Page 82 of Earth-Bound

“Huh? Why would it hurt me?”

His voice was faint and his words were fuzzy around the edges, not quite clear.

I knelt on the floorboards a few feet away and Joe hauled himself into a sitting position and shuffled back to lean against the wall. The vixen sat beside him, pressed against his arm and trying to offer him comfort. He managed to raise his hand to rest it on her back but didn’t have the energy to stroke her fur or scratch behind her ears like he normally did.

I hadn’t answered his question. I didn’t know how to. I didn’tknowwhy touching me hurt him.

“Terrund?”

“Just rest for a moment. You- you passed out.”

He nodded, letting his eyes flutter closed. He looked exhausted and grey. Suddenly his eyes shot open and he sat up, wincing as he did so.

“The spell! It’s in there.” He pointed behind me, into the master bedroom. “We need to get the plants away from it. The poor darlin’s must be sick and weak…”

He trailed off, too weak himself to do anything else.

I stood. “I’ll get them out.”

“Let me help.”

“No! You stay there.”

“I can’t just sit here while you do all the work.”

“But the spell affects you and it doesn’t affect me.”

He really was tired because he let his head fall back against the wall again and watched me stand and go into the bedroom.

One by one, I bought out each of the plants and, as I lifted them, they shied away from me. I’d never felt a growing thing do that before. They loved earth spirits because they loved the earth. We simply were good for all living things.

I was on the verge of sobbing with worry and fear and confusion as I carried a begonia and a little pink violet out into the hall and lined them up beside Joe. At least they leaned into Joe, when I set them down.

As I bought the inch plant out, I leaned over to place it right beside Joe’s legs but Joe flinched away from me, his chest heaving. He looked ill. It turned me cold to have my mate flinch away from me. That wasn’t natural.

When I bought the jewel orchid out, the vixen had positioned herself between me and Joe, guarding him. From me.

He looked up as I stepped through the door and he shrugged apologetically. I stepped away from him and put the plant down.

I quickly cleared them all out of the room and Joe nodded in satisfaction when they were all out. “Poor darlin’s have been in there with that spell for weeks. On and off. I wish I’d known it was there earlier, I would have taken them all out. I’d never have left them there if I’d known.”

“I can’t feel it.”

“What?”

“The spell. I can’t sense it at all.”

“It’s under the floorboards.”

“How do you know?”

“I could feel it.” He managed a weak smile. “It was stronger when you were near.”

I shuffled further away from him, reluctant to leave him, but desperate not to get too near in case it hurt him again. It was torture.

For a moment, we stayed like that, only a few yards apart but unable to get any closer without risking my mate.

Then I said, “I’m going to find that spell.”

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