by Deanna Chase
“Not much. Looks like your aura is usually a pale rainbow, but right now the colors are muddy due to this broken spell. But don’t worry, I can fix that.” She opened the door to a cooler and retrieved what looked to be a potion and set it to the side. Then she sat on a rolling stool and glided over to Miranda. “Let me get a better feel for what we’re looking at.”
“Okay.” Miranda sat in the reclining chair, just waiting.
“Relax, Miranda,” Gerry soothed as she took Miranda’s hand in hers. “I thought you had training in healing?”
“I did, yeah.” Her entire body was still shaking with nervous energy, and it was starting to piss her off. She didn’t want to break down in the healer’s office.
“Then why the anxiety?” Gerry asked conversationally. Magic started to tingle over Miranda’s skin, making her warm from the comforting sensation. “Did you have a bad experience with a healer once?”
Miranda shook her head. “I guess I’m just freaked out that I’ve been cursed and didn’t know it. I was a healer but gave it up because healing drains me.”
Gerry nodded. “That tracks with what I’m sensing. I think you’ve been hit with a love spell that went sideways, which means it’s not likely someone was trying to curse you on purpose. If I had to guess, they were trying one out but didn’t have the skill to make it work and it got away from them and never got neutralized. It’s not strong enough for you to notice a difference in your energy. You might have been a little more tired lately, or emotional, or even just more sensitive. Does any of that seem plausible?”
The shaking stopped and Miranda sagged in relief. “Yes. I’ve had a lot of big stuff happening in my life recently. I just thought it was because of that. If you can help me get back to functioning at my normal levels, I might just adopt you as my new best friend.”
Gerry chuckled. “I’d never turn down an offer for a good friend.” She got up and retrieved a few jars of herbs from one of the cabinets. After carefully measuring and mixing them with the base potion, she shook it hard and then handed it to Miranda. “This should do the trick. It might make you a little nauseated, but it’s more likely you might be light-headed or sleepy. I’d drink it a few hours before bed. And then to be safe, I’d do a very thorough smudging of your living area and workspaces to make sure none of the spell is lingering anywhere.”
“I work from—” She started to say she worked from home, but then realized she’d spent most of the last few months at A Spoonful of Magic working on her last manuscript. Miranda made a note to talk to Shannon about cleansing the store, too. She gave Gerry a whisper of a smile. “Turns out I spend most of my time working somewhere else. But I’ll make sure we get that space, too.”
Gerry nodded once. “Good. This should work just fine, but you should get your aura read in the next few days just to make sure.”
Miranda hopped off the table, the potion still clutched in her hand, and said, “Thanks, Gerry. I really appreciate your help. How long do you think Gideon will be?”
She chuckled. “You’d already done half the work with that healer magic of yours. I bet he’s already waiting for you out front.”
Even though all Gerry had done was zap her with a little bit of magic to read her energy and the broken spell, Miranda already felt like a ten-pound weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The knowledge that a spell had been messing with her was actually a relief. It meant that, hopefully, now her dating life wouldn’t be one disaster after another.
A smile claimed her lips when she saw Gideon waiting for her by the reception desk. His finger was bandaged with just a couple of butterfly strips. She glanced at it. “That’s all you needed?”
“Two stitches. The dissolvable kind.” He shrugged one shoulder. “It turns out your magic helped seal the wound, so it’s not that big of a deal.”
Miranda stepped into his arms and hugged him. “I’m so glad. I’m mortified.”
He stroked her back with his uninjured hand. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed. Now, if you’d sliced the tip off and left it in the breadbasket, then maybe—”
She jerked back, grimacing up at him. “Eww. That’s not right.”
He laughed. “Come on, Mandy. Let’s pay up and get out of here. Then you can tell me all about your aura issues.”
She groaned. “You’re not going to believe this.”
“Believe what?” he asked as he led her outside to her car.
“All this crap that keeps happening?” She waved at his hand. “The car breaking down, setting that guy’s hair on fire, it was all because I’m cursed with a broken love spell.”
Gideon blinked. Then he started to laugh.
“Hey!” She took a step back, fighting the urge to whack him in the shoulder. She’d done enough damage for one day.
“I’m sorry, Miranda,” he said, those blue eyes of his shining at her. He took a step closer and pulled her into him, pressing his body to hers as he whispered in her ear, “I’m only laughing because I feel like I should thank whoever did this. It meant you were right here waiting for me when I finally found you again.”
A shiver overtook her entire body, and her limbs started to tingle with her reawakened magic.
“You’re practically vibrating,” he said, running a hand down her arm.
She smiled up at him. “It’s your fault. Your touch does things to me.”
His lips turned into a sexy little half smile. “Well, not yet, but it will.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips but quickly let her go and said, “Hold that thought.” Then he opened the car door for her. “Let’s go home.”
Home. Her home. The one she’d gladly share with him for as long as he wanted. She had to fight to hold back the pesky emotions that were bubbling at the surface of her heart. “Yes. Home.”
Chapter Eighteen
“Can I do anything else for you?” Gideon asked Miranda, trying not to panic. She was sitting on her bed, holding her head with one hand and her stomach with the other.
“Water?” she croaked out as her skin turned green.
And a bucket, he thought. If she made it through the next few hours without vomiting, it was going to be a miracle.
Once they’d gotten back to her house, they’d wasted no time diving into an intense make-out session. He’d been ready to drag her to bed, but she’d stopped him to explain the treatment for the bad spell she was still carrying around with her. So he’d reluctantly let her go and volunteered to smudge the downstairs floor of her house while she drank the potion.
It had been a while since he’d smudged anything, but he knew the drill. He had to burn a spelled sage stick, ask any unwanted energy to leave, and then smudge the entire house. By the time he was done, the house felt warmer and more welcoming.
Except when he’d gotten upstairs to check on Miranda, she looked like death had touched her. All he’d wanted to do was crawl into bed with her and hold her, but the nausea had prevented that.
He hurried from the bedroom, got her a bottle of water, and found a bucket just in case.
“Oh, gods,” Miranda said when she saw the bucket, and she closed her eyes.
“Sorry. I just thought it was better to have it handy in case you needed it,” he said, handing her the water.
“It’s fine,” she said. “You’re right. But the thought of…” She closed her eyes again and concentrated on breathing.
Gideon pulled out his phone and called the healer. Once he explained the situation, he asked, “Is ginger tea all right? I want to give her something for the nausea.”
“That should be fine. It’s better to keep the potion in. If she vomits it back up, she’ll just need to drink another one.”
Gideon decided to keep that tidbit to himself. She sure didn’t need to be thinking about that. “Okay. I’ll make her some tea then.”
“Gideon?” the healer said.
“Yeah?”
“If it gets worse, call me,” she said, sounding concerned.
“What
do you mean, worse? Like if she’s vomiting?”
“Yes,” she said. “Vomiting, migraine, any signs of distress. It’s not unusual to feel nauseated or have a slight headache, but if the symptoms are severe, it’s a problem.”
“Okay. I’ll keep an eye on her.” Gideon ended the call and made his way into the kitchen where he made her a ginger tea. Then he went back upstairs. He found Miranda curled on her side with her eyes closed and her head propped up on two pillows.
“Hey, you,” he said, sitting on the bed next to her. “Any better?”
“Not really,” she mumbled.
“I have tea. Healer Gerry said it should help.” He stroked her arm gently, just for reassurance for them both that she was going to be okay.
“You called Gerry?” she asked, pushing herself up into a sitting position.
“Yeah. I wanted to make you a tea to help the nausea and needed to make sure it was okay. Is that all right?”
She gave him the tiniest of smiles, making his heart feel full. “Yes. Thank you for doing that and for the tea.” Miranda took the mug with both hands and sipped. She grimaced. “It has a bite.”
“It’s the ginger.”
“I know,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m an earth witch. I know my roots.”
“Sorry.” He held his hands up in the air and laughed. “Of course you do.” He moved to sit on the other side of the bed and waited as she sipped the tea. “Better?”
“I think so.” She set the mug on the nightstand and burrowed down into her covers.
Gideon leaned over and kissed her temple. “I need to stay over. Is that all right with you?”
She opened one eye and peered at him. “Need?”
Chuckling, he brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Yes. Need. Gerry said I should keep an eye on you, and I can’t do that from my room at the inn. Plus, I want to stay and take care of you.”
“Oh.” Her lips seemed to be curved into a permanent ghost of a smile. When she continued, her voice was barely a whisper. “So, it’s Gerry’s fault?”
“If we need someone to blame, sure. But I’m not denying that I don’t want to leave this bed.”
“Oh, you’re sleeping with me too?” Her tone was teasing now.
Gideon got up off the bed, shucked out of his jeans and Henley shirt, crawled back into the bed, laid down flat on his back, and pulled the thick down comforter over them. Lifting it slightly, he patted his chest. “Come here. Let me hold you.”
Miranda didn’t hesitate. She tucked herself beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. And then she did the thing she’d always done way back in college. She hugged him tightly and let out a contented sigh.
Damn, if that didn’t hit him in all of his feels.
He tangled his fingers in her hair, kissed her gently on the lips, and then closed his eyes to revel in the moment. She was everything he wanted. He knew that now. His life back in Los Angeles meant nothing without her. Whatever it took, he was going to find a way to make their relationship work, even if he had to sell everything and move to Keating Hollow.
He smiled at the thought, held onto Miranda tighter, and when he heard her steady breathing indicating she was already deeply under, he let the night take him.
Chapter Nineteen
Miranda woke with a start. Something wasn’t right. She didn’t know what it was, but there was an internal alarm going off in her head that was flashing a warning sign. The bed was warm but her hands weren’t, and there was some sort of clacking noise that disoriented her. Her eyes flew open and she blinked, trying to process what she saw right beside her.
“Gideon?” Miranda bolted upright, staring down at her pale bedpartner. His skin had turned a ghastly shade of white, and his teeth were chattering as if he were freezing. “Gideon,” she tried again. When he didn’t answer, she pressed her hand to his head and cursed as she fumbled for the phone on her nightstand.
She quickly searched her contacts for Healer Gerry.
Gerry answered on the first ring. “Gerry Whipple.”
“Gerry, it’s Miranda Moon.”
“Good morning, Miranda. How’s your energy today?” the healer asked.
“There’s something wrong with Gideon. I just woke up and he’s shivering, burning up, and unresponsive. I don’t even think I can get him downstairs and in the car to get him anywhere.”
“I’m grabbing my keys. Text me your address. I’m on my way.” The line went dead.
Miranda immediately did as the healer asked. Then she tossed the phone to the side and pressed both hands to his cheeks. “Gideon. Open your eyes, baby. Come on. Look at me.”
He let out a moan and tried to curl in on himself.
Panic started to set in, but as she stared down at the man she’d never stopped loving, she pushed her emotions to the side and concentrated, forcing magic into her fingertips. She knew she didn’t have enough healing power to cure whatever was ailing him. He was just too sick. But she might be able to ease a bit of his suffering.
Sucking in a deep, cleansing breath, Miranda focused on her fingertips, letting her magic pool into them. Then she imagined Gideon healthy, his skin slightly flushed and wearing an easy smile as he walked with her in the woods the other day. When she held his healthy image firmly in her mind, she said, “Let this magic give Gideon the strength he needs to heal and overcome this illness.”
Her magic poured over him, cooling his feverish skin, and instantly his teeth stopped chattering. He let out another moan as his eyes fluttered open.
“Hey, you,” she said, her voice shaky. “Good morning.”
He blinked a few times, his mouth opening as if to speak, but no words came out. He cleared his throat and winced as one hand flew to his neck. “What happened?” he rasped, barely audible.
“Looks like you picked up a nasty flu or something.” She brushed his dark hair back and leaned down to press her lips to his forehead. He was still burning up, but at least he was responsive. It was something, and something was a hell of a lot more than she’d had five minutes ago.
“Flu?’ He squinted at her, looking confused. “I don’t think—” Gideon tried to sit up, but quickly abandoned the effort and said, “Whoa. Why is the world spinning?” Then he looked down at his bandaged hand, the one she hadn’t even thought to check, and his eyes widened with dismay.
“Oh, crap,” Miranda said when she spotted the angry red swelling. The cut was infected. There was no doubt about it. And then fear set in. If he was sick from an infection, he was in serious danger.
“I need to see the healer,” Gideon said even as he closed his eyes and laid back down on his pillow.
“She’s on her way.” Miranda climbed out of the bed and disappeared into her bathroom, where she retrieved a cool wet cloth. She didn’t want to give him any medication for his fever before Gerry arrived, but the cool cloth should help. “Here,” she said, climbing back onto the bed and placing it on his forehead.
He didn’t say anything. He didn’t move either, and If it weren’t for the steady rise and fall of his chest, she might’ve worried whether he was even still there with her. Tears stung her eyes at the thought of losing him, and this time she did nothing to curb her emotions. Her face was wet as she made her way downstairs in her thick robe and fuzzy slippers.
After putting the teakettle on the stove, Miranda sat at her bar with her head in her hands and let out all the tension, fear, and frustration of the last few days. The absolute terror she’d felt when she’d woken up that morning was still simmering beneath the surface, and right then, nothing else mattered to her. Not her books, the movie, the television show. All she wanted was for Gideon to be all right. She’d done this. That stupid curse that she’d picked up and never realized she had was to blame. What kind of an earth witch was she anyway? An oblivious one.
The teakettle started to whistle, and she got up to make a restorative tea, but before she could even make it to the stove, her front door banged open and Gerry
hustled in carrying an old-fashioned leather doctor’s bag.
“Where is he? Upstairs?” Gerry asked even as she veered for the staircase.
“Yes.” Miranda flipped the burner off and hurried after the healer. “I used some magic to try to start the healing process. He stopped shivering and woke up, but he doesn’t look any better. I don’t know what else I could’ve done. I was going to make a restorative tea, but now that you’re here… just tell me what you need.”
“You did great, Miranda,” she said, looking slightly relieved. “If he woke up and was coherent at all, then you are a rock star, especially considering your healing limitations.”
Miranda let out a small sigh of relief, but even that reassurance didn’t really make her feel better. She wasn’t going to be able to do anything but worry about Gideon until she was sure he was out of the woods.
They found Gideon burrowed in the covers, and his color was just as bad as it had been when Miranda had woken up, and he was shivering again.
Gerry took a seat on the bed and tugged the comforter back, exposing his barely clad body. She pressed her hands to his cheeks just as Miranda had. But instead of trying to talk to him, she started to chant under her breath and magic spilled from her, coating Gideon’s entire body with a golden sheen.
His eyes popped open, and his body stiffened as all of his muscles tensed.
“Is he allergic to any medications? Specifically, turmeric based medications?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so,” Miranda said. “But it’s been a number of years since we spent significant time together. We need to ask him.”
“Okay.” Gerry went to work, hooking him up to an IV and injecting something into the line.
“Can I do anything?” Miranda asked, hating that she was just standing there watching Gideon suffer.
“Yeah.” Gerry handed her a tube of some sort of salve. “Undo the bandage on his finger and put this on the wound.”
Her stomach rolled, but not because she was afraid to work on his injured hand. That was nothing compared to what she’d seen and done while studying to be a healer. It was because she was responsible for his current state, and nothing she’d done so far had seemed to help him. But the task Gerry had given her was a basic one, and even Miranda could handle it without messing up.
