Page 1 of Hot for the Dragon

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DAPHNE

Sunlight streamed through the small front window of Petal & Vine, casting rainbow patterns through the crystal prisms Daphne had hung last spring. The tiny shop buzzed with life - both the regular and magical variety. Creeping vines wrapped around weathered wooden beams, their leaves swaying despite the lack of breeze, while potted plants competed for space on every available surface.

Daphne hummed as she arranged a bouquet of sunset-hued roses. Her fingers tingled with the spark of green magic that kept them blooming well past their natural season. A tendril of ivy reached out to playfully tug at her apron string.

"Now, now," she chided softly, "I know you're excited about the new fertilizer, but behaving yourself means you get the first taste."

The bell above the door chimed as Mrs. Henderson, one of her regular human customers, shuffled in.

"Something smells absolutely divine in here," Mrs. Henderson said, taking a deep breath.

"That would be the new moonflowers. They're not supposed to bloom until tonight, but they're feeling a bit rebellious today." Daphne gestured to the pearly white blooms nestled in a corner.

"Your flowers always seem to have personalities of their own."

"If only you knew," Daphne muttered under her breath, then louder, "What can I help you with today?"

"Anniversary bouquet. Something that says, 'forty years and I'd do it all again.'"

Daphne's green eyes lit up. "I know just the thing." She wove between the tight aisles and gathered stems. Her fingers brushed each flower, awakening their magic. Roses for enduring love, forget-me-nots for memories, and a sprig of enchanted lavender that would ensure sweet dreams for weeks to come.

"How do you always know exactly what I need?" Mrs. Henderson asked as Daphne wrapped the bouquet in brown paper and twine.

"Just a green thumb," Daphne replied with a wink. Once Mrs. Henderson left, she turned to the nearest fern. "And maybe a little magic." The fern shivered in response, dropping a few spores that sparkled as they fell.

During her lunch break, Daphne pressed her nose against the dusty window of 42 Belladonna Boulevard, cupping her hands around her eyes to peer inside. The 'For Sale' sign swayed in the autumn breeze.

"Just look at those windows," she whispered to the potted peace lily she'd brought along. "Floor-to-ceiling. Can you imagine the sunlight?" The lily's leaves rustled in agreement.

The abandoned café's interior stretched far deeper than her current shop, with exposed brick walls and weathered wooden floors that practically begged for trailing vines. Her mind's eye transformed the empty space - hanging baskets would cascade from the high ceiling, while built-in planters could line those gorgeous windows. The old barista counter could become a custom arrangement station.

"And that door in the back?" She bounced on her toes. "That leads to the courtyard. A greenhouse, right there. No more growing the sensitive specimens in my bathroom."

A sprig of lavender poked out of her jacket pocket, its purple buds vibrating with excitement.

"I know, I know." Daphne patted it gently. "Just three more months of saving. The realtor said the owner's desperate to sell." She checked her phone's banking app again and the numbers burned into her memory. "If spring wedding season is as good as last year..."

The peace lily's leaves drooped slightly.

"Hey now, none of that. We're going to make it happen." She adjusted her grip on the pot. "Remember how everyone said I couldn't make the current shop work? 'Too small,' they said. 'No foot traffic.' But we proved them wrong, didn't we?"

A warm breeze highlighted the scent of approaching rain, and Daphne closed her eyes, imagining the possibilities. The courtyard greenhouse would be perfect for her more... magical inventory. No more cramming the moon-blooming jasmine behind regular plants or hiding the singing snapdragons in the storage room.

"Think about it - actual space for workshops. I could teach basic herbology, magical propagation..." She pressed her hand against the cool glass. "No more turning people away because we can't fit another person in the shop."

The peace lily perked up, one of its flowers unfurling in response to her enthusiasm.

"That's the spirit. Now come on, we've got orders to fill. Those enchanted roses won't prune themselves."

Later that afternoon, a crash outside her flower shop made Daphne jump, nearly dropping the delicate glass terrarium she'd been arranging. Her Venus flytrap snapped its jaws in agitation.

"Easy there, buddy." She set the terrarium down as another boom rattled her window displays. "What in the world?"

Screams erupted from the street, followed by a sound like a thousand gas stoves igniting at once. The temperature inside her shop spiked, and her tropical plants stretched eagerly toward the sudden heat.

"Not now," she whispered to a particularly enthusiastic orchid. "Something's wrong."

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