Free True of Blood (Witch Fairy Series) by Bonnie Lamer Page A

no trace of treachery, shall pass unharmed through this Witch’s charm but if his heart is not true his course of action he shall rue.”
     
    I don’t know what I expected.  Maybe smoke or shimmering or something that indicated that Kallen would be able to pass through the shield that had stopped him yesterday but all I got was a big nothing.  I look at Mom questioningly and she gives me a small tight nod.  She doesn’t look at all pleased but she makes a gesture with her hand for Kallen to come to the house.
     
    Kallen looks just as unhappy as my mother as I approach him and he leans away from me.  And he called me an ungrateful snit.  I put my hands on my hips.  “Do you want help or not?  My dad’s a doctor, he could tell me what to do.”
     
    Kallen scoffs.  “When is the last time he treated a Fairy?”
     
    Okay, he does have a point.  “I’m sure between him and my mom they can figure something out.”
     
    Kallen gives a doubtful look to my mother and I can tell she’s just itching to take back her spell that will let him come into the house.  His side must be getting worse because his face contorts in pain.  He nods once and attempts to rise to his feet, which is obviously difficult.  I reach out to help him up.
     
    He yells, “No!” just as my mother says, “Xandra, don’t touch him!”
     
    When my hand touches his bare skin, he hisses loudly and falls back to the ground.  The amulet around my neck glows brightly and I realize the mistake that I had made.  You can’t help a Fairy if you’re wearing a Fairy repellant.  I start to take it off but Mom puts a cold hand on mine.  “No, go get your Aunt Barb and she can help him.  You mustn’t remove the amulet.”
     
    Reluctantly, I nod and I walk towards the house.  Aunt Barb must have heard Mom because she is already pulling her boots on to come outside.  She walks through the snow to Kallen and she kneels down next to him.  She gingerly puts an arm around his waist and puts his arm that isn’t pressed against his injury around her neck.  He’s about ten inches taller than her so it’s awkward but she manages to slowly get him to the house. 
     
    “Where?” she asks Mom and her voice is strained from exertion.
     
    “On the couch.”
     
    Aunt Barb helps Kallen to the couch and he slumps down onto the overstuffed cushions.  His face is pale and blood is still trickling through his fingers.  “Thank you,” he says to Aunt Barb and he must be in pain because his voice has lost some of its haughtiness.  He didn’t even complain about a lowly Cowan helping him.
     
    After a moment, I realize I am staring at him and when his cold green eyes find mine, I blush and turn to Mom.  “What should we do?”
     
    “I need you to go into the kitchen and pull down the plastic box on the top shelf.  It has all of my healing herbs and flowers in it.” 
     
    Mom has healing herbs in the pantry?  The things I don’t know about my parents just keep adding up.  Trying not to feel like I have been betrayed yet again by being kept in the dark, I nod stiffly and go to retrieve the box.  I hear Mom ask Aunt Barb to get a pan of warm water, a bowl and some clean towels.
     
    I have to use the step stool in the pantry to get the box down.  It’s on the very top shelf and pushed all the way to the back behind some old camping supplies.  No wonder I never saw it before.  I push the lanterns and the metal plates and silverware aside that we haven’t used since Dad died.  He was a lover of camping, Aunt Barb not so much.
     
    The box is heavier than I thought it would be.  I bring it down the ladder and take off the lid to gaze into it.  The plastic box is sectioned off into a bunch of compartments and each one is filled with some sort of plant or herb and each one is giving off a distinct odor.  Individually, they probably smell fine, but all together?  It smells a little bit like the compost pile we have in the woods