This Poison Heart

Briseis Greene, who has the magical power to control plants, works at her adoptive mothers’ flower shop. Today, she listens as her mother Thandie, who Briseis calls “Mom,” explains to a regular customer, Mr. Hughes, that they cannot fill his weekly order for 12 white roses due to a shipment error. Although Briseis knows that it is dangerous to risk revealing her powers, she takes a single leftover white rose and hides in a small garden, using her abilities to magically grow six white roses. She does not risk growing the full 12, as doing so would lead the other plants in the garden to respond too noticeably to her powers. Mr. Hughes is thrilled, but Thandie frowns. Although Briseis is happy to have helped, she knows that she cannot make it a habit to use her powers. The last time she pushed her powers too far, her neighbor’s tree grew so rapidly that it broke down a fence. Her powers, which she has had since childhood, became hard to control when she first turned 12.

Now, when Briseis reveals that she grew all six flowers from a single pistil, Thandie is both impressed and concerned. She urges her daughter to relax and enjoy her summer vacation after a “tough” year.