Page 5 of Magic Blooms
The animal’s enormous dark eyes—comically large for its small head—stared up at me curiously, somehow knowing I didn’t belong here and studying me just as carefully. Next thing I knew, the tiny thing unceremoniously fell on its hind, its pink hooves spreading out.
“Don’t just stare at it! Get that thing out of here!” The shrill voice of the woman cut through me, and the small creature seemed to know she was a threat because it scurried to my side in fear that matched the woman’s easily—well, that answered that question, at least. I instinctively picked it up in my arms and held it tightly as I stood up.
“All right, folks,” said Lorraine as she stood between the group of people gathered and me. “Show’s over. Oinkers must’ve been scared by the storm and found his way in. Just some good old, authentic country living. An unexpected extra, and—hey—it’s free of charge.”
Just then, the front door swung open and a man stood there looking in at us all. He’d been utterly drenched by the rain. For a split second, I thought it was Dante come to rescue me. The strong shoulders felt familiar, and the light brown hair was the exact same shade.
But, no. I wasn’t getting out of this that easily.
The man—who was now clearly not Dante—stepped inside. His simple gray frock was plastered to him from the rain, and his striking green eyes burned with frustration. “Lor, we’ve got a problem.”
The wet material put his thick muscles on full display. This was clearly a strong and powerful man… And yet he was looking to Lorraine for leadership. Maybe I was fortunate that she had picked me up when she did…
Lorraine sighed and set a hand on her hip. “Oinkers got loose. We know that already.”
He shook his head, sending little droplets of moisture flying toward the floorboards. “Not that. A branch came down on the fence and took it out. We’ve got three babies missing, along with Momma Bess.”
Lorraine pursed her lips, remaining totally calm in the face of chaos. “Oh dear. Well then, we’ll just have to take care of that. Won’t we? Don’t worry, everyone. Stay in, and stay dry. Once this is all taken care of, I’ll get a fresh batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies in the oven.”
She then turned to me with a barely discernible hint of urgency in her eyes. “Why don’t you put on that clean pair of clothes I brought you and come out and help us?”
I glanced around, half-convinced she wasn’t actually talking to me. “I… Are you sure?”
She scoffed. “With how you got Oinkers to come right to you, I have a feeling I’m only just beginning to understand your talents. Now suit up, and let’s get out there.”
Normally, I didn’t take orders. No, I was the one to give them. And yet I found myself obediently handing Oinkers to Lorraine before turning and heading back to my room to change clothes as instructed. Never mind they’d just get filthy again from wandering out in the storm.
I didn’t know much about normal attire in this new realm, but I could say with utter certainty that these clothes were terrible. The pants were loose fabric that only stayed on because I tightened the string around the top to adjust to my waist size. The sweater was a pale-yellow color with a picture of a small furry creature playing with a ball of string. It went right up to my neck and all the way down to my wrists. If it weren’t so ill-fitted, the garment would be downright stifling. I shuddered to even think of the plain white fabric that did nothing for my figure. The shoes, though, were the worst part of all—at least two sizes too big and already chafing at my heels from the moment I slid them on.
I pulled my hair, mats and all, into a tight knot that fell low against my neck. Still nowhere near what I was used to looking like, but I had a feeling that time was of the essence when it came to Oinkers and his fellow escapees.
Right as I finished, Lorraine opened the door without warning. “Are you ready? Good. So, here’s the deal. We’ve got three baby piglets loose and their momma is missing as well. Joshua is going to help you find them. Are you going to use your magic to call them to you?”
I blinked in confusion. “My what?”
“Your magic. Your powers. Your abilities. I already saw you can bring plants back to life, and Oinkers sure took a shining to you.”
“It doesn’t exactly work like that,” I mumbled. Funny how Lorraine had only just finished telling me that magic wasn’t well accepted in this world, so why was she so interested in mine? And, moreover, how did she know anything about it?
She cursed under her breath and motioned for me to hurry. “Darn. I was really hoping it would be that easy. Either way, I’m sure you can help. You do seem to have a way with animals. The last time Oinkers snuck in here, it took five of us to corral him. He took one look at you, and all of the fight and flight just went out of him. Between that and your delicate touch with plants, you could be quite handy around here.”
My eyes widened in shock. “No, I can’t stay here. I need to go home.”
“And we will get you home. Just as soon as we can. But right now I’ve got a group of six uptight Yankees who signed up for a fake country experience. Unfortunately, now they’re getting some real country experience, and I’m afraid that just won’t do. I need to get this sorted out before they start giving me one-star ratings and Gerry at the Pinecrest starts taking all my business. Got it?”
I most certainly did not get it.
But I was going to at least try to help her out, for the purposes of keeping up this relationship. “I’ll do this for you. But you’re not misleading me, are you? You do in fact plan on helping me?”
Lorraine shot me a placating smile, the same one I’m sure she gave to all of those uptight Yankees when she needed to calm them down as well. “Of course I’m going to help you. It’s what I do. I help people. Ask anyone in Elyria.”
“I don’t know anyone else in Elyria,” I pointed out.
“All the more reason for you to get out there with Joshua! He’ll tell you exactly how helpful I can be! Now go. Go. Get gone!”
When she dragged me from the room and pushed me down the stairs, I didn’t have the heart to protest. I’d only been here for a matter of minutes, and already I knew that Lorraine’s word was law. Hopefully, she would continue to be an ally—because I was certain she’d make a very powerful enemy, indeed.
three
