“Oh, thank you,” I said, a little confused. And a little elated. The magic wasthere. My idea could work! I’m sure Hesper had witnessed much more impressive shows of magic, but I’d take what I could get. She smiled at me, and I decided that Ididcare about my earlier line of questioning. “Well, now that I’ve shown youremarkablemagic, I think you owe me a little more explanation about your very boring tattoo.”
Her grin shuttered, and she rubbed at the black band. “I suppose that’s fair.”
Two wins in one day: a little bit of magic, a little bit of nosiness.
“The band represents—”
Before she could say more, we were interrupted.
“YOO-HOO!” a high-pitched voice called out. Goddess help me. I shoved my head into my hands. “Clara, dear! Why do you look so very dreadful?” The screeching crept closer now, and my head could not sink any lower.
I received a sharp poke on my shoulder. And then another. And then another.
“Clara, hello? Are you asleep?” a voice screamed directly into my ear. I yelped at the sound, backing away as far as I could from the she-devil. I pinched the bridge of my nose, my eyes still closed, trying to maintain composure.
“Rennings? Rennings? Hello, RENNINGS? Goddess, where is that gnome?”
“I believe his name is Remi, and he’s a dwarf,” Hespercorrected. Maybe if I kept my eyes closed, neither of them would be able to see me.
“Silly me! Well, whoever and whatever he is needs to get me some food. And fast. I’m absolutely starved. Oh, deary me, he needs to get that dreadful flower off the table, too.”
Sure enough, the flower I’d barely managed to grow lay dead. And not just dead, it had become an ashen version of itself. As if it had been rotting on this very table since before the Elden Wars.
All because of Helda Ninnus.
It’s completely normal to experience feelings of excess desire, muddled confusion, and hazy passion while rubbing up on the back of someone who happens to be well-built—this does not require a medical diagnosis, please tell no one about it, and barely admit it to yourself.
—opening line attempt 45
Word around town is that you’re looking for a new Town Gardener with no luck, is that right?” Helda asked as she pulled up a chair to our table. She glanced at Hesper and gave her a wickedly flirtatious smile. Hesper gave her a grin right back.
Of course, my protector would play into the whims of someone with the last name Ninnus who also happened to be the most beautiful woman in Moss—and probably the entire realm. If Helda had her sights set on Hesper, there was little I could do to stop the advances other than sneer in the corner and hate my protector.
Fire erupted along my skin.
“Yes, I am looking, and no, I have not had any luck.” I grimaced.
“Well, you’re in luck now!” she chirped, slapping the table with her manicured nails. She gave Hesper another quick smile that ended in biting her lip. Maybe she’d chew right through it.
“How am I in luck, Helda?” I asked tightly.
“Me,” she said proudly.
“You?” I asked.
“Me,” she repeated.
“I don’t understand.” What was she talking about? She looked entirely earnest, and I, entirely dumbfounded.
“I’m your new Town Gardener.” She pointed to her bosom, presumably where her heart beat underneath. “It can’t be that hard; I mean, you do it.” She gave a tinkling laugh. I gripped the corners of the table, and Hesper looked on in amusement. “And I think it’s such a lovely little cottage, and the Town Gardener works with the Goddess herself. And no offense, Clara, but the position could use someone a little more… like me.”
What did she mean by that?More like me.
“I think it’s no great secret that our magic isdifferent,” she said with a wink.
“You have beauty magic, I have—”
“You have your garden magic, yes. But I know you struggle with it.” She pushed out her bottom lip. “We’ve lived in the same town for fifteen years. I’ve seen what can happen if your songs aren’t sung just right, if that little temper of yours isn’t in check. The entire town suffers. But me? Well, look.” She waved her hand over the flower I’d worked so hard to revive.
