“What can I help you with today, Zara?” Shona asked, holding the door open and stepping backward.
“Mitch, find door.” Zara directed Mitch forward and followed him into the greenhouse. “I want to start a pepper plant, as I think it would be quite fun to grow.”
“Och, they’re grand, they are. I’ve got a few options that might suit.” Shona glanced at me. “Are you okay to wait a minute? I’ll just get Zara sorted and then we can have a look at what you’re needing.”
“She may just need an aloe,” Zara stage whispered, and I laughed.
“I promise not to kill whatever plant you assign me.”
Both women regarded me with suspicion and I laughed again. “I swear it. I’ll sign whatever I have to. I’ll put reminders in my phone to water it.”
“There is a really great app you can download. Tells you when to water, rotate, and feed each plant,” Zara suggested.
“Yup, no problem at all. I’ll add it. I promise.”
“Mitch, forward.”
When the dog didn’t move at first, Zara glanced down, tilting her head. “Mitch?”
Mitch’s back was arched and a heaving motion rocketed through him. I didn’t have to be a vet to know he was about to vomit.
“Oh no, I think the lad’s about to be sick.” I came forward and then paused, not wanting to touch the dogwithout Zara’s permission. “We should maybe get him outside, I think he’s about to throw up.”
“It’s fine, he can be sick on the floor here. I’ll clean it up,” Shona rushed out, worry on her face.
I stiffened as I saw the foam at his mouth. This wasn’t just being sick from eating a bit of grass. This was far worse.
“Zara, can we get Mitch out of this harness? I’m worried he’s ingested something serious.”
“Oh no.” Zara gave me a stricken look before bending to unharness Mitch as he heaved. “I swear he hoovers when I’m not looking, but almost never when he’s working. What do you think he got into?”
I crouched by the dog, helping to finish removing the harness, and slid a hand under his gums to check. I glanced up in time to see the gnome with the tattoos peek out from behind a table leg, his hands full of mushrooms, a guilty look on his face.
Bloody hell, depending on the mushroom, this could be serious. Sending the gnome a furious look, I glanced up at Shona, indecision roiling.
I didn’t have what I needed here to induce vomiting, and even so, the poison could already be working its way through Mitch’s system. Reaching out, I grabbed a mushroom from the gnome’s hands, startling it into running away, and shoved it at Shona.
“What is that?”
“Bloody hell, I’d been growing these as an option for natural pest control.” Shona gave me a worried look.
“Bad?” I mouthed to her.
“Use your magick,” Shona whispered at my ear and then turned to a now whimpering Zara.
“Mitch! What do we do? Dr. Fletcher, can you help?”
“Of course, Zara. If you don’t mind, I’m going to carry Mitch outside where I have room to work on him. Shona, will you help Zara while I get my first aid kit out?” I was entirely lying now, as I didn’t have a kit with me in my handbag, but Zara didn’t need to know that. I wasn’t sure how impaired her vision was, but judging from the commands she gave her dog, I was certain she wouldn’t be able to see my use of magick. My pulse hammered as Mitch continued to heave. Mushrooms could be quite toxic to dogs, but if it was the one I was thinking of, not only would I have to work fast, but I’d also have to protect myself.
Otherwise I could accidentally poison myself too.
Bending over, I gathered Mitch in my arms and lifted him, barely strained by his weight. I was used to lifting animals of all sizes, so my muscles were well developed. Rushing outside, I laid the dog out on the grass as he continued to heave and knelt by his side.
His warm brown eyes met mine, a plea in them.
“I’ve got you, buddy. I know this is really scary, but just hang on for me, okay? Zara needs you.”
Threading my fingers through his soft fur at his stomach, I closed my eyes, reaching for the magick I held deep in my core. It always answered my call, like a flower blooming in the sunshine, and I breathed a sigh of relief as gentle healing light flowed through me. My hands warmed, and I sent the power inside Mitch, seeing in my mind’s eye how the silvery light surrounded the sticky sludge of poison that threatened him. Slowly, the light surrounded the toxin, crisscrossing over and over, like a spider wrapping up itsprey, and when I was certain I’d found all traces of it in his body, I took a deep breath.
