by Amy Crook
Jones grinned. "Yeah, they're over in that little cul de sac off Breverton," he said, putting the bag away and closing the trunk. "Don't worry, yours are safe and sound," he added, when Alex gave him puppy eyes.
"Good," said Alex, getting into the car and exploring cups until he found his and Julian's both. They all got settled and Jones made sure the coffees were securely held before he pulled out into traffic.
"I'm going to let her know we're on our way," said Julian, pulling out his phone. He was relieved when there wasn't a single message on it; he'd called Emmy last night before bed, and been forgiven for being too busy to do so beforehand. Thankfully there were no new murders to distract them.
Alex's phone pinged with a couple of messages, but Julian ignored them in favour of texting Mary Margaret. She replied right away that things were all set up and requested, and nothing untoward had happened overnight.
"She's all set," reported Julian with a smile.
"Lapointe's there waiting, she's going to escort us to the crime scene afterward," said Alex, pocketing his phone, "And Thomas wishes us to know the last of the cake made an excellent breakfast and we can have our tin back."
"Bet he has cold pizza for lunch," said Julian.
"If he stops gaming long enough to eat lunch," said Alex. He turned to Father Stephen and explained about their afternoon off yesterday, which segued into the brownie-packed lunches waiting for the three of them for after the blessing and warding.
"You're a good influence," said Stephen. "I used to have to twist Alex's arm to get him to visit me for a cup of tea."
"I know," said Julian smugly. "We're working on Murielle now, too, she'll have a life outside of work one of these days."
Alex chuckled. "Especially if Thomas has anything to say about it."
"Alex has been a good influence on you, as well, it's good seeing you work and learn instead of whiling your time away to no purpose," said Stephen, but his tone was gentle enough Julian couldn't take it amiss.
"He is," agreed Julian. "Oh! Father Stephen has asked me to do some of my apprentice-work here at the Temple, so I might be taking care of three places, plus home."
Alex's smile cut short all of Julian's worries about his reaction. "That's wonderful! We might actually have to learn to drive and get you a car, though, if you're going to do that much commuting."
"I'd be happy to teach the two of you," said Jones, proving he was still paying attention. "I've taught a bunch of the youngsters at the main house."
"Do you think I'd be any good?" said Julian dubiously.
"You do like horseback riding," said Alex, "though I suppose the horses look out for themselves, somewhat. I worry a little about attention issues, for myself, I mean."
"Oh, you mean like zoning out listening to magic when you're meant to be paying attention to the road?" asked Julian.
"I'll show you how to ignore that stuff," said Jones confidently. "If I can teach a teenager who's got her best friend on speakerphone to still pay attention to the road, I can teach you."
"I guess that's settled, then," said Alex with a chuckle. "It'll be a good skill to have, and then we can get something fun and useful, so you can move plants and drive in the country both."
"But not a huge thing like Thomas' car," said Julian. "Something little, for parking in the city."
"Yeah, you don't want to park a car like this in the city, either," said Jones with a chuckle. "You've gotta be a pro to park anything big."
"We'll leave that to you," assured Alex. "You can help us pick a car, too, right?"
"I plan to," said Jones, amused. "I've helped buy the last several for the house."
"It's good to consult experts," said Stephen. "Cars and coffee are your areas, obviously."
"I'm learning mine," said Julian proudly, "but Alex is already an expert."
"You're already good, though," said Alex. His tone was quiet and honest, rather than the loving way he often spoke when praising Julian's other assets. "Our plants are beautiful, and Mary Margaret's always telling me how well the nursery's doing now."
Julian ducked his head and smiled. "Thank you," he said.
"I'm looking forward to having your help at the Temple," said Father Stephen. "Your talent tested very potent, I think we'll benefit a great deal from your assistance."
"Oh," said Julian, blushing. "Well, thank you, I hope I live up to your expectations."
"I meant to tell you," said Jones, "that potted geranium you gave me for Ma is doing really well, she said the charm works a treat and it flowers like the dickens."
"Well, Alex made the charm," said Julian, "but I did ask it to flower really well for her."
"Whatever you did, it's working, so thank you," said Jones quite sincerely. He pulled into the parking lot at the nursery and right up to the front. He got the door for them, then opened the trunk while everyone piled out.
"We haven't enough hands for all this coffee," said Father Stephen.
"Oh, I'll go get a tray, hold on," said Julian, and he unlocked the door and vanished into the nursery. "We brought coffee, can I borrow the tea tray?"
"Of course, dear," said Mary Margaret, handing it not to Julian but to one of her paid assistants, Raul. "You go help."
"Yes, ma'am," said Raul, coming around the counter with the tray. "I'm glad your guys are available so fast, when my uncle's business needed its blessings renewed they had to wait a month for the appointment."
"We're lucky, Alex has been friends with Father Stephen for ages, and having Alex volunteer to do the magic bits meant we didn't have to wait for one of the Temple mages," Julian explained.
They headed to the car and everyone was loaded up, with Alex taking the box of lunches and whatnot, Father Stephen his and Alex's coffees, Raul the tray of unclaimed cups, and Julian his own coffee and the second pot of clover. Jones grabbed the bags and locked up the car, following them into the building where Lapointe was waiting to lock up behind them.
"No one respects the closed sign," said Murielle, catching up and stealing a coffee off Raul's tray.
"Best to lock it," agreed Stephen. "It would be a waste of energy to have someone interrupt."
"Have you gotten the new lock installed on the delivery door?" asked Alex, sounding a bit concerned.
"Yep, last week," Mary Margaret assured him. "Safe as houses now, especially once you've warded things."
"What shall we start with?" asked Julian, as the rest of the coffees were claimed and everyone crowded around the back counter adding milk and sugar.
"Coffee," said Father Stephen with a wink. "Then we'll walk the paths, and see where everyone needs to stand, and Alex and I will argue about the ceremony."
"Confer," said Alex, disagreeing impishly.
Julian giggled. "All right, do you want me to show you around?"
"Yes, let's walk, did you want to come, Master Stone?" said Father Stephen.
"It's Mary Margaret, please, Father. I'll stay here, you're in good hands with Julian, he knows this place inside and out now," she said. "Three's enough for our little paths."
"Yes, ma'am," said Julian. "Here, I'll take you the way I walk the paths when I'm doing my morning route." He made sure he had all his work keys ready, and they started off.
Julian talked as they walked about what plants went where, but the first leg of their journey was short. They stopped after the hydrangeas to look at the patch of desecrated earth. Mary Margaret had tilled it thoroughly with fresh potting soil and a pair of potions, one from Alex and one from the Temple, so it looked like any bit of earth waiting for a planting.
"You're sure nothing else is growing here?" asked Alex, giving Julian a little nudge forward. "Here," he added, handing off his watch fob.
"I really want one of these," said Julian teasingly, feeling everything around him so much more clearly. It was easier to tell what was his own sadness and what came from the plants around them, and he stepped right up to the edge of the tilled patch. He knelt down to put his fing
ers in the earth and sent his strange sense out, but he got nothing more back than a few opportunistic weeds and what he thought might be earthworms. He took a deep breath, reaching downward, feeling an echo of where the seed had been that was already fading, but no other plant life.
"If there's anything else here, it's not a plant," Julian said, standing up and handing back Alex's trinket.
"My turn, then," said Alex, echoing Julian's earlier pose. He hummed softly and cocked his head, listening to things Julian couldn't hear. Julian remembered to breathe and took a sip of his coffee instead, waiting until Alex stood and dusted off his hands. "There's that little echo, but I can tell it's already fading."
"And now I shall have my own moment," said Father Stephen, sounding amused. He slipped off his shoes and stepped right onto the black earth, walking a random-seeming pattern over the whole area and ending up back where he started. "I agree, the binding has failed and the rest of the evil magic will fade once we renew the wards and the blessing."
Julian relaxed. "Good," he said, handing Stephen back his coffee so they could move on. The rest of the tour was quicker, though they did linger in the two greenhouses, with Alex and Stephen bickering about what exactly each one needed. Julian didn't have much to say, except to report on the plants themselves, though he was very happy to see the ones in the virgin plant greenhouse were all thriving, even the poor lilies.
"Will we need to rearrange the plants?" asked Julian. "They're not, you know, properly virgin anymore, we've been in and out too much aside from the bad magic."
"I'll discuss that with Master Stone. I shouldn't think so, but there might be things that would be fine out in the main nursery now, to make room for new deliveries," said Father Stephen.
Alex chuckled. "She'll be put out if you don't start calling her Mary Margaret," he said teasingly. "Let's finish up, there's just the perimeter left, isn't there?"
"And the little maze of herbs in that corner," said Julian, pointing off into the distance. "We'll get there on our way around, though."
"Well, then, off we go," said Alex, and he and Father Stephen resumed their good-natured quarrelling, though they paused frequently to listen to Julian's comments or examine the structure, then work the new information into their arguments.
Everyone's coffee was gone by the time they got up front, and Alex even did his little breath-freshening spell for the group with a cheerful whistle.
"I think that's the most useful thing I've ever seen you do with magic," said Lapointe. "Do I need to go outside with Jones while you guys do whatever you're gonna do in here?"
"That would be for the best," said Father Stephen apologetically.
Jones grinned and shrugged. "I'll take her to get something that isn't caffeinated to drink, maybe," he said.
"We shouldn't be more than an hour, I can let you know when we're done," said Alex.
"I know a good place nearby, come on," said Jones, and Raul followed to lock them out, while Julian led Alex and Stephen to the office to all change into their raw silk ritual clothes.
"All right," said Father Stephen, once they were all back, "We're going to do this in three phases. First we'll do the whole place by walking the perimeter, then Alex and I will each take care of a greenhouse and switch off, and finally Julian will plant his clover while Alex and I give the blessings and wardings their final touches."
"That sounds lovely, and Jones tells me the brownies have sent along a proper meal for you boys for after, so we won't have to worry about feeding ravenous magic-users," said Mary Margaret. She clapped her hands and rubbed them together. "Let's get started."
Stephen and Alex collected their things while Julian and Mary Margaret took the ward-thistle that was going to be the anchor to the spot they'd decided was the spiritual if not physical centre of the nursery. Julian's job was to plant it and tell it to grow deep roots and keep itself and everyone else safe, while Alex and Stephen did whatever they were going to do. Mary Margaret, as the owner, would stay anchoring the centre with Julian, while her assistants were sent to stand at specific places and think, as Alex put it, protective thoughts.
Julian smiled when he heard the first notes of Alex's flute dancing over the plants, though Alex was already lost to sight. Father Stephen's voice joined the flute in a harmonious chant, filling the nursery with music and a sense of peace and power both. Evil wasn't welcome here, and the very air was pushing it out and away from them.
Everyone had left their shoes and socks behind, so Julian crouched down barefoot rather than sitting, so his feet were in contact with the earth. He dug a hole at the spot that felt right, making it deep and pouring in the two packets of herbs that he'd been given. He watered those and buried them with a little earth, then put the ward-thistle on top and packed the remaining earth around it.
He whispered almost silently to it as he worked, saying, "There you are, you're a very important little plant now, you're going to anchor our wards and blessings. Grow your roots deep, we put some nice nourishing herbs under there just for you, can you feel them waiting for you to stretch down and taste them? You're such a healthy, strong ward-thistle, that's why we chose you, you're going to hold the fort for us day and night." He watered it until it wanted no more, then just sat and praised it more, his voice taking on a singsong that worked, somehow, with Alex and Stephen's magic.
Julian listened as the two songs moved through the nursery, going around in opposite directions until they met up again at the front door and the music came to a crescendoing close. He reached out to the little plant and felt it glowing with pride and usefulness, anchoring the magic and feeling very healthy and happy about its new duties. "There, you're doing so well," said Julian. He and Mary Margaret set up the little ward-fence around it, five iron stakes with wire strung around their middles to make a pentacle. They wound more wire through loops at the top of each stake to make a little star-shaped roof over the plant; in the normal course of things the plant would grow up through the star and wind around the stakes as it sent off shoots, anchoring the magic even more firmly in the earth.
For now, the ward-fence would keep people from trying to buy the thistle, or accidentally trampling it.
They went to wait by the front desk while the two greenhouses were taken care of, with more flute and chanting floating back to them faintly from the far corners of the big space. It didn't take nearly as long as the big wards, even for both greenhouses, and then Julian took his potted clover and headed to the empty patch of earth. The whole lot of them followed and arranged themselves around it, waiting for Alex and Stephen to make their way over.
"That's good, it shows you all accept that the earth here is renewed," said Stephen, upon seeing them there.
"Yes, it lets us echo the other arrangement, too, let me just..." Alex went and moved people until they were in the same order as they had been around the nursery, and at something approximating their former positions, with Mary Margaret and Julian at the centre of the empty plot. "There, that's better."
"More effective," agreed Father Stephen. He raised his tools, a beautiful little pot of blessed water and a matching silver sprinkler etched with vines, which Julian found very appropriate. "Ready, Alex?"
"Ready," said Alex, and they began their song together this time.
They walked around the group while Julian planted the clover, digging in the earth and adding the herbs, water, earth and finally the plant, just as before. This time he was more self-conscious, but he still talked to the plant while he worked, not wanting to stint on any part of the ritual. "You're going to be the start of a wonderful lucky clover patch, just here, you've got fresh earth, sunlight, magic, and all the good things a plant needs," he whispered as he lowered it into its new hole and packed the soil around it. "There's herbs right under you to help you grow big and strong and extra lucky, so you'll be the pride of our patch."
He sat back and looked at it, sending it an extra wave of affection and good thoughts. "You probably started out ri
ght here, didn't you? And Alex bought you and gave you to me, and now you've sent off shoots that are coming home to where you started," he said, blushing a little when he realised he'd said it out loud and the music had stopped.
"A very fitting blessing for a nursery," said Father Stephen. "The cycle of life has brought this clover back to bring fresh luck to the place it first grew."
Julian stood, handing the empty pot and tools to the waiting Raul and dusting himself off. "I hope so, sir."
"It's perfect," said Alex, with that happy-but-tired look he always got at the end of a difficult magical project. "The wards are nice and solid now, much better than before, and the blessing is strong."
"The wards are very good work for so little time," said Stephen, clearly impressed. "You've gotten better since we last worked together."
"I've been doing a lot of reading up on warding for the flat, plus I did that ward work out at the St. Albans estate for Emmy's wedding present," explained Alex, but he was flushed with pride. "It's different, warding a private space versus a public one, too."
Stephen and Alex talked work all the way back to the counter, where Julian washed his hands and Mary Margaret started a pot of tea. "We've got our own, Alys put something in it to restore us," said Julian, "but we'll need cups."
"Your house-brownie likes the two of you a lot," said Mary Margaret, very pleased. "I've been hoping to get more magical creatures to move in here, aside from those pesky pixies Alex cleared out, but we've just got the butterfly fairies, mostly."
Julian smiled. "I'll see if Alex has any advice about that," he said, helping her set up the tea service for the lot of them. Alex and Stephen were putting away their tools and chattering on about ward-magic, so Julian began to fill a tub with water for everyone's feet. "Too bad we don't have warm water, but this'll be better than nothing," said Julian, setting it on the ground.
"Oh, I can fix that," said Alex, going over and whistling a little tune at the tub. Steam rose off it, and when Julian tested it was pleasantly warm.
"I'll grab some shop towels," said Eustace, one of the other shop assistants, and she headed back to the offices.
