The shifter’s eyes flickered with displeasure. He wanted to be the one to speak first, and he didn’t like that I had usurped him. “Are you Evie Quinn?”
I nodded. Only answer their questions. Never give more information than they ask for.
“My name is Ethan Flint. I control the Rocky Mountain territory. We’re here to address some concerns about rogue magic. Unfortunately, your name has come up in our investigation more than once.”
I tilted my head and studied him. “Mr. Flint, I’m merely a Floromancer. There’s nothing rogue about my magic.”
“Be that as it may, we are required to investigate all loose ends, and you are something of an anomaly in town.”
“I’m a florist. We’re always anomalies when people realize we like plants more than them.” I offered him a tight smile.
Ethan’s eyes flashed with anger. “Perhaps we could take this conversation inside?”
Not a chance, buddy. “Sorry. I’m right in the middle of an outdoor project. I don’t take much time off, and I’ve neglected my greenhouse for far too long. I’m sure this won’t take long, will it?”
Caelan’s lips twitched.
Shit. Stop being interesting, Evie.
The other shifters behind Caelan shifted uneasily. Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Fine. We’ve seen evidence of your work on Caelan’s property. Care to explain?”
My gaze flicked to Caelan who stood there still as a statue. No help there, then.
“Sure. The Shifter Lord expressed interest in bringing more color to his property when he hired me to provide floral arrangements for a funeral. I’m always looking to bring in more funds and build my landscaping portfolio, so I offered to provide the work for free.”
Caelan’s eyes positively sparkled.
“Interesting. The Shifter Lord does not have any paperwork supporting this.” A cold smile tipped his lips. “I find it hard to believe a professional business woman performed such a stunning amount of work with no contract.”
I laughed. Ethan froze, anger flashing over his face. “Insisting on a contract would assume the Shifter Lord would not make good on his word. He authorized me to enter his property at my leisure and gave me free rein to do what I wished. As an experiment.” I shrugged. “I took him up on it, trusting someone as honorable as a Shifter Lord would keep up their end of the bargain.”
I could almost hear Ethan’s teeth grinding. If he responded in the negative, he would imply Caelan was untrustworthy. But he recovered faster than I expected. “And yet, you had one for the funeral job you did.”
I lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “My business partner insisted on one. She is a stickler for paperwork, no matter who you are. The Lord dealt only with me the next time, and we did a handshake deal. It’s a small town. They’re much more common around here than in northern territories. Southern hospitality and all that, you know.”
“And you were happy with the work you did?” Ethan said, thinking he had me. I’d basically vomited flowers all over the place.
“The first time was a trial run. Floromancy is a complicated magic, Mr. Flint. His soil was in deep need of nurturing and restoration. Planting native grass and wildflowers was only the first step. Once those run their course, I will follow up for the next step.”
Tension hung in the air, heavy and thick. Ethan’s fury smothered me like a coat. “And the Jacaranda tree?”
“Pretty, but an accident.” My gaze flicked to Caelan, who remained silent. “Though I have assurances the Shifter Lord is quite enamored with the purple blossoms.”
Caelan’s lips twitched.
My eyes slid away and back to Ethan. “But, if he wishes, I’ll be happy to take the Jacaranda with me the next time I visit the property. I aim to please all my customers.”
“Unnecessary,” Caelan said, his voice rumbling with amusement. “It’s a real conversation starter.”
“I suppose I can see how the state of Caelan’s property would contribute to rumors of rogue magic, but I have to stress that most people do not know how to properly care for a native landscape. The amusing but true concept of a lawn care obsessed human has been devastating to our natural ecosystem. No one should have a lawn. We should all be doing our part to nurture the earth and all its wonderful gifts. This means ensuring we plant native grasses and flowers and staying away fromchemicals that kill ‘pests’ and weeds. A weed is a plant, and every weed has its place within our ecosystem. As awful as mosquitoes and wasps are, they are also pollinators. With the way the world has decimated the bee population, we need every pollinator we can get our hands on before our food supply is wiped out. I’m sure you understand.”
I was not doing a good job at being a gray rock. Dammit.
Ethan blinked several times. “Uh.”
Caelan rubbed a hand over his mouth and looked at his feet.
“I will say that I have also heard the rumors of rogue magic, though I was unaware at the time I was a suspect. The only magic I’ve done is boost the natural cycle and beautify the land. It’s my nature, Mr. Flint. A Floromancer is born to heal the land. If that is a crime, I must insist you lock me up.”
