and
Gretchen, stepping into the shop. He pulled the screen back down,
and she locked it from inside so they weren’t disturbed.
“This won’t take too long. I just have to
coax the flowers I need and arrange them.”
“I’m curious about your powers,” he said,
following her into a back room. The front of the store contained
shelves and refrigerated cases with a small counter and cash
register. Baskets, wreaths, and stuffed animals were tucked into
every available space.
She flicked on the overhead lights, which
illuminated her workspace – three long, sturdy wooden tables, glass
vases and containers, and tools.
“I can manipulate plant life. My powers come
from the earth, so anything growing is mine to control. I can make
fruit grow on trees out of season, cause plants to grow at will
like I did with the vine wall, and even change the coloring of
plants. It’s perfect for me to own a flower shop, because all I
need are seeds and plants, and I can make anything. I order seeds
from all over the world, and when hotel guests come in and ask for
custom bouquets or arrangements, I can make them very quickly.”
“Does the hotel do a lot of weddings?” He sat
down on a stool and watched her arrange a dozen different glass
vases on a table and drop seeds into each one.
“Yes, we have at least two weddings a month.
In the summer, it’s busier. This past June we had six weddings in
one day. It was crazy.”
“Does it hurt you to make things grow? Does
it sap your power?”
“If I tried to do too much at one time, yes.
The vine wall made me a little tired, but I was panicked and still
a little dizzy. Just making bouquets grow like this doesn’t bother
me at all, but if I tried to make an entire orchard bloom out of
season – I’d probably pass out for a few hours.”
She sighed softly and her wings extended. The
beautiful gold and pink wings fluttered. They extended past her
ears and reached her waist and were three feet wide on either side
of her. “Can you carry another person with your wings or just
yourself?”
“If the person were small enough, like a
child, I could, but I can’t put a ton of weight on my wings. Male
fairies have feathered wings, and they can carry a second person,
but the translucent wings like I have aren’t meant for that sort of
thing.”
She filled the vases half full with clear
marbles and water. Then she paused in front of the first vase with
her palm down over the opening. The marbles jostled inside the vase
and the water rippled, and then tiny green stalks shot up between
the marbles, swiftly growing toward the opening. She lifted her
hand as if she were drawing the foliage up, and the stalks
followed, thickening and lengthening as leaves sprouted and buds
appeared and bloomed. She wiggled her fingers, and he met her
gaze.
A dozen crimson roses had risen from seeds
within the vase. He’d never seen anything like it. “That was
amazing, love.”
She winked. “Thanks. Red roses are my best
seller.”
As she moved to the next vase, he said,
“What’s your favorite?”
“I like daisies.”
“Really?” He crossed his arms and leaned back
against the counter. “Daisies?”
“What’s wrong with daisies?” she asked,
peeking around the second vase of perfect red roses.
“You could make any flower out of seeds, but
your favorite is the daisy. It’s just…surprising.”
“Oh, I’m full of surprises, Galen.”
“Are you?”
Her eyes darkened slightly, and he felt
something tickle his wrists. Glancing down, he found vines snaking
around his wrists. As he watched, the vines thickened and then
tugged with surprising strength, pulling his arms straight out to
rest against the counter.
“I stand corrected,” he said, chuckling. The
vines released him and slithered away under the counter.
As she continued to grow roses in the vases,
she told him about growing up in the fairy commune, with the king
who expected everyone to tow the line and the fairy council,