Ash frowned. “You’ll deplete yourself too soon.”
Moira and I exchanged a look. “I don’t think that’s the case, but if I start feeling drained, I’ll notify you to scoop up more stock for the week.”
Ash gave me an odd look but nodded and slowly pulled his roots from the ground. A dryad couldn’t perform magic like most of us. I could snap a spell off in seconds. Dryad magic was slow and thoughtful, much like a tree. Their magic grew over centuries, not weeks, and Ash was a perfect example. It would take him a good half hour before he extricated himself fully from the ground.
Tess, Moira, and I busied ourselves with taking down the display and cleaning up our area. One of the tenets of the market was to leave the earth in better shape than you found it. As a Floromancer, I tended to take rules like that to the extreme. Once everything was packed neatly into the van, and Ash was in human form again, I went back to our booth space, settled myself on the ground, and dug my fingers into the earth.
By now, almost every vendor was gone, and the market had settled into a quiet, comforting hum. Fae lights still glowed in the booth shells, but the noise had died down to a murmur.
“We’ll wait in the van,” Moira whispered, gesturing for the others to follow.
I shot her a grateful smile and closed my eyes. Magic thrummed against my fingers, itching to be commanded. The noise died away as I sent a pulse of power into the ground, finding life shoved too far down. I nudged those seeds closer to the earth and sent nutrients into the surrounding soil. Wildflowers that never had the chance to grow soon sprouted from the ground in a twenty-foot diameter. I fixed the dry patches of ground by rerouting water that wasn’t servinganything, and around the black magic practitioners, I repaired the dying life close to their booths. As much as I disapproved of the practice, the Night Market allowed them in, so I did what I could.
When I opened my eyes, I had a curious audience giving me a careful berth. Around ten magic practitioners were watching me. I blinked and smiled awkwardly until one stepped forward.
“I’m Ruth.” She was a tall redhead and had a friendly smile. “None of us have ever seen Floromancy in action. We were curious, that’s all.”
I touched my chest. “Evie. I own Little Shop of Florals.”
“Oh! That’s the place right in downtown?” Ruth asked.
I nodded. “We’ve been there a little over four years now.”
“I’m in Fredericksburg, but I’ve heard of your shop. We’ve been involved in weddings where you did the flowers.”
I rose and wiped my fingers on a towel Moira had laid on my lap while I was out. What a thoughtful vampire. “Do you have a business card?”
Ruth dug in her pocket and handed one over. She quickly introduced everyone else, but I was still magic groggy, and all the names blurred. I gave everyone a polite smile and handed them business cards from my private stash if they wanted one.
We said our goodbyes, and it wasn’t until I turned around that I spotted what I’d done to the market.
“Oof.” Flowers were everywhere. “Shit,” I whispered.
Moira came up and linked her arm through mine. “You’re a regular fairy-tale princess.”
“Think they’ll be mad?”
“Only Hitler would be mad about wildflowers.”
A surprised laugh escaped me. “Well, I’m all about pissing Hitler off, so I guess we’re good.”
“That’s my girl,” Moira cheered. “Let’s get you home. You look wiped.”
She dug the van keys from my pocket and opened the passenger door for me before jogging to the other side.
I was asleep before Moira had pulled out of the market parking lot.
Ash nudged me awake.“We’re back at the shop,” he said quietly.
I yawned and let Moira help me out of the van. “That’s the first time I’ve napped in a long time.”
“You needed it,” she said. Moira handed me my purse. “Got your phone?”
I patted my back pocket. “Yup.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Will you be okay driving home?”
“Yes, mom.” I gave her a little shove. “We’ve had some late nights. I’m fine.”
