaps, he was willing to share with me what others were determined to hide.
"How...?" I asked, barely in a whisper.
"Magic," he replied, as if it were the most trivial thing in the world.
