“Oh.” I clear my throat. “That’s—uh. Thanks.”
She hands me a paper, then squints past my shoulder. “Were you near the Grove just now?”
My stomach tightens. “A little. Just… just looking.”
Mags raises an eyebrow. “Don’t let Ryder catch you. He’s got a zero-tolerance policy for boundary pushers. Last guy that stepped too close ended up with a year’s worth of bad dreams.”
“I didn’t goin,” I say quickly. “Just… poked a vine.”
Her eyes widen. “Seriously?”
I nod.
“And it didn’t bite you?”
“Kind of? I mean, it zapped me.”
“Whoa.” Mags whistles. “That’s new. Those vines usually only react to magic users.”
“I’m not magic.”
She narrows her eyes at me, not unkindly. “Huh. Weird.”
I swallow. My mouth feels dry. “Should I… tell someone?”
“Nah.” Mags shrugs. “As long as you didn’t lose a finger or trigger a vine riot, you’re probably fine. Just—maybe stick to your side of the line, yeah?”
“Yeah. Definitely.”
“Cool.” She flashes a thumbs-up and jogs off, muttering something about lavender and salad ratios.
I stand there for a minute longer, staring at the spot where the vine had moved.
My hand still tingles.
The next morning, I step into the garden with my thermos of black tea and my usual goal: focus on the work, avoid any more magical zaps.
But something’s different. Something that makes my breath unsettled.
My breath hitches as I pause mid-step.
The vine—the one with the silver-streaked leaves from the Grove—is no longer wrapped around the sunken stone where I first touched it.
It’s here.
Coiled gently on the ground, maybe six feet from my workbench. Not tangled, just… present. Like it moved overnight and curled up to nap near me.
Like a dog or a cat.
My fingers tighten around the thermos. “Okay, that’s—um. That’s not normal.”
I scan the garden’s edge. No footprints in the dirt. Just a neat, leafy trail that stops where the vine now rests.
Something—or someone—is watching me.
I can’t see anything. But the sensation prickles at the base of my neck, like someone’s breath is hovering just behind me.
I turn slowly. Nothing but trees and dappled sunlight and the lazy sway of summer air.
