Page 3 of Magic Blooms
But I could only think of how strange it was compared to the homes back in Vilea. They were all sleek and built into the landscapes as though they had grown organically from the rocks and rivers and sky. Made it easier to hide, when needed.
But this, this was meant to be seen. It was meant to look hand-crafted, a tribute to its resident’s greatness.
The haughty style had its own charm, I supposed. Seeing this flagrant display of wealth relieved some of my hesitation when it came to accepting the woman’s help.
“C’mon then,” she said, leading me up the steps. “I’ve got a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in.”
“Is this how all of your kind live?” I asked with a slight tilt of my head as I took in the cluttered interior. She had so many things which appeared to serve no purpose at all. Strange, indeed.
The woman smiled at me, her sun-kissed skin crinkling around the corners of her eyes. “Oh boy. You’re more lost than I expected.” She set the basket down and I peered into it, seeing a collection of leaves and sticks, each bundled into small, neat stacks. I didn’t recognize any of the species.
I really needed to get home as quickly as possible. “Can you take me back to Vilea?”
The woman stared in confusion, which was all the answer I needed. “Let’s start at the beginning. I’m Lorraine, and you’re in Fox’s End. That’s my bed-and-breakfast, dear.”
I stood still as I waited for her to continue.
She blinked a few times, then cleared her throat before continuing. “Now it’s time for you to tell me your name, darling.”
Oh. I was used to everyone knowing me already. “I’m Pollyiela, daughter of Orthoceras, mother of the earth elementals.”
Lorraine let out a long, low whistle. “Hooo-eee! Don’t get many of your kind around here. This really is an occasion. How exactly is it that you came to Elyria?”
“I…” I struggled to find the words. How could I answer what I didn’t even know?
“I just woke up here,” I settled on at last, offering a small shrug of resignation.
“Well, I can guarantee you didn’t come all this way for nothing. Either you were playing with magic or someone else was playing with it on your behalf. Do you care to tell me which it was?” She stared at me unblinking now as if I should have known the answer.
If only.
two
“So you have magic in your world?” I asked with a start, not having seen any evidence of such yet.
“Here, yes. In our world, not so much.” She shook her head emphatically, then broke into a sly smile. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how you avoided my question, missy.”
I sucked in a deep breath and bit my lower lip.
“I’m guessing you’re not sharing with me because you yourself don’t know. Never mind, we can figure that part out together,” Lorraine continued with a chuckle—I couldn’t tell whether it was good-natured or not. “As to magic here, it’s a well-kept secret, you see. So don’t go around blabbing about magic and other worlds to just anyone. They’ll lock you up in the loony bin just as fast as they can catch you.”
My head spun as I tried and failed to follow both threads of conversation, but they tangled helplessly in my mind. “I don’t understand.”
A loud cah-clunk sounded from above, and Lorraine ripped her gaze away from me to study the ceiling. “Oh, heck. Let’s get you tucked away. Thankfully, I do have a spare room I can put you in. It isn’t much, but it’s always better to have a place to lay your head than not. Now listen, I’ll take care of you while you’re here, but I need you to be on your best behavior.”
My brows drew together. “I don’t make a habit of misbehaving.”
“Oh dear. Then we really won’t get along.” She reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me through her spacious home. The hallway we went through had various photos on the wall, but nothing to give me a clue as to where I’d landed. Most of the images featured Lorraine standing with various others in front of the same large home we were in now.
But before I could stare at any of them for long, Lorraine continued to pull me along to an open door at the top of the stairs. Once there, she nudged me inside.
“I’ve got to get lunch started for the guests soon. When I’m done, we’ll sort you all out. Okay, hun? Until then, you sit tight, and try not to break anything. I have a ‘you break it you buy it policy’ for a reason, you know.”
With that last declaration, she shut the door right in my face and left me to settle into my new quarters alone.
I glanced around the room that I’d been so unceremoniously shoved into. Although the home itself was large and grand, everything here was small and dainty. A short table rested in front of the one thin window in the room, and one diminutive plant sat upon its surface, struggling to find the light to save its withered vines.
How depressing.
