“Puh-lease.”The fairy thumbed her own chest.“I spent enough time with Alice to know.I’m Titania.You can call me Tani.”
“Tani.”My brain tried to recalibrate.“And you’re a…?”
“Fairy.”She flashed a grin.“Yep.Wings, tiny, devastatingly cute.What gave it away?”
“There’s no such thing as fairies,” I blurted.Part of me clung hard to that statement.
Tani snorted.“Right.And I’m a hallucination in good lighting.”She buzzed closer and gave my cheek a light smack.“I’m literally in front of your face, doll.Where’s Alice?”
Willow meowed again, tail flicking.
I dragged a hand through my hair.“Okay.Fine.Sure.Why not.Talking fairy.Talking cat.Next up, the roses sing show tunes.”
“So,” Tani said briskly, wings humming as she floated over to perch between two potted plants, “you never answered me.Where’s Alice?”
My throat tightened.“She… died,” I said quietly.
The fairy’s wings stuttered and stilled.She dropped onto the workbench, shoulders sagging.Willow let out a low, mournful sound.
“No,” Tani whispered.“No.No, no, no.”She put her tiny face in her hands.“I knew something bad was coming.I told her she was in over her head, but would she listen?Of course not.”
“You didn’t know?”I asked.Somehow, the sight of a sobbing fairy made it all feel even more real.
Tani sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve.“I haven’t seen her in days.I figured she was buried in orders or arguing with that ridiculous council again.”
“The… what now?”
“Never mind.”Tani waved that aside.“What happened?”
“Everyone says it was a heart attack,” I said.“But Alice…” I took a breath.“Alice left me a letter.She thinks someone killed her.”
Tani’s head shot up, eyes huge and shining.“She wrote to you?Of course she did.”
“She also left me everything,” I added.“The house.The shop.Apparently, I’m in charge now.”
Tani stared.“You?”
I bristled.“Wow.Try not to sound so horrified.”
“Do you know anything about what she was doing?”Tani demanded.“About the shop?About—” She snapped her mouth shut.
“About what?”I stepped closer, folding my arms.“Because so far?No one seems to be giving me the whole picture.Owen gets weird when I mention Enchanted Blossoms.You act like I announced I’m taking over a dragon lair.So, if you know something, now would be a great time to share with the class.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Tani said too fast, pacing a tiny track between the pots.“And you’re absolutely right.There’s nothing to running a flower shop.Easy peasy.Petals and potions and done.”
“Potions?”I repeated.
“Figure of speech.”Tani flashed a strained grin.“Anyway, you’ll be great.Alice said you would be.”
Willow meowed, a questioning sound.
“Yes, I know, Willow,” Tani said.“The cute guy coming by to feed you makes more sense now.”
I blinked.“He’s been coming here every day?”
“He has,” Tani said dryly.“Seriously, try to keep up, girlie.”
I filed that away for later.“Look, I need to get to the shop,” I said, backing toward the door.“Apparently there’s more waiting for me there.”
