Page 15 of Shift of Heart (Shifter Lords #1)

Chapter

Twelve

W e all stared down at the pearlescent glittering egg nestled on a bundle of hay inside the box March had given me.

“Holy shit,” Ash breathed. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Yup,” I said unhelpfully.

Tess moaned and floated away, tugging at a lock of her hair.

Moira whistled low. “Your mother is going to shit a brick when she finds out.”

I hesitated for a moment before saying, “What if she doesn’t find out?”

Ash’s attention jerked from the egg to me. “You want to do what? Become an incubator for a magical bird and keep it hidden from your mother? The owner of the only three magical birds whose song can resurrect the dead?”

I grimaced. “Umm. Yes?”

Ash threw his hands up. “Madness, I tell you.”

I didn’t keep many secrets from Tess, Moira, and Ash.

They knew about my attack, the pertinent bits of my past, and that my mother was Cliona, a Tuatha fae and Queen of the Banshees.

While it was a cool tidbit for mythology trivia, no one wanted my mother around.

Getting involved with the gods was a real quick way to get dead.

“I won’t keep it here,” I promised. “I’ll keep it at the house.”

“Why don’t you just give it back to your mom?” Moira asked.

I shook my head. “It’s hard to explain. The way it came to me...I don’t think I’m supposed to.” I looked up at them helplessly. “Call me crazy. I feel like this bird was supposed to come to me.”

A flap of wings sounded seconds before Poe landed on my shoulder. We never knew how he got in, but he always managed to find me, no matter where I was.

“She barely let you get away with that one,” Ash said, his eyes lingering on Poe.

I reached up to stroke the raven’s ruff. “She didn’t have a choice. Poe broke away of his own free will.”

“Cliona,” Poe croaked.

“Yeah.” I craned my neck to look up at him. “What do you think we should do?”

The bird ruffled its feathers and peered down at the egg. “Stay.”

“And my mother?”

“Bad mother,” Poe croaked.

Ash snorted. “Understatement of the year.”

Poe hopped off my shoulder and flapped to the table. I sucked in a hissing breath, and Poe turned to peer up at me as if to say, “Really?” He hopped right into the box, ruffled his butt feathers and sat right on top of the egg.

“Baby cold.”

Ash’s eyes softened. “Aww,” he cooed. “You’re going to be a good mother, Poe.”

Poe squawked. “Better than Cliona.”

The vampire laughed. She stroked Poe’s silky head and stepped away. “I think we should raise it in the shop.”

Ash blinked. “And if Cliona shows up?”

Moira lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “She’s never shown up before, and our shop is warded against her. We can hire Marnie to put a glamour on the bird so she can be out when the customers are here. Lots of places have parrots.”

“And when she doesn’t sound like a parrot?” I asked, wondering if this was a terrible idea.

“Parrots are known mimics, and humans like to believe what’s easiest.” Moira shook her head. “The way the egg came to you is bizarre, and I don’t believe in coincidence. Poe says it should stay, so it should stay. The raven has been right more times than I’d care to admit.”

I looked at Ash. He sighed and threw his hands up again. “Fine. If one of us is grievously injured, maybe it can heal us.”

Tess moaned from her place by the register.

Moira’s lips twitched. “We need a yes or no, kiddo.”

The banshee sighed. “I want to see the egg one more time.”

“Poe.” The raven stood and hopped from the box. Tess floated over and hovered close. She leaned over and held her hand over the egg. Silvery gray magic glittered from her fingers and floated down to settle over the egg.

I held my breath. Tess rarely used her other magic. She’d warded the shop against other spirits and ghosts and had once created a death sigil she wouldn’t discuss, but I’d never seen her do anything like this.

Her eyes flashed white. “Cliona has not touched this egg.”

Ash’s brow furrowed. “How?” he breathed.

Tess’s power saturated the air. “The mother smuggled the baby out. It was meant to find you.”

The power abruptly snapped off. Tess floated to the ground. “I put a silencing spell around the egg. Its magic hums and will attract curiosity.” She gave me a tight smile. “The baby will be safe here now.”

And with that, Tess floated away.

No one said anything for a long moment.

Ash shook his head and exhaled a shaky breath. “Well. Guess it’s staying.”

Poe hopped back into the box and settled back onto the egg.

I rubbed a hand over my face. “Does anyone know where I can find an incubator?”

Guess I was going to be a bird mom.

Monday morning came way too bright and early.

The egg was secured in my office with Poe acting as incubator.

I wasn’t too worried about it right now.

Once it hatched, it would be a different story.

Tess was off today, and Ash was in the back growing apples because the bird and the weekend got in the way.

With Moira manning the register, I was walking around the shop, siphoning my magic and giving everything a boost. My orchids were in full bloom, purple, white and pink flowers on full display in the shop’s window.

African Violets bloomed on one of the floating shelves, and I had grow lights on a couple of things that shouldn’t be indoors.

I was a lot of things, but not sunshine, so even with my magic, some things still needed a boost.

I gave extra attention to those and then went over to the pothos. As I was tending the soil, the bell rang, announcing new customers. Power prickled over my skin.

Moira was usually quick to greet anyone walking into the shop, but when I heard nothing, I poked my head from around the corner to make sure everything was okay.

Caelan stood there with Simone and another shifter, a lean, tall man with amber eyes who did not look friendly. At all. His hair was blond and shaggy, and his jaw, dusted with five o’clock shadow, could cut glass.

“Lord,” Moira said evenly.

I wanted to disappear around the corner and pretend I’d never seen them, but they were shifters. As one, three sets of eyes found me. Simone grinned.

“Hey Evie!”

I came out from the corner and smiled. “Hey, Simone. I have something for you.”

She gasped. “My plants? Already?” Her eyes lit up.

The strange wolf gave her a weird look.

Caelan held a hand up. “Let’s discuss other business first, Simone.”

I swallowed hard. This didn’t sound good. “Sure!” I chirped. “How can I help?”

“Can we speak in your office?” Caelan’s expression was unreadable. My magic flared in response to the question. The surrounding plants didn’t feel anger from him, which was good to know, but I still felt unnerved.

The bell rang again, announcing another customer. Moira gave me a warning look before turning to greet the newcomer.

“Sure.” I sent a whisper of power to the office. Poe would feel it and hopefully hide the egg. With Tess’s silencing spell, Caelan and the other shifters shouldn’t feel anything strange.

I led them to the back. Simone smiled when she walked in, her gaze skimming over the room, eyes alight with pleasure.

The other wolf gave it a once-over for threats, but green things did not seem to impress him.

Caelan was all business, though. He went straight to the table and opened the book of samples.

“We’re having a Pack gathering and would like to hire you for the floral arrangements.” Caelan gestured for Simone. “Come and look through this. I’d like the focal piece to have crimson flowers.”

Simone hurried over to flip through the book.

The Shifter Lord turned to me. “This is my Beta, Garrett.”

I nodded to the shifter.

“Garrett, this is Evie Quinn. She’s the owner of this shop and a talented…” Caelan paused. “Plant mage.”

My lips twitched. “Floromancer, actually,” I corrected.

Garrett’s teeth pulled away from his lips. “Your magic is flowers?” The way he said it pissed me off. Like flowers were beneath him. Magic rumbled in the room. My magic. And not my Floromancy. There was a beat of silence before I spoke.

“Nature is the most powerful force on earth,” I said evenly.

Garrett’s eyes narrowed on me.

Caelan’s eyes flared gold. “Don’t be rude, Garrett.” His voice came out in a raspy growl. “Evie is the most talented florist in town.”

My nostrils flared. I was far more than a florist. Was this insult Evie day? I cleared my throat. “What day is your event?”

Simone answered. “Two weeks from today.”

I had zero desire to work for Caelan again. He’d paid quickly when the funeral flowers were delivered, but I had a rare opening on the books, and I was trying my best to stay on good terms and get him out of my shop. But I didn’t want him coming around all the time.

I winced. “I’m so sorry. I don’t have any availability for at least the next sixty days.”

Garrett’s eyes widened. Simone turned away from the book and stared at me. Caelan’s fists clenched at his side. I slapped a polite smile on my face. “I was able to accommodate your last request due to a last-minute cancellation, but I normally have a three-month waiting list.”

“You refuse the Shifter Lord?” Garrett growled.

“I’m a private business. I have the right to refuse service to anyone.” I gave him a tight smile and walked to the shelf behind my desk. I’d put almost a dozen starter pots in a box lid for easy carrying.

Since Simone seemed so excited about the possibility of having a piece of all of my plants, I took cuttings of the ones that were easiest to grow and had been nurturing them to stay strong and hardy. She’d be hard pressed to kill anything I gave her.

I took the box down and tested the soil in a few of the pots with the tip of my index finger. “These won’t need any water for at least the next few days,” I said as I put the box down beside Simone.

Her eyes lit up. “Thank you?—”

“Omega!” Garrett barked. “Do not accept gifts from this...this…”

“Florist?” I said dryly.

His eyes flashed silver. “Your disrespect is going to get you killed one day.”