Page 66 of Of Poison & Pumpkins
I struggle at the top. Concentrate. My brain hammers out a way to reach over the ledge. Exhausted. If I fall, I die. My muscles scream. Low chance of success. No time to wait.
I inhale deeply through my nose. Make a silent plea. And leap.
My fingertips connect. Solid hold. Secure. Relief floods my veins. I pull myself the rest of the way up and collapse onto the flat summit.
Directly next to my hand, lies an abandoned raven’s nest with dozens of holly berries.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Elias
She chose me. Rynn stayed with me through hell. For days, almost a week, I’d been sick with Covid, barely able to move, feverish with body aches, exhausted and even hallucinated a few times.
Tonight, I finally feel like myself again, and as glad as that makes me, a ticking clock counts down the time in the back of my mind. It seems impossible to focus on fixing the curse on time when all I want is to broadcast my feelings for this beautiful woman. She’s my savior, and she also collected the berries we need during my delirium.
After bathing in a nearby lake for the first time in days, I run a hand through my hair and then down my beard. “I don’t have a razor. How do you like the new look?”
She shrugs, but I can tell there’s a light in her eyes that had been missing when I was sick.
“Wow, you have such a way of complementing a guy,” I say with a laugh and wrap both arms around her waist.
“I simply don’t have a need,” Rynn says, rising on tiptoes to kiss my nose. “Because when you were delirious, I got to hear what you think about me. Apparently, I’m your luscious lady of lavender, who can do no wrong and has the body of a superstar, so I don’t think I need to fawn over you.”
I groan, leaning my forehead against hers. “Please don’t tell me anything else I said. I’d rather wipe it from both our memories.” She kisses my temple softly. “But thank you again, Rynnlee, for taking care of me. I hope you get awfully sick so I can take care of you, too.”
“Gee, that’s so sweet of you,” she remarks, mixing the ingredients for the antidote, now that it’s a starry night.
“When did you make all these?”
“Well, you’ve been asleep for about three thousand hours, so I had plenty of time to sit on a rock and knit extra spoons.” Rynn pours berries into a bowl that holds the carrot and seeds.
“And you happened to have yarn in this cozy rock valley?”
“It was at the bottom of my backpack. Will you help me recite the spell? Two Fuzers are stronger than one.”
I nod.
“Ready?”
“Can I touch you while we say it? That’ll for sure make the spell stronger.” I laugh. “Don’t roll your eyes at me. I’ve been a deprived man for days.”
“Of course you can touch me.”
I whip her a flashy grin until she points at the written spell and takes a deep breath. I guess we’re doing this.
“Sana figo vicisi salvare maji,” we read in unison, two Fuzers under the moonlight. “Sana figo vicisi salvare maji. Sana figo vicisi salvare maji.”
The ingredients form a purple goo, then meld into the shape of a little candy. It multiplies in an instant, until at least a hundred little violet gumdrop candies sit in the bowl as the final antidote. Hopefully it’ll work.
I stare at them. “Feels a bit sus to be passing out candy. You know how the saying goes?”
She shrugs. “I bet you can convince every Dazed to eat them. You could convince a polar bear to live in Egypt.”
Without wasting time, we hike down the trail back to Shannon’s factory. After repeatedly assuring her that we are indeed alive, a quick hug goodbye later, followed by promises to keep in touch, we’re ready to jump back into my car.
Shannon clears her throat. “I have a powerful spell to use this month. It’s the ability to transport to a different location with the snap of my finger.”
I grimace. “This doesn’t sound safe.”
