A Modern Witch

CHAPTER 23



Lauren handed Nat a folder with listing sheets. “There are three places we can go see this morning, but I think this is the best one, so we’ll check it out first.”

Realtors had to know their pacing. Some clients needed to see a few possibilities before you pulled out your best offering. With people like Nat, you led with your best.

Lauren opened the door to the building. “It’s two floors, with a great reception area already set up on this level. There’s room for a little shop and plenty of space in the back for changing rooms. It’s already piped for plumbing and has bathrooms, so the renovations wouldn’t be too expensive, especially if we negotiate a build-out as part of the lease.”

Nat looked both dazzled and overwhelmed. “It’s huge, Lauren. It would be a lot of work to get it set up right, but the retail space would be perfect. I’ve been thinking about selling yoga gear.”

“I know.”

Nat laughed. “Have I been your guinea pig for mind-witch practice again?”

Not recently, thought Lauren. “No, you’re too easy. I saw the prAna and Gaiam catalogues under the counter at your studio. We realtors are paid to notice details like that.”

Jamie walked in with coffees. “Hey, this is huge. Nat, you could have a store in here.”

Lauren laughed. “You’re late to that party, Jamie. Nat’s already ordering inventory. Let’s go upstairs; that would be the class space.”

Walking up the stairs, she decided you could be cheesy if the client was your best friend. “Nat, close your eyes.” Lauren led her into the center of the room, facing the corner where two walls of windows met. Jamie was already nodding his approval.

“Okay, Nat. See what you think.” She felt the click, the one that meant client and property were in serious like with each other. Not a big surprise—the studio space was gorgeous. Two walls of windows, two of exposed brick, and acres of old, gleaming wood floor.

Nat spun in glee, and then arched into a graceful backbend. Kicking up her feet, she spun around some more in handstand before tumbling down into a giggling heap on the floor.

Lauren elbowed Jamie. He’d forgotten his mental barriers in the pleasure of watching Nat. There were some things that shouldn’t be shared, even if Jamie had a particularly inventive imagination.

Jamie looked more than a little embarrassed, and firmed up his barriers.

Nat managed to sit up and contemplate the room with less exuberance. “It’s awesome, Lauren. Spirit Yoga could really grow here. The rent scares me, though. Do I even want to know what a downtown corner space this big goes for?”

“Probably not. It’s a big, scary number, Nat—but your revenues would increase a lot too, especially if you add on the shop downstairs. And there’s always room to negotiate.”

Nat laughed. “I know it’s really big when you won’t even tell me.”

Jamie waved the listing sheet. “It says they’re interested in selling the building.”

“They are, but I don’t think that’s a concern. It might even help us get a better deal on the rent, since buildings with viable tenants can command a better sales price.”

Jamie wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention. “How much is the building?”

Lauren blinked. She smelled buyer vibe. From Jamie? “I think they’re asking eight million, but I’d have to check.”

Nat had finally tuned in. “Jamie, I can’t afford to buy a building. A small one in the burbs, maybe, but not this one.”

“Enchanter’s Realm could. Nell and I have been talking about needing to invest some of our capital, and this seems like a smart place to put it. Great old building, fantastic location, awesome tenant.” He grinned at Nat. “I could probably arrange you a deal on the rent in exchange for certain favors.”

Lauren figured the look on her face matched the stupefied one on Nat’s. “You guys have enough cash lying around to buy a building in downtown Chicago?”

“Yeah. Our accountant yells at us a lot. This will make her really happy. Lauren, can you arrange for the inspections and permit checks? We’d pay cash, so see what that might do for the price.”

This clearly wasn’t the first commercial real-estate deal Jamie had ever done.

He’d furnished his living room with a friend’s college cast-off couch, for Pete’s sake. Not once in a whole week in California had she gotten even a small whiff of millionaire witches.

Then Lauren realized the true icing on this particular cake. She grabbed a shell-shocked Nat’s hands. “You gotta promise me one thing.”

Lauren blazed a grin Jamie’s way. “Please, please, please let me be in the room when your parents find out he’s rich.”

…

“Can’t we just shop online? This is so much more painful.”

Jamie was not happy about the afternoon’s outing. They were leaving for California in three days, and they had a triplet birthday to shop for. Lauren linked her elbow in his to prevent escape. It was the Magnificent Mile, not some awful suburban shopping mall.

“If you help us find the perfect gift, we’ll be done sooner,” Nat said, linking with his other elbow. “What do you think we should get the girls?”

Jamie looked around in a classic display of male desperation. “Apple store across the street. The girls are all great coders; we should get them some electronics. Let’s go check out the new Macbooks.”

Lauren started to laugh at Jamie’s shopping-avoidance ploy, and then reconsidered. Ginia and Mia had done most of the coding to add video to Witches’ Chat.

Thirty minutes later, they left the Apple store with three souped-up and custom-engraved laptops. Lauren was still in shock from her third of the cost. Apparently the Macbook’s basic configuration wasn’t remotely good enough. Jamie had added every upgrade available and then some. There were going to be three very excited girls in a few days.

Panic ripped through her head. Lauren slammed down barriers in automatic defense and scanned for the source. A man darted around people on the sidewalk, on a silent and desperate hunt. Jamie had clearly picked up the panic too, although he hadn’t yet figured out where it was coming from.

Lauren decided this was one of those times where you pried now and asked for forgiveness later. She pushed into the man’s mind. Missing child. Cute toddler with curly brown hair.

Okay, that was something she could help with. Lauren stepped quickly to the man’s side. “Can I help you?”

“My girl. I’ve lost my girl. Three years old, in a yellow rain jacket. I just lost sight of her a moment ago.”

“What’s her name?”

“Delancy. But she can’t hear you, she’s deaf.” The father was almost vibrating in panic. No wonder. Lauren was beginning to share his feelings. How the heck did you find a lost, deaf child on one of Chicago’s busiest streets? Just the thought of traffic made her nauseated.

“Lauren.” Jamie shook her shoulders. “You can find her. Do a scan. Now. She shouldn’t be out of your range yet.”

How the hell had she forgotten her mind talents? Lauren grabbed fiercely for control. Nat was talking quietly to the father. Good. She could hardly see anything around his panic.

Lauren cast out over the thousands of minds along the Magnificent Mile, seeking one small lost girl. Delancy, honey, where are you? She swept up the street one direction, then the other. And did it again. Nothing.

Jamie hooked into her mind. Try the buildings. She might have gone inside a store.

Lauren shoved her frustration at him. I can’t. I don’t have enough power. I can’t find her.

Jamie swirled power and reached it toward her. Use this. Just like in the circle, but this time, you use it.

Lauren grabbed. Holy God, she could look through concrete walls. Frantically, she stretched her new range to its limits. Did so freaking many people have to be out shopping today?

She almost missed Delancy’s mind. The child was lost in a dream and only lightly connected to her own name. No, not a dream—a story. A book.

Lauren looked around desperately. “A bookstore. She’s in a bookstore.”

“Borders.” Nat started running north, pulling the father with her. Cripes, that was almost a block away. Lauren hoped to hell she was right. Jamie was stumbling beside her. God, he looked drunk. Or exhausted. Just how much had he fed to her?

They crashed through the door of the Borders bookstore. The father looked around hysterically, but the store was huge and full of people. Nat, who was obviously thinking more clearly than anyone else, headed to the customer service desk.

Lauren gasped for breath and reached out again for Delancy’s mind. Confused, she looked behind her. There, tucked in the window display, book in her lap.

The panic pummeling her mind stopped abruptly as father rushed to child. Hugs and waving hands as dad and daughter signed, one in overwhelming gratitude and one in ignorant bliss.

Lauren didn’t need a translation. The little girl had spied an oversized version of her favorite book, and followed someone into the store to get a closer look. The window was such a cozy place to sit and read.

Not to mention a great place to hide in plain sight. Lauren staggered in relief.

She realized that beside her, Jamie actually was staggering. She shoved him into a chair and pulled a chocolate bar out of her purse. He’d need more food, and soon. Fortunately, that was plentiful on the Mile.

Jamie smiled in gratitude and nodded toward the reunited duo. “Nice work you did there.”

“Nice work we did. I practically had X-ray vision.” Lauren studied Jamie. “How much did you push at me? You look pretty beat.”

Jamie shoved in the rest of the chocolate. “More than I should have. That was way more than either of us should have done without the safety of a circle.” He shrugged. She heard what he didn’t say. Sometimes magic can’t wait.

“I wouldn’t have found her without your power boost.”

“Someone would have noticed her in the window eventually. But yeah, we didn’t know she was somewhere reasonably safe. I kept picturing Aervyn a couple of years ago, when he would just wander out into the street with no warning.”

Jamie grinned. “Besides, I haven’t played with that much power since we got here.”

Lauren made a mental note to ask Jennie exactly how big a risk Jamie had taken. Then she grinned back. “Yeah. That totally rocked.”

For the first time since leaving California, she missed the magic. There was nothing quite like it.

…

Fortified by two servings of Pad Thai, Lauren trudged up the last of the stairs to her apartment. It had been a very long day, and her couch was calling. She made one detour to the kitchen for ice cream and collapsed into the nest of pillows.

She closed her eyes in bliss at the first spoonful of Half Baked. Not one of her usual flavors, but anything with brownie bits in it had to be good.

Okay, she was really tired, but pints of ice cream weren’t supposed to wiggle. Lauren squinted one eye open and discovered a second spoon trying to swipe a bite from her container. She grabbed the spoon, and her carton of ice cream disappeared.

Shock blew away as joy hit her heart. Since she’d left Jamie snuggled in with Nat, the list of possible ice cream thieves was very short. “Give back my ice cream, punk witchling.”

Giggles came from behind her couch. She should give Aervyn heck for porting halfway across the country. No way that was safe, even for super-boy wonder-witch. Instead, she leaned over the back of her couch and ruffled his head. Punk and runaway he might be, but she’d really missed him.

They could steal a few minutes before she busted him. “Come sit up here and share it with me, at least.”

Aervyn handed her the pint and squirmed over the back of the couch. “Can I have some more, please? I’m hungry.”

She cuddled him in tight. “I guess porting this far takes a lot of energy, huh? How come you landed behind the couch?”

Aervyn shook his head, mouth full of ice cream. “Dunno. I guess I missed a little. The couch is bigger in your mind.”

Lauren pictured the four-story drop outside her window and fervently hoped he never missed by more than a little. “So, why are you here, cutie? We’re coming to see you in just a couple more days.”

“I missed you. We did a circle today, and Mama said I had to practice with another channeler. I didn’t want to. And I have to train with a bunch of mean old witches.”

“I thought you were training with Aunt Jennie. She’s not a mean old witch.”

“Well, she’s not fun like Uncle Jamie. And she mind-yelled at me today, because I wasn’t con-cer-trating in the circle.”

Lauren tried to look stern. It was tough to do when faced with an upset and mutinous little boy. “It’s really important to focus in the circle, Aervyn, especially with big magic like yours. You know that, though.”

Aervyn lost the mutinous scowl and just looked sad. Lauren pulled him into her lap and grabbed her cell. She could at least give him cuddles while she turned him in.

Nell picked up her cell on the first ring. “Hey, Lauren. Do you have my boy child?”

“I do.”

“Figured he’d headed your direction. He was playing in the back yard by himself, so we weren’t sure how long he’d been gone. Let me talk to him a minute.”

Aervyn listened to Nell for a few moments. “I don’t want to come back, Mama. I want to see Uncle Jamie and Nat.” Whatever Nell said in return, it had Aervyn shaking his head adamantly.

Lauren didn’t want to know if you could force a four-year-old witch to port somewhere he didn’t want to go. She reached for the phone. “Hey, Nell. Listen, let me call Jamie and Nat and have them pop over.”

Aervyn bounced with glee. “I can get them!”

Jamie and Nat thumped onto her living room floor in a tangled bundle. Thank goodness for sheets, thought Lauren, and gave in to helpless laughter.

Nat joined her. Jamie, made of tougher stuff, only snickered. “Hey, hot stuff. Mind sending us back for a minute so we can get dressed?”

Aervyn frowned. “Uncle Jamie, why are you nakey?”

“Because, dude, and that’s all the answer you get until you send me back for some clothes.”

Nat grinned. “I have spare clothes here at Lauren’s.”

Jamie stuck out his tongue at her, which Aervyn thought was far funnier than a couple of naked people. “Fine, then—I’ll go back. Beam me up, Scottie.”

Jamie disappeared. Lauren hoped Aervyn had good aim. It was a very cold night to be wandering naked in the streets of Chicago.

Nat lifted off the floor, sheet wrapped around her like some drunken toga, and headed off to the bedroom.

“Why were they nakey, Lauren?”

Aervyn was persistent, but Lauren was smarter than Jamie. She held out her phone, where Nell could still be heard laughing. “Here, ask your mama.”

She had no idea what maternal wisdom Nell shared when Aervyn asked his question yet again, but he nodded, giggled, and hung up. “She said to call when you’re ready to send me back.” Shadows of mutiny crossed his face again. “I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here.”

Her phone rang again. Jamie was ready to return. Maybe he could handle the porting-home negotiations.

The four of them hung out for over an hour, playing and talking and studiously avoiding any mention of Aervyn needing to go back to California. It was clear no one wanted to be the bad guy and try to make their impromptu visitor go home.

Lauren made some quick mental rearrangements to her plans for the next three days. She’d just closed two deals, and everything else could be handed off. “Aervyn, sweetie, how would you like to go back to California with me?”

Aervyn looked a bit skeptical. “I don’t know if I can port you, too. You’re pretty big.” He brightened and looked at Jamie. “I could if you helped.”

Lauren was still sane enough to want to get to Berkeley the old-fashioned way. “No, I was thinking we could fly there. You can stay here tonight, and we’ll take a plane ride tomorrow morning. I’ll move my flight up a couple of days.”

Aervyn considered. “What about Uncle Jamie and Nat?”

Jamie answered. “We’ll come in two days, kiddo. Nat still has some classes to teach, and I have to help her carry all the presents she bought.”

“I could port the presents.”

Lauren tweaked Aervyn’s nose. “We’ll let them travel on an airplane, too. I’ll call your mama and let her know what the plan is. Deal?”

“Deal.” Aervyn nodded solemnly, and then ran in circles making airplane sounds. “I’ve never been on a plane ride before.”

Jamie looked at Lauren. “Sucker.”

She certainly was. “You guys sleeping over?”

“Yeah.”

Lauren was pretty sure she hadn’t seen Jamie so happy in weeks.