Page 23 of Shift of Morals
Chuckling under my breath, I gathered supplies to start more seedlings and worked for at least half an hour sowing seeds and tending the younger plants. Everything was fine for at least anhour. Moira and Ash’s quiet conversation acted as background noise as I worked. Tess still sat motionless on the floor, her eyes closed and a blank expression on her face.
I pulled the flats of creeping thyme I’d just planted over in front of me and quietly gathered my magic, just a small amount to encourage growth, and pressed my index finger into the soil.
Earth magic ripped from my body, a tearing pain that stripped me of breath. Glass shattered as vines exploded from the back of the greenhouse, thick, pulsing tendrils of life coming up from the ground. Moira and Ash’s alarmed shouts rang through the structure, but I couldn’t pull my magic back. The thistle tattoo on my arm burned, agony sizzling on my bicep. My knees went out from under me, and I sagged to the ground. Plant life surrounded me, covering me with vines and leaves. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out.
Pain bled through my body, my skin on fire. And just when I thought I might pass out from the pain, cool magic touched my skin, a fine mist of water blanketing my body, and the pain began to recede.
“Evie!” Tess shouted. “What were you thinking?”
Ash and Moira skidded to a halt, looming over my prone form. Moira went to reach for me, but Tess stopped her. “Not yet,” she warned. “Her magic is still volatile.”
A whimper escaped me.
“Oh, Evie,” Moira whispered, tears shining in her eyes. Her gaze dragged from my face to my arm, and her eyes widened. “Your thistle…it’s glowing.”
My eyes fluttered shut. The only time I ever had difficulty with my Floromancy was when my Chimera magic acted up. Hazel had placed the tattoo on my arm and spelled it to hide the truth of my blood from prying eyes, but it served a dual purpose to keep the Chimera magic suppressed, though it wasn’t completely foolproof.
As evidenced by all the broken windows and the mutant vines hanging above my head.
“Shit,” I whispered.
“I’ll say,” Moira said, deadpan.
Ash’s eyes glowed as he beat back the overgrowth. “I can’t help with the windows, but I can put the vines back.”
I closed my eyes and let out a slow, shaky breath. “Thank you.”
It took several minutes, but Tess finally nodded. “She should be good. You can help her up.”
Moira reached for me, helping me up. My legs felt wobbly, and my tattoo felt off, but other than that, I was unscathed.
“Close call,” Moira said as her eyes raked me from head to toe. “You alright?”
“A little shaky, but I’m okay.”
Moira tugged me closer. “Liar.”
Tess’s eyes glowed silver. “Your Chimera magic is growing, Evie. Every day you refuse to tame it is another day you might cause irreparable damage.”
My first instinct was to snap at Tess. She was a subordinate employee and far younger than I, but when I opened my mouth to do just that, I pressed my lips together. Since when had that mattered to me?
Right was right, and Tess had just saved all our asses. “I know,” I said, my voice hoarse.
Ash’s eyes narrowed as if he knew how I had almost reacted. “Use your mirror and contact Hazel tonight. She needs to be here soon.”
I nodded. “After the Keep meeting.”
“Right after,” Moira said, still holding onto my arm—a fact I was grateful for because I wasn’t sure I could stand on my own yet.
I rubbed my breastbone, the area sore for some reason. Moira frowned and moved my hand to peer at the area.
“It’s purple,” she murmured. “Like a bruise.”
“Evie had a ton of magic circulating through her body,” Ash said. “She’s lucky a bruise is all she ended up with.”
Tess’s nostrils flared. “Evie. I hate to ask this, but do you think you should talk to your mother?”
A bark of raspy laughter broke from me. “Absolutely not. I’d never summon her when I’m weak.” Plus, she was acting weird these days and seemed to have something to do with those rogue magic pockets from several weeks ago. They were divine in nature, and no other gods had suddenly popped into town. Cliona was the most likely suspect.
