Page 51 of Earth-Bound

“Then maybe you need to tell him,” suggested Dum, right as Joe came out of the kitchen.

“Tell me what?”

I fumbled for something to say that would stop Dum revealing that Joe and I were mates, and for some incomprehensible reason, I settled on, “That Matty and Anthony are working in the basement and nobody else is allowed down there.”

Joe shrugged, trying to look casual. “I don’t go down there anyway. Only time I’ve seen it is when we went down there the other day.”

“Good, because I don’t like the idea of you touching any of that stuff.”

“Yeah, it was creepy,” he said, and I saw the genuine revulsion flicker across his face at the memory.

Dee nodded. “And we don’t know what it will do to a human.”

Dum added, “That kind of magic can hurt.”

It was strange to watch, in a way. I actually saw Joe take in what they’d said, his eyes widening in surprise, and then his whole face began to close up. His eyes lost a bit of sparkle and it was only once it was gone that I realised it had been there in the first place.

“Magic, huh?” was all he said.

Dee nodded. “Spells, actually.”

“Set by the witch who lived here before Randall,” added Dum.

Joe nodded and turned away.

“Wait,” I said.

He turned back. “What is it?”

His voice was flat and I hated it.

“Can- can I come with you?”

It wasn’t what I’d planned to say, but I didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to be with him, that was all, and I was certain as anything that Joe was pulling away from me right there in front of us all. The fear gripped me that he could leave. He’d said he would tell me before he went but… he could just go, and I wasn’t strong enough yet to follow.

“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “I won’t be long anyway.”

I must have looked alarmingly distressed because even the dragons seemed sympathetic. Dimpy shuffled forward and said, “Don’t worry.”

Dee glared after Joe who had disappeared into the living room with the large watering can. She hissed, “He doesn’t act like your mate, Terrund.”

Dum nodded. “We could teach him better manners, if you like.”

Arram interrupted, yet again. Their solid presence was a relief. “You will do nothing. This is for Terrund and their mate to sort out.”

“Yes, thank you,” I said, and stared after Joe. I didn’t knowwhatI was going to do, only that I had to do something.

Dimpy was the one who provided the answer. He’d stood back most of the time, barely taking part in all the antics. He was the sort of person who faded into the background easily, even when my instinct should have been to fear him and my body should have tracked his movements automatically, the way I did with Dee and Dum. I didn’t. I hardly noticed him at all.

Yet he was the one who said, “You know, I don’t think he knows about magic.”

“What?”

“I don’t think he understands that we mean real spells. That they were set by a real witch. Joe is human, right? Why would he know that magic exists unless someone had told him.” They all looked to me. “Have you told him?”

I shook my head. It hadn’t seemed like the right time yet. I had wanted to get to know him a little first, to build a relationship with him before revealing anything that mightfrighten him away, especially as he could leave so quickly and travel so far and I couldn’t get much further than the village at the moment. I certainly couldn’t go miles beyond that, searching for him.

Dimpy gave a delicate cough. “Can I suggest you do that? He must be pretty confused right about now.”

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