Bramble Burn Page 9

  “I don’t get it. Why does the fire burn sideways?”

  “The heat riser. The current makes the air get sucked in where the wood is fed in so fire burns sideways and the smoke doesn't come out. It’s also the place where it gets so hot that all of the smoke is burned. Picture a man smoking a pipe.”

  “We had one in our place,” Grigori said with a sly grin. “Lots of us in the apartments did, because the heat went out so much and our landlord never fixed anything. They were cheap and easy to make.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly. She wasn’t sure she completely understood the concept, but she trusted Kjetil’s option. “I’ll make the vent, and then I need to call it a day.” She was never going to get Bramble Burn pinned if she kept dealing with distractions, and she needed to conserve energy.

  Tatyana looked up from processing meat. “We need to discuss rent.”

  “It’s not urgent,” Juniper began.

  “I can pay you what we paid for our last place. This place is so much nicer, but that is what I can afford.”

  “We can wait,” Juniper protested. “Maybe work out a trade until you get on your feet.”

  Tatyana shook her head firmly. “You can’t let anyone take advantage of you. We will pay you, and you will let us cook for you. Also, my son will make you a stove.”

  Kon groaned, but didn’t protest.

  “You have given us so much, and you are generous to share your food. We owe you a debt.”

  She didn’t want anyone owing her anything. Debts meant ties and obligations, and she didn’t want to depend on anyone. “If you insist.” She looked at Kjetil. “It looks like your guys are done loading the pigs. I’ll walk you out.”

  “She seems like a tough lady. I think you’re going to get mothered,” Kjetil observed when they stepped outside.

  She sighed. “I see where Grigori gets it.”

  “You’d rather be the one protecting them?”

  “Sure. You’re F&R. I’d think you’d understand.”

  He tilted his head. They’d stopped by the semi and he signaled to the driver that he’d be right up. “Sometimes it’s best if it works both ways, Jun. I’ll see you at the BBQ.”

  Juniper looked glumly at the place where the earth swallowed the blood and unwanted offal. Thanks to her brilliant idea, she now had giant pigs and werewolves roaming her property. She had the roots bring up a few truffles and raised a brow at the size of them. Usually they were the size of a walnut, but some of these were as big as a man’s fist. No wonder the pigs had invaded!

  She carried the ugly little black balls inside and put them on the counter. The little fungus didn’t taste like much, but the scent filled the room with an earthy, meaty scent that was said to mimic mammalian reproductive pheromones. Like sniffing an especially lovely rose, the scent left one a bit drugged.

  They were difficult to grow and hard to find in the wild. After five days, the flavor would have greatly dissipated, and truffles were difficult to preserve. They also cost up to $350 an ounce, which was enough to garnish two meals.

  She didn’t want to tramp around town hawking truffles, but a sale would put some cash in her pocket and she could concentrate on growing trees. For once, she could actually use her energy to do the work she was supposed to do.

  Tossing her truffles in a paper bag, she grabbed her staff and went to fetch Grigori. She needed to borrow his mother’s car, and she’d prefer he drive. Besides, his family had lived here longer, and she figured they’d know where the swanky restaurants were.

  Grigori waited until they left the final restaurant and did a victory dance. “You made a killing! Dude, if the boys in the hood realized how much truffles were worth, they’d give up dealing.”

  She smiled at his enthusiasm. The truffles had sold themselves. The distinctive smell alone had cause two diners to ask if she had truffles in her bag, and the chef’s eyes lit up when she’d opened it and showed him her treasure. He’d practically dragged her into the kitchen where they’d settled into serious haggling. She’d given him a discount in exchange for the names of other chefs who might want truffles and he’d thrown in lunch.

  In fact, they had a standing deal that he’d feed her whenever she brought in truffles, and he was interested in black morels or anything “interesting” she might have. He couldn’t afford to buy all of the truffles and wasn’t a fan of saffron, but she’d made deals with three other chefs.

  “Now you need to bank that,” Grigori said, nodding to a nearby credit union. “You can’t carry around that much cash. As often as you end up attacked, you’ll wake up in ER and find your wallet empty.”

  “Thanks for the cheery thought,” she said dryly. After making a deposit, she shopped the mall for a radio and a small TV. She didn’t watch much TV, but the last few days proved that the news was essential, and she wouldn’t mind some music.

  “You need boots,” Grigori said, looking at her feet when she scowled at the thought of more shopping. “We’re already here, and you need to protect your feet. Can’t have your boots falling apart when you’re running from monsters.” Once in the store, she also bought a pair of mules that were on sale, reasoning that the floors were cold in the morning, before putting her foot down. “That’s it, I’m done spending money! Let’s fill up your mom’s car and go home.”

  “You don’t have anything to wear to the council meeting,” Grigori pointed out. He’d insisted on carrying her bags, and he wasn’t above flirting with any cute girls they encountered.

  “Sorry to crimp your social life, but I have things to do. Does your mom need anything?”

  He gave her a level look. “No, Juniper.” He looked at the bookstore just ahead. “Look! They’re having a sale. You like books, don’t you?”

  She glared. She’d been trying to ignore the magnetic pull of the paperback display, and she could see a new horticulture book out of the corner of her eye. “I know what you’re doing.”

  “Oh, look! My little sister loves those books. I don’t think she has that one.” He marched into the store, and once she followed him, she couldn’t resist buying a few.

  “You’re evil,” she said when they left.

  He nodded. “You loved it.” He’d bought books for his family with his share of the truffle money, including a cookbook for his mom, since her collection was in ashes. He was worried she’d think he was being frivolous, but the cookbook was practical.

  Juniper looked at him and softened. “It must suck, being the man of the house sometimes.”

  He shrugged. “I’m not going to run off and abandon them. They need me.”

  “Do you make sure they get Christmas presents, too?”

  He colored, but didn’t answer. Whatever he’d sacrificed for his family, it made him a better man.

  It was nearing sunset when they loaded the car. Juniper shut the rear door and looked up to see Grigori watching three guys approach. They were covered in gang tats and swaggered in an exaggerated walk she’d always associated with monkeys.

  “Get in the car, Juniper,” Grigori said calmly. The open car door hid how he pulled his gun from the back of his waistband.

  Juniper grabbed her staff and shut the door, going around the car to stand by his side. “I’m not your sister,” she murmured gently, searching the air and ground for stray seeds. The parking lot was asphalt, but asphalt had cracks. She found a couple of airborne seeds and smiled as she directed them to settle on their visitors, where they quietly started to sprout.

  Oblivious, the leader nodded to Grigori. “You’ve got balls, showing up here. Who’s the bitch?”

  Juniper laughed. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one who didn’t watch the news.

  “What do you want, Mike?” Grigori said, his voice harsh.

  One of the punks swatted his head. “Damn bugs,” he muttered.

  The other scratched his low hanging pants, shifting uncomfortably.

  “Maybe I want some of what you’ve got.” Mike smirked and stepped closer to
Juniper. “Hey, baby. You like gangbangers? Grigori’s sister does.”

  The man with the itchy drawers let out a strangled cry, yanking frantically at his pants.

  “What the…” Mike snarled, and stopped in astonishment. A dandelion sprouted from his friend’s rear, green and robust with spreading leaves. The stalk grew, forming a bright yellow flower.

  “Get it off, get it off!” the man yelled, dancing in a circle.

  “The thing about dandelions, they have deep tap roots. They’re also excellent for the liver…and the kidneys.” She watched calmly as the man screamed, and looked with interest as the other thug discovered he had a daisy sprouting from his head. He snatched at it and howled in pain.

  She’d had to modify the floating dandelion seed to make a daisy, since daisy seeds weren’t airborne.

  “Daisy roots aren’t as deep, but they are strong. Careful there; you don’t want to rip your skin off.”

  Mike whirled on her. “You…”

  Grigori stepped into him, the gun leveled at Mike’s gut. “You want to leave now.”

  Mike snarled…and discovered he had something growing out of his nose. He frantically felt his face and his eyes widened as he encountered leaves. He turned and ran, his buddies hot on his tail. The dandelion dude lurched after him, sobbing, one hand keeping his pants from falling to his ankles.

  Grigori looked incredulously at her. “Flowers?”

  She shrugged and climbed in the car. “Blame my mother. She gave my little sister a Dr. Seuss video called Daisy Head Mayzie when she was a kid. She must have watched it a hundred times. It had a profound effect on me.”

  “I’m never buying another Dr. Seuss book. Ever,” Grigori said fervently, but he couldn’t help an evil grin. “Loved what you did with the dandelion, though. Is it permanent?”

  “No. It’ll wither and dry up in time, slowly retracting its roots. It might cause an infection, though. I’d like to see them try to explain it to the doctors…if they dare.”

  “I’d love to see the ER doctor’s face.” Grigori smirked. “My sister is going to love you.”

  She smiled and hummed, “Daisy head, crazy head, Daisy Head Mayzie…” all the way home.

  Chapter 6

  Juniper paced outside the fire station, shivering in the misting rain as she talked to her mom. The wind kicked up, making it necessary to talk loudly. She would have put off calling, but the weather wasn’t going to get better and she needed to use her phone while it had a charge.

  “Yes. No. My battery was dead. The solar charger was defective, and I had to replace it. There’s no electricity…” She winced and held the phone away from her ear. “There’s no need to shout. You shouldn’t believe everything you see on the news.” This time she held her tongue for a full minute while her mom ranted. “If you saw that, then you know it’s now encased in carbon fiber steel and has water to put out… The neighborhood isn’t that rough.” She blew out a breath and looked around for a distraction, then saw Kjetil under the overhang on the front door, shamelessly eavesdropping. She scowled and turned away, and nearly tripped over an aggressive wild rose that was beginning to form a protective hedge.

  “Stop it,” she hissed, covering the phone. The plant wilted as if chastised and shriveled into compost. Juniper tuned back into her mother and stiffened. “What? I’m not okay with that. I don’t allow guests inside my tree,” she said sharply.

  Her mother got louder.

  Juniper straightened, indignant at her mother’s rebuke. “It’s not hospitable to let a guest get eaten by a stray monster, either.” She ignored the prickle of guilt about Grigori’s family…they weren’t part of this discussion.

  “So the Bramble is dangerous,” her mother said triumphantly. “I raised you better than to lie to your mother, Juniper Rose Baily! Justin will visit you and he will ease my mind, or I will come down there myself.” It wasn’t an idle threat.

  Juniper held very still, fighting the urge to hurl her phone. Nothing she could say would prevent her mother from sending her younger brother to visit, and she would be obliged to keep the Bramble from eating him and using his bones to pick its teeth. She might hate him, but her mother would never understand that, either. “I will rent a hotel room for him for one night. After that, he’s on his own.” She couldn’t afford a hotel room, not after buying Grigori a used motorcycle so he could do her errands, but that wasn’t important. She would sell more truffles until he paid her back. Actually, she’d send him to sell the truffles, she thought, relieved that she wouldn’t have to deal with that any more. That made the bike worth every penny.

  “Now, I’m at a party, and I’m neglecting my host. I’ll talk to you later…”

  “Wait! Where are you?”

  “Mother…” Juniper grit her teeth, forcing back several choice things she wanted to say, maybe needed to say, but this was her mom. She couldn’t blow up at her mother.

  “I forgot to mention, Justin is in town. He called me a little while ago. Where should I send him to find you?”

  Juniper pulled the phone away and looked at it, speechless. She didn’t need this. One of the perks of moving away was avoiding her brother, and she certainly didn’t need him here, but she’d been backed into a corner. Refusing her brother hospitality would start a feud.

  “Juniper?”

  Juniper fought for words. “I’m at the F&R station, Mom. It’s a barbeque, and he’s not invited.” The rain was picking up, the wind driving it into her clothes. The ride home on Twix was going to suck.

  “Don’t be silly! He’ll meet you there shortly. I’ll talk to you later,” her mother promised/threatened, and hung up.

  She stood there blinking water from her eyes, the phone dead in her hand. Her mind was blank.

  How did her mom do this to her?

  She looked at Kjetil, her face tight with fury. “Did you get an earful?”

  He straightened from the door jam. “I’m not your mother.”

  He wasn’t responsible for her anger. He’d brought his sister’s clothing to the station and let her look through them. Some still had tags, and he’d offered to drop it off at her tree when she’d mentioned that Grigori’s family might have use for some of it.

  She’d felt guilty for not taking the time to shop for a council outfit, and sharing eased the guilt. Besides, the motorcycle had been a business expense.

  She looked aside and blew out a breath. “She’s sending my brother to check on me. I hate my brother.”

  Kjetil studied her. “Is he dangerous?”

  “He’s a bully and a slime ball, but he’s not in my league. I can take him.”

  “Does he do plants?”

  She made a seesaw motion with her hand. “Eh. He’s better at theft and lying. Mom enables him.” As kids, it was her word against his, and when her parents couldn’t figure out who was guilty, both were punished. She’d learned to keep his bullying to herself.

  Her eyes narrowed. She wasn’t a child any more.

  She followed Kjetil back inside, sniffing appreciatively at the luscious scent of smoky ribs and spicy chili. Rain forced the party inside and they’d set up in an empty work bay, but it didn’t stop the crowd of family and friends from enjoying themselves. She heaped a plate with potato salad, baby back ribs and rolls and snagged a hard apple cider from the ice chest.

  Mia waved her over, so she sat at her table, climbing over the wooden bench seat.

  “You’re soaked! I hope the phone call was worth it,” Mia commented. “Can I get you some cocoa? I was about to get a refill. We’ve got an urn for the kids, but I can add a splash of rum if you like.”

  “That does sound good. Maybe in a bit,” Juniper said, taking a long pull of cider. “Maybe I should lose my cell phone. Talking to my mom isn’t worth it sometimes.”

  Faolán got up and returned moments later with hot cocoa topped with whipped cream. He winked, his handsome face alight with mischief. “I was generous with the rum. I know I need it after dealing
with my mum.”

  Karl laughed. He had his wife and three kids with him, and he was busy feeding the toddler on his lap. “Or mother-in-laws,” he mock-whispered.

  “I heard that,” his wife, a tall black lady, pretended to growl.

  Juniper smiled, loosening up for what felt like the first time all day. “The thing is, she sent my brother here without telling me, and she expects me to put him up. We can’t stand each other and it’ll end in a fight, but if I tell her no, she’ll never let me forget it.”

  “Ouch. I could pose as you live-in lover, convince him to play nice,” Faolán offered.

  She blushed. Faolán was a flirt, but she didn’t take him seriously. “Um, that wouldn’t be a help. She’d come down here for sure.”

  Mia grinned. “Probably with a shotgun and a preacher.”

  Juniper rolled her eyes. “She tried to set me up with my second cousin once. He’s adopted, so we aren’t related by blood, but still. Once you’ve made mud paddies together in a horse corral, you never look at a guy the same.”

  They laughed, and she was feeling much better when Mia nodded to a point over Juniper’s shoulder. “I see the girlfriend made it.”

  Juniper looked and saw a long legged, black haired woman on Kjetil’s arm. Unlike the casually dressed crowd, she was dressed in a slinky dress and strappy heels. Her hair gleamed under the shop lights, and her lipstick matched her nail polish.

  Juniper rubbed her chest at the sudden pang. “I didn’t know he had a girlfriend.”

  “They haven’t been dating long, maybe a month? I don’t think it will last. Oh, look, he’s going to introduce her. Smile big.” Mia busied herself picking up plates.

  Juniper rose to help, but it didn’t work. Kjetil reached their table and began introductions.

  “I know you’ve met everyone else, but this is Juniper. Juniper, this is Mandy.”

  Mandy shook hands, her manicured, soft hand a contrast to Juniper’s strong, short nailed one. “It’s nice to meet you.”