Forever Forty Chapter 1
My business partner gave me a warning look as I listened to the coven representative. Since I was blessed with little magic, I rarely had to deal with the leaders of the magical community. Unfortunately, whatever spell or ritual they were working on required a rare flower, and our shop was the only place in Black Blossom County that could import the rare plant they wanted.
Deanna and I opened Powerful Petals over ten years ago and we made a decent living, though we both had small houses and mortgages to go along with them.
“Raven, are you even listening to me?” Brigid hissed as I grabbed a pad of paper from the counter beside an unfinished bouquet I was working on.
“I am writing it down now. Star canyon is a rare flower and almost impossible to source. If I can get a few seeds, I will be able to induce their growth in the right conditions, but there is no way to procure the amount you are looking for in under two days.” I had her order memorized, but she was the kind of person who thought everyone around her was an imbecile except for the current high priestess .
Brigid pointed a perfectly manicured finger at me. The blood-red color matched her couture suit with gold buttons. Coven leaders were always dressed to impress, even when frequenting a lowly flower shop. “You will get my order, Raven; you have done almost nothing for this community. We have had little use for your ability to induce plant growth. It is about time you contributed to the coven. God knows we have supported you this entire time.”
I grunted before I could stop myself. Deanna was standing by one of the glass shelving units with various floral arrangements. She appeared to be merchandising the store by adding small figurines and hanging crystals. The large bay windows with the store name printed on top of them created a bright and airy space, allowing the natural light to flood in and illuminate the stunning array of colorful blooms.
“Sure.” I couldn’t agree with her analogy, as the coven had never done anything for me. While it sponsored witches with powerful magic, it had little use for those of us with minor talents. I had never received a dime from them. My business partner Deanna had abilities more befitting the coven and garnered more respect within the magical community.
Brigid thrummed her fake fingernails on the long wooden counter. It was lined with buckets and vases of fresh-cut flowers, waiting to be arranged into my next creation. “Don’t be waspish, Raven. You will get paid handsomely for this order. God knows you could use it. You are behind on your taxes for the plot of land you and Deanna use to grow your local shrubs and flowers.”
“Those taxes were due yesterday, and we will have them paid by next week. We are just waiting for payments from a few orders.”
Why did the coven always make me feel like I was a second-class citizen? My mundane family never made me feel like this. I often wished I had no magic at all and hadn’t had to grow up in the doctrine of the coven. But if you had any power at all, you were a witch, and nothing could change that.
Brigid touched one of the vases I was working on made of hand-blown glass. The orange color woven in the glass accented the lilies it currently held. “You were fortunate to partner with Deanna. Her ability to manipulate the elements has created some amazing pieces. This store wouldn’t survive if you had to purchase most of your products.”
It was true that Deanna made the vases for the store, but I grew a lot of what went in them. Anything that could grow in the cool climate of Black Blossom County. But we still got a lot of our supplies from Seattle, which was the closest major city. “Yes, I am lucky to have her.” My tone was adversarial as my patience with the second seat of the coven had depleted.
Deanna put a crystal vase down on the shelf a little too hard. “Sorry. I’m clumsy today. Brigid, you know we are happy to have the coven’s business. Raven is right. The seed is hard to come by and doesn’t grow quickly. Even with her encouragement. We will grow what we have tonight. You know she is stronger at midnight. We will get the order out together as quickly as possible. The coven is always punctual about payment, and we could use that right now.”
Brigid glanced at my white apron with a black logo of a rose blossom. We had several variations, but this was my favorite. “Few witches have the restrictions she does. It’s inconvenient and quite pathetic, but as long as we receive the order by the end of the week, Ursula will be happy.”
The high priestess was never happy, but nobody wanted to see her mad. She was the most powerful coven leader yet, and no witch in their right mind crossed her. I forced myself to smile as Deanna rushed to the door and held it open for Brigid as she left.
Deanna exhaled as she went behind the small counter that held the cash register. “That was fun.” She unwrapped her black apron with a white logo. Her tall, slim body looked good in any of our apron colors and her styled red hair was vibrant against her white blouse.
“It always is. I hate coven orders.”
Deanna pressed a button on the register, and it chimed when it opened. “Me too, but they pay the best and we do need to pay the taxes on our land.” She pulled twenty bucks from the register. “You want dinner. Looks like you will be up late tonight.”
“Sure. Get me a roasted chicken salad with light dressing.”
Deanna’s shoulders sagged. “Are you still on a diet? You have lost over twenty pounds. You look great.”
“I need to lose twenty-five more, but Jana is on her way over, so wait and see if she wants anything.” My daughter’s visits always brightened my day. She was the light of my life, and nothing made me happier than seeing her. I placed another flower in the arrangement I’d been working on when Brigid arrived. “Was that me or was there something up Brigid’s ass today?”
The cash register drawer made a loud click as she closed it. “A case of the Twilight Conclave blues, I’m sure.”
It was the eve of the Twilight Conclave where all factions were required to meet to discuss any updated protocols and disagreements. The human delegate always acted as an intermediary between the vampire overseer and the witch high priestess. While the leader of the coven was powerful and animated when she didn’t get her way, the leader of the vampires was the complete opposite. “I imagine meeting with the vampire overseer is stressful.”
Deanna winked at me. “Have you ever seen him?”
I knew what she was getting at. Witches and vampires had gone to war many times in our history and while we had a tentative peace agreement thanks to the mundanes, which both species needed, the vampire leader was next-level attractive. “I saw him once when I was ten. Scary as hell. I don’t think he knows how to smile.”
“Super sexy though.”
“Gross. If you don’t mind the fact that he is dead. It would be like sleeping with a corpse.”
Deanna rolled her eyes. “Come on, we have a few vampire clients.”
I placed a silver spray in the arrangement. “We do?”
She chuckled. “Not really, but if they have money, I would certainly accept it.”
The sweet fragrance of the arrangement increased as I turned the vase that contained it. “They have lots, but you will never catch a vampire in a witch-owned store.”
Deanna moved to the window. “The sun is going down, so they will be out soon. Speaking of the Twilight Conclave. Is your new main squeeze guarding the new delegate?”
“No. Cameron is part of the Paranormal Special Operations Task Force, but he isn’t assigned to the new human delegate. You need to be a senior PSO officer for that. Besides, we aren’t at the squeezing part yet, but I hope to be soon. He is sexy.” We both laughed as I finished the arrangement.
Deanna stared out the front window before rearranging a few items we had sitting on the shelf in front of it. “How many dates have you been on now?”
“This will be our fifth.”
“What does he think about you being a witch?” she asked.
I shrugged. “He knows I have low-level magic, but he is human, so why would he care? Most mundanes don’t have an issue with us.”
“Have you told him about Isra?” she asked coyly.
I grunted as I put the new arrangement on one of the glass shelves. “By the way, my best friend and baby daddy is a drag queen is not the best conversation starter. That falls under date ten or twelve, don’t you think?”
Deanna laughed. “True, but hopefully he is open-minded. Could you imagine having to explain your situation to a vampire?”
“Hardly? They seem to lose their ability to smile when they die. Isra would have a field day with a vampire.”
“He would. When is Jana coming?”
“She should be here soon.” Deanna didn’t have children, though she had been married. I was the opposite.
“That girl has the sunniest disposition I have ever seen. It’s a shame she isn’t a witch.”
This was a debate my business partner and I would never agree on. “Bite your tongue. I am thankful she wasn’t burdened by magic. She got to skip the endless days of learning about magic and the atrocities of vampirism.”
“I suppose. So, does the fifth date include sex, or am I just being hopeful?”
“Honestly, I have no idea. It has been so long for me. I may need a broom to sweep out the cobwebs first.”
Deanna laughed. “How very witchy of you.”
I went to the storage room in the back. It was small and consisted of worn metal and wood shelves that held extra supplies and overstock merchandise. But it also had a seed tray that contained the few star canyon seeds we had left. I had never heard of the flower until the coven had asked for it, and dealing with the import of such a rare plant was tedious.
The remaining seeds were in my hand when I returned to the front of the store, and Deanna narrowed her gaze. “Are you going to grow it now? I thought you would wait.”
I placed the seeds in a small pot and covered them with soil. “I am just going to warm the earth and add a little water. It will make things easier tonight if they have had some nourishment.” I sent a small pulse of power into the soil, but the rude coven member was right. I needed the moon to boost me, or I couldn’t induce the plant to blossom.
My smile formed when the door opened, and my daughter walked in. Her long hair was identical to mine, but her tan skin and dark eyes were her father’s. Her smile could light a room and often did. At twenty she was the same age as I was when I had her, but unlike me, she was in no rush to find a man. She dated, but her father was beginning to get a reputation for running her potential boyfriends off. Nothing was scarier than a pack of drag queens if they didn’t think you were good enough for their baby girl. Isra had a full crew at his club and my daughter worked there.
“Hey, sweetheart. I...” my voice trailed off as an attractive young man entered the shop behind her. His blond hair was perfectly styled though short, and his clothes were high-end and nothing I could afford. His pale blue eyes roamed over the store as if he were looking for something, but I knew that we didn’t sell anything for a vampire.