Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

I MMY

I tried to stuff my nerves deep inside, tried not to let Edge know how nervous I was, knowing that he wasn't the one moving things around my house. I had hoped that maybe his presence, our bond, had somehow created some weird vortex or something where things went wonky. But I had suspected that wasn't the case. Now I had to figure out what was going on.

I hadn't sensed Edge for the past few days and, honestly, I'd missed him. We had only known each other a couple of days before he'd disappeared, but I'd felt a connection with him. I even checked the Love Bites dating app to see if we had been matched, which could explain the growing ties, but I saw nothing. Could this stupid splinter create a bond, create emotions between us? Or was it something more, something like fate?

I hadn't spent the days while Edge was gone sitting around and waiting for him. I'd done some research on ghosts and the bond between ghosts and this world. Darla had pointed me to a reclusive witch, Aurelia Sharpe, who might be able to help. She gave me a spell that could help me remove the splinter while preserving Edge in this world.

I sat at the kitchen table and studied the red, swollen, and hot palm of my hand. The soreness wouldn't abate, but the infection hadn't spread beyond the spot where the splinter was. And if I tried traditional methods to remove the piece of wood, it was like a barrier protected it.

I flexed my hand and pulled out the piece of paper and the lavender poultice I'd spent the past few days working on, according to Aurelia's instructions. I'd been lucky we just had a full moon since I needed water cured with moonlight. Edge hovered next to me, a look of suspicion on his face.

"What are you doing, Immy?"

"I may have found a way to remove this splinter without losing you or your hold on this world. A reclusive witch, who Darla knows, had some suggestions."

He narrowed his gaze. "I don't like the sound of this. You could banish me, or worse."

I cast him a sideways glance. "What could be worse than banishment?"

"No anchor. Drifting without a tether and no way to move on or communicate to this world."

Well, when he put it like that, it did sound like a risky idea. But this Aurelia seemed pretty confident. And Darla knew her. My hand throbbed with its own heartbeat. I needed this gone. And maybe then I could figure out if Edge and I had a bond without the wood.

"I'll go slow. If anything happens, I'll stop. Promise."

He frowned but didn't say anything more. I laid the hot poultice on my hand and yelped at the sharp pain. It felt like the splinter was driving further in, not coming to the surface. I gritted my teeth and let it rest there for the five minutes as she directed, then I took it off. The area was now an angry hot tomato red, deeper and darker than before.

I took a deep breath, grounded myself to the earth, and rested my other hand on top of the wound. Then I recited the spell.

By the light of the moon and the magic within,

This pesky splinter, its time is thin.

With lavender's touch and stardust's gleam,

Out you go, like a forgotten dream.

Feather's grace and water's might,

Banish this splinter out of sight!

So mote it be, set my hand free!

The pain intensified for a moment, making me almost black out. I pulled my other hand away and peered at the spot, Edge hanging over my shoulder.

"It looks to have gone in deeper."

Damn it. My magic backfired again. How could I have screwed up such a simple spell? It was a poultice and some words. Even I should have been able to handle that.

Tears sprouted in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. Warm arms circled me, pulling me against a body. "There, there, Immy. I'm sorry it didn't work."

I sniffed. "Are you?"

He stroked my back gently, his touch sending tingles down my spine. "I would not wish to cause you pain. I would rather begone from your sight than have you hurt."

"I don't want you gone, Edge. I want to help you. I just want to know if this splinter is causing us to feel something that isn't real."

We stayed for a long moment, his arms feeling like home—comfortable and safe. Finally, I sighed. "Well, this didn't work. Let's start on finding more out about you. There's an archive in town about Blackbeard and the Queen Anne's Revenge. I thought we could go down there. Look at the records and see if there is anything that jogs your memory about your mission."

He straightened. "That sounds like a good plan."

I grabbed my purse and keys and walked out the front door. Edge followed and stopped abruptly, as if he hit a wall. He tried again, and again, to no avail. He couldn't leave my house.

"What did you do, Immy?" he cried.

"Nothing!" I went back inside and looked around the door.

Edge raced to the back door with the same result. He began flying around the space, trying windows and any possible escape routes, but he was trapped. Panic flared in his face and his flying became more erratic

"Edge, stop. You aren't helping."

"Why would you trap me here?" Panic infused his tone. He flew right into my face, inches from me, and screamed.

I stumbled back and grabbed the doorjamb to keep myself from falling. Something fell from under the wood and I bent down. I pulled the sprig close to my face and studied it.

"What is it?"

"It's a sprig of mugwort," I mused.

Edge reared back. "That's used to ward off evil spirits. My mum used to hang it above our doors to keep the spirits out. Why would you use it?"

"I didn't. I wonder how it got here?"

"Did that witch come here?"

"Aurelia? Yes, she came to bring me lavender for the poultice. She said hers was more potent, a special kind from her home in Europe. It was different than anything I had seen."

"I know that name. Aurelia," Edge replied after a long moment.