The moon goddess chose wrong: twice
A smile bloomed across her face small, genuine, the kind that made the sunrise look dim by comparison.
“Because you’re as pretty as every flower here,” I finished.
Her laugh was soft, surprised. “That could also be an insult. You do have a corpse flower in this garden, you know. I don’t want to be compared to that.”
I blinked. “A what?”
She bent gracefully and pointed to a strange, deep purple bloom half hidden behind a cluster of white lilies. Its petals were thick, almost fleshy, unfurling like something alive and hungry. “Titan Arum. It looks like something out of a nightmare, but when it blooms fully…” She leaned closer and inhaled. “It has the sweetest scent. Like vanilla and honey and