Among Wildflowers and Starlight: Goddess Blessed, #1

By Rowena Aiello

A romantic young witch. An enigmatic older woman. An opportunity of a lifetime…left in the hands of a hopeful and nervous wreck.

Violet didn't set out to meet anyone. It wasn't even on her list of things to do that day. All she wanted was to find her mom, and get permission to attend the Priestess's Birthday Ball.

Then she runs into a beautiful stranger whose mysterious smile captivates her…only for the stranger to quickly disappear.

She's stunned by how attracted she is to this woman. No one has ever taken her breath away like that. She wants to follow them, but she doesn't know where they went.

Discouraged, Violet focuses all her attention on the upcoming Birthday Ball, where she plans to dance the night away.

What she doesn't plan on is running into the beautiful stranger again…or the Priestess herself. The holy woman is so impressed by Violet's dancing, she tasks Violet with putting together yet another Grand Ball, this time in Violet's hometown.

Violet's never done anything like this before, but she can't very well say no to the Priestess, much less in front of the beautiful stranger Violet now wants to also impress.

As challenge after challenge mounts in front of her, Violet is left having to decide if she's capable of pulling this off after all…and if walking away is worth doing, even if it means both her beautiful stranger, and the Priestess, end up disappointed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: M Publishing
• Release date: Apr 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224738618

Rowena Aiello

Rowena Aiello's love of fantasy and romance stories began when she was reading Twilight fanfiction in high school—because where else was she going to find anyone who would make sure Bella/Jacob would be endgame? After years of fruitless searches in mossy woods, snowy mountaintops, and gorgeous mansions revealed no trace of hidden vampires, werewolves, or any other such creatures, she took to creating her own versions. She now lives in a definitely-haunted house with her wonderful but sparkle-free family.

Book preview

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CHAPTER ONE

THE ANNOUNCEMENT MAILER still lay on the side table where she’d put it a week ago, but now, Violet was starting to rethink the glory of attending the Priestess’s Grand Birthday Ball.

Don’t you think it would be fun? her sister, Lily, asked. They sat together in their front sitting room, with the quiet of the manor settling in around them. A viewing screen installed on the wall was displaying a play from when their mother was a girl, noisy and raucous, but she turned it down to talk.

Violet looked up from her yarn needle. She had just finished knitting the most luxurious, lightweight, mint green gown. She’d decorated it with tiny, pearlescent stars she’d gathered from the reflections of their real counterparts, which shivered on the surface of their nymph pond in the backyard. The ruffle of ivory-colored webbing she’d made was almost fully attached. All she had left to do was try it on and decide if she liked it.

Well, sure, Violet said slowly, but when was the last time you visited the Priestess?

Her sister shrugged, playing with the wand in her hand. It’s been a few decades, in fairy time. Why? Has something changed?

Violet nodded sadly. She moved somewhere grander than Cedar Beach. She’s now in Rose Fog, and that’s where she’s going to have the party.

Lily shrank in her chair. Oh no, I didn’t realize she’d gone so far. Have you ever traveled by dragon for four hours before?

Violet shook her head. Have you?

Once. It wasn’t entirely pleasant, no matter how comfortable the seating. Her sister clicked her tongue. Yeah, that certainly is far. She sighed and settled deeper into her seat. Maybe we can talk to Mom about it.

Do you really think she would let me borrow the dragon for a trip like this? Violet asked, trying not to sound too skeptical.

She might, if she doesn’t have to be at the gardens taking care of the pixies. Besides, she knows how much you love to dance. It’s been forever since you went to a party, and she and I already got to go to the last two events the Priestess held. Of course, I can always go with you, if you want. Having the two of us together might sweeten the deal for her.

Maybe, Violet sighed.

She turned her dress over. She remembered how happy and excited she’d been when the announcement had first appeared in their entryway. She’d seen it the moment she’d finished practicing her leap-glide air hop. Giddy, she’d run to the fabric store to grab materials, already perfectly certain of what gown she would make.

It had been a solid week of work, making this dress without taking any time to pause, except for when she needed to go to her paying job. Sure, the ball was going to be taking place in Rose fog. Sure, that would be eight hours of travel, to and from. But this was the Priestess’s ball. It’d been years since she’d held one.

What was four hours, after a week of dedicated work and carefully placed magic?

And it would be a crying shame to let this beautiful gown sit in the closet until the springtime pageant, she said, sighing. There hasn’t been a ball in years, given how hard the Priestess works. Who knows when the next one will be happening?

A wave of sadness her threatened to overwhelm her. Still, she couldn’t decide. What she wanted, and what she should actually do—save her energy and keep the only dragon in the family at home, in case it was needed—warred in her mind.

Violet closed her eyes, pressing on the heart-stone encrusted in her chest. Underneath her clothes, it glowed hotter at her touch.

Goddess, please, send me a sign, she asked.

A breathy, sweet-as-sugar whisper, like someone speaking to her right by her ear, filled her mind: go.

Violet dropped her knitting. You know what? You’re right. I should try to go. I’ll ask Mom when she gets home from work, and see if she’ll let us go together.

They waited and waited, but end of day came, and no sign of their mom could be found. She wasn’t outside on the road, talking to the neighbors while checking the messages left in their front box. She wasn’t trying to call the house via flowers, the way most people did in Cedar Beach.

She wasn’t even in the air, racing back to the house and bracing to descend on them, apologies in her throat for being late.

At first, Violet tried not to let it get to her. She pulled out dinner materials, and cooked them something quick: a grain, some garden vegetables they’d gotten through a co-op, and a fowl for stuffing, gifted to them from their hunting neighbor. Everything got into the oven in no time, and was cooked, before their mom came home.

It didn’t make Violet worry any less.

Let’s do something. I don’t like this, Lily said at last. She rocked in her chair, playing with her dish as soon as she had set the table and covered the food.

Nervous, Violet snagged two flowers from a ceramic vase on the side table, wound the stems together with the heads in opposite directions, and then enchanted it for voice communication. Calling Star Swan, she said, as clearly and slowly as she could.