16. How Your Garden Grows

Six months later

The shuffle of boots, hammering, and the sounds of hard work fill the air at the construction site. In a short time, I’ve gotten used to this once completely unfamiliar environment.

Ewan tosses his gloves down and heads towards two nervous women at the edge of the commotion. They”re the homeowners.

”There’s a large blockage preventing us from laying the foundation on the west side of the house. We won’t be able to get around it by ourselves.”

“Oh no.” The one with a swollen stomach brings a hand to her baby bump and rubs it absentmindedly. “We knew not everything would go according to plan, but…”

“Is it too much to ask for one thing to go right?” the woman’s wife mutters, then shoots Ewan a tense smile. She isn’t frustrated at him, only upset about the latest in a series of twists of fates that haven’t gone in their favor.

”Don’t worry,” Ewan says. “There’s a magical fix.”

The two women exchange a worried glance. “Isn’t that more expensive? We really can’t—”

“Hey, I promised you when we started that I’d do my best to stay within your budget. You’re supposed to let me worry about the details while you keep this little one safe.” Ewan places a gentle hand on the woman’s stomach. The gesture isn’t rude since they offered him explicit permission to touch the baby bump weeks ago. They feel very comfortable and impressed with their contractor, showing their remarkable good taste.

”If all goes well, we’ll take care of the obstruction today. This is on the house,” he promises.

Both women start shaking their heads immediately. ”Oh, thank you Ewan, but we really can’t ask for you a favor like that.”

”You aren’t. Jack’s our magical consultant. It’s a new service we’re providing, free of charge in cases like this.” He jerks his head towards me and I walk over to meet the couple. He introduces us and then puts an arm around me. “Jack is happy to help.”

After all the time and effort it takes to brand, branded magical services are often on the expensive side. That’s partly why I proposed an internship like this. I gain more experience with my new brand and earth powers while providing contractors and their customers with low-cost magical assistance. Ewan helped introduce me to the right companies and make the idea a reality.

When our conversation ends, the women leave the site satisfied and convinced we have it all under control. We will take care of their issue this afternoon, though there”s another job we need to complete first.

Another new home in development happens to be two doors down. The task there is much simpler and will only take a bit of time and energy. Ewan and I walk over together. He’s only seen me put the finishing touches on a property a few times and wants to observe. I think he likes watching me work.

With a fresh paint job and newly installed windows, there”s only one thing missing from the home we arrive at. The flowerbeds are empty and waiting to be filled.

Ewan gives me an encouraging nod. “Go ahead, Jack. They”re going to love it.”

Putting everything in place only takes a few moments with him helping and then it”s time for the magic. Taking a deep breath, I beckon to the earth, feeling it respond with a gentle hum that vibrates through my fingertips.

Focusing on the image I want to create, I cast my spell. A surge of warmth rushes through me as the magic takes effect. The ground trembles slightly beneath our feet, and then, all at once, life bursts forth.

Flowers bloom in an explosion of colors. Next come the bushes lining the driveway. With a wave of my hand, small shrubs grow quickly, their branches reaching towards the sun as leaves unfurl in various shades of green.

Ewan claps me on the shoulder. ”That”s some beautiful work.”

But I”m not done yet. Now comes my favorite part—enchanting the garden.

Closing my eyes, I reach out with my magic once more. This time it”s different; it”s less about commanding and more about connecting. I feel the vitality of each plant pulsating under my touch as if they are extensions of myself.

With care, I weave a protective enchantment into the garden, a hearty spell that will help the plants survive even in harsh weather.

Finally, I infuse the flowers with good energy. It”s not something visible to the naked eye, but the owners will feel it – an aura of positivity that washes over them every time they focus on the plants lining their new home.

Ewan”s standing in the grass and watching me work with open interest. He grins when I turn around and catch him staring. ”You”re really good at this.”

”Should I be insulted that you sound surprised?”

“No, you’ve got the talent,” he assures. “But I remember when you had trouble growing an instant garden. Look at you now. These days I’m half afraid you’re doing earth magic in your sleep and we’re gonna wake up to a garden in our apartment.”

”Would that be so bad?” I tease.

”No, but the landlord will have some questions for us.”

”Ready to go take care of the blockage?” I wonder.

”Almost. One second.” Ewan fetches a hard hat and deposits it on my head. He makes it look much more attractive than me. The hat always looks so silly on me. But construction site rules are construction site rules. I must make a face because Ewan laughs. ”You”ll get used to hard hats one day.”

”Let”s agree to disagree on that.”

”Well, if you wanna back out, you better do it fast. I may have heard you”re going to be offered a contract soon.”

My internship is on the verge of becoming a full-time position. Construction companies such as Ewan’s do like the more lucrative magical jobs but might only see a handful of jobs a year that required dedicated magical support. It could be tricky to line up enough magical projects to justify a caster’s salary and also tricky to deal with logistics when hiring casters one job at a time.

With me on staff, multiple construction companies were partnering to split the costs for employing a wizard and give me a fair wage. I’d rotate between them, giving each company the opportunity to schedule complex projects with extensive earth magic. I’d have a full plate by working with several companies instead of just one and the companies would also have me available in case of unexpected magical needs and emergencies. The best part of the arrangement is that it also allows for some pro bono services when a family can’t afford magical assistance.

“I’m exactly where I want to be,” I promise. “Solving problems, casting earth magic, and even helping people.” I slip my hand in his as we turn back towards the other worksite. “And sometimes I’m lucky enough to see my boyfriend while on the job. What more could I possibly need?”

“I don’t know.” Ewan considers this as we walk back to the first property. “A pony?”

“No, no thank you.” I suppress a shudder. “They’d shed far too much.” Some earthbrands cherish strong connections with the animal world. Not me. Well, aside from wolves.

”Good call,” Ewan says. “What if one of the wolves eats your pet?”

“They wouldn’t!” I gasp. “Would they?”

“You never know. On a full moon and if they’re hungry enough…”

Yuck, the mental image alone does make me shudder. “No, definitely no pony.”

“Ewancan give you all the rides you need,” someone tosses out from the nearby construction site.

Sam and a few other guys grumble and put a stop to this teasing immediately. “No Tony, cut that shit out! We aren’t doing that.”

“What? Why not?”

“Jack”s a lot easier to fluster than Ewan. It’s just not sporting.”

“Oh, we haven”t been on a job together yet.” Tony jogs over to us and thrusts out his hand to shake in apology. “Sorry, my bad.”

The comment does embarrass me a bit, but I”m not offended since I understand he”s trying to get a rise out of us. He thought we agreed to a new betting pool until the other guys corrected him.

With Ewan settling down with someone, there was talk of getting a wager going again. Not only did a partner provide new ammunition that could finally embarrass Ewan Oakley, they thought his new man might be similarly difficult to fluster. It never became more than talk since I was the opposite of my boyfriend. Very easy to fluster even though I had the power to sometimes fluster Ewan.

“No worries.” I smile and shake Tony”s hand. I”ve noticed him over the past few days because he always senses when I arrive and knows whenever I use magic. “If you want a wager, you and Ewan can compete.”

Ewan furrows his brow. ”Excuse me?”

“He has a talent for recognizing earth magic. Which one of you has the best senses?”

“Hell yeah,” Tony whoops, raising his chin in challenge to his leader. ”You vs. me, boss. Let”s go.”

“Maybe later,” Ewan waves him away. ”Get back to work.”

“You aren’t interested in a little friendly competition?” I wonder. “Don”t worry. I think you have a chance at winning. I”ll bet on you no matter what.”

”Ouch.” Ewan grimaces in mock pain. ”You”re convinced he”s going to beat me?”

”It will be close. He’s good at sensing earth magic and you’re good at sensing my earth magic.”

“Oh.” Ewan”s doubts melt away. “Yeah, we could give that a try.”

Ewan probably didn”t know why he was bothered, but I had a hunch. For Ewan, whenever he sensed my magic, he wasn”t just responding to the earth magic in the air. He was responding to me and my connection to the earth. This builder, Tony, was only responding to the earth magic.

I lean into him, not caring about anyone else bustling around the site. “And when it comes to me, there”s no competition. I love you.”

Ewan relaxes, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “I love you right back.”

The earth was more than just dirt and mud, seeds and flowers. Earth magic symbolizes hope and potential. Nothing was more beautiful than a flower in bloom or a wolf howling at the moon, running across the land.

Being with Ewan and accepting each other into our hearts felt right, even after only a short time together. Earth magic is all about nurturing a tiny seed of potential and watching it grow and blossom into reality.

Earth was about starting fresh and building a strong foundation for a life together. And that was exactly what we were going to do.