Page 13 of Hallowed Tree
“It’s not?” Skylar screeched. “I’m pretty sure it’s the most important thing I’ve heard all day.”
Elyse raised a hand in the air. “I agree with Skylar.”
“Mom,” Chance said, sounding perplexed, but then his gaze returned to me and Buck. “Okay, he might be right. I’ll call the landscaping company in a minute. First, can you explain this?” He waved his hand around, indicating the two of us.
Kingston huffed and stomped back to the mighty oak. “We are in the middle of a crisis, people. May I remind you that I keep dreaming about this fire pit?Every. Single. Night. It’s waking me up and haunting me. I’ve searched town records and foundno explanation whatsoever about why this area is important. Harry moved close to the trunk and was scared half to death—”
“That’s a little dramatic,” I said softly. I was deceased, after all.
He rolled his eyes at me. “And now there’s fungi on this limb that wasn’t there before, and it could potentially kill this tree.” He patted the bark. “Buck and Harry’s romance can wait.”
I hoped with everything in me that my face didn’t show how close to combustion I was. Having this…this…whatever it was with Buck laid out before everyone before I’d even wrapped my head around it was so embarrassing.
Buck burst out with that larger-than-life booming laugh I’d grown accustomed to. “Kingston’s right.” He turned and kissed my cheek. “Since I’m the only one who hasn’t gotten close to the tree, let me take a look at whatever they’re seeing, and then we can go back into the house so Chance can make his call.”
Buck
“No!” Harry whisper-yelled, gripping my bicep between his hands. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If they can’t feel what I did, then it must be something happening in our realm. I don’t want anything—”
Resting a hand over one of his, I shushed him soothingly. “It’ll be fine, love. You got close and made it back to me safely. I’ll do the same and come straight back to you. I’ve spent the most time out here, though, so it only makes sense for me to take a look and see if I notice anything different.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t before,” Jetty said practically.
“Aww,” Elyse sing-songed. “He was too busy falling in love.”
“That’s not fair.” Skylar stomped his foot on the ground. I was pretty sure he was pouting that I’d made way with my man while he’d made little to no progress with Kingston. There was nothing I could do about that, so I focused back on Harry.
For the second time, I watched transfixed as his appearance flickered like a flame as a blush disrupted his energy to stay corporal. Biting back a smug grin, I left my man—yep, Harry was mine now—and strode toward the largest limb. I felt a little silly that I hadn’t gone over and at least checked the energy myself before now, but it had freaked Harry out so badly, and then I’d been so excited to tell Kingston that I’d finally wheedled my way into Harry’s bubble, that I’d simply left the oak for the humans to figure out.
“Be careful, Buck,” Harry called out.
I smiled at him over my shoulder, then got closer to the tree than I had on our stroll around the pond. A weird absence of space gripped me immediately. Harry had been right. This was disconcerting. No wonder he hadn’t wanted Kingston to go near it initially. It felt like a wormhole, a space where you might disappear and cease to exist.
Not wanting to be close to this thing any longer than necessary, I hustled to where they’d pointed out the fungi and stopped short. “Uh, guys…” I trailed off.
Harry appeared at my side, then popped me back into the center of the circle. Bewildered, I blinked at him. “You moved me. How’d you do that?”
He huffed. “You said you’d hurry, and instead you stood there for hours staring at that thing.”
Jetty coughed, doing his best to cover his chuckle.
“It was more like half a minute,” Chance said. “But I agree with Harry. It was creepy the way you just froze.”
Thirty seconds? I would’ve sworn I’d only gotten a brief glance before Harry appeared, swooping me away. I shook my head andfaced the human residents of the manor. “Did any of you notice that the fungi or whatever it is was glowing?”
“Glowing?” Chance hustled back over and bent down, peering closely. “Buck, what are you talking about? I only see the fungus growing and overlapping on top of each other.”
“What color are they?” I asked, needing to distinguish between what they saw and what I did.
Jetty joined his boyfriend, studying the limb over his shoulder. “I’d say a combination of cream and a light brown.”
Shaking my head, I focused on Harry. “That’s definitely not what I saw. It’s more purplish black and navy green, and the whole area is a glowing sludge. I’m surprised we didn’t notice it when we walked by earlier.”
Elyse, Marc, Skylar, and Kingston all squeezed in around their friends, staring at the fungi. Their brows were furrowed as they backed away. “Are you sure?” Chance asked, wringing his hands. “That can’t be good that you’re seeing something totally different than us. Mr. Harry, would you look and see if you—”
Harry shook his head so emphatically that Chance cut off. “I’d rather not get near there again, Mr. Chance.” There was a tremble to his voice.
Chance ran a hand through his hair. “Of course not. I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to do. What to think.” He cuddled into Jetty, laying his head on his chest.
