A Modern Witch

CHAPTER 24



Lauren was very, very happy Nell was meeting them at the airport in San Francisco. Getting a small witch through airport security and onto the plane had been more than enough escort duty. She wanted reinforcements. Aervyn had played havoc with security scanners, even when he wasn’t trying.

Now they were on the plane, and he was strapped to a seat, temporarily awed watching the world go by out his window. She wasn’t even going to think about what he could do to airplane electronics.

Aervyn turned away from the window. “I can’t see anymore. It’s all clouds.”

“You’ll be able to see more when we get to California. We’ll fly over mountains and the ocean—it’s pretty cool.”

“I’m hungry.”

For this, at least, she was prepared. Since airline meals had been replaced by meager bags of pretzels, Lauren had a backpack full of snacks Aervyn had helped pick out.

“Apple, chocolate-covered peanuts, or cheese sandwich?”

“Chocolate peanuts, please.”

A kid after her own heart. Lauren took a handful and passed over the bag. “We’ll eat the sandwich next, so I don’t get in trouble for just feeding you candy.”

“You won’t get in trouble.” Aervyn seemed very sure. “Mama’ll be happy you’re bringing me home. Thanks for keeping me.”

Lauren nuzzled his head and swiped some more peanuts. “It was fun. I’ve missed you.”

“Why can’t you live in Berkeley? Then we could have sleepovers a lot.”

“My job’s in Chicago, sweetie. I help people find the right place to make their home. It helps them be happy, and I like doing that.”

Aervyn considered. “Don’t people like to find homes in Berkeley?”

“They do, and I bet other realtors do a really good job being their helpers.” Slippery slope, thought Lauren. “Also, Nat lives in Chicago, and her job is there, too. She’s my best friend, so it would be really sad for me not to live where she lives.”

Aervyn scowled. “But she promised me I could play with the baby. How can I do that if the baby is in Chicago?”

Lauren was confused for a moment, and then caught the edge of Aervyn’s thought. Oh, the baby in Jamie’s precog. “It would be a lot of fun to have a cousin to play with, wouldn’t it? But the baby Uncle Jamie saw wasn’t real. He was just a possibility for the future.”

Aervyn shook his head. “Nuh uh. The baby is in Nat’s belly now—I saw it. It’s teeny. Mama says babies grow really fast, though.”

Lauren started to tell him there was no baby in Nat’s belly, and then remembered who she was talking to. This was the kid who chatted with the planet. “There’s a baby in Nat’s belly? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Auntie Gemma had a baby in her belly at Christmas, so I know how to look. Nat’s baby is a lot smaller, though. Mama says that sometimes really starter babies split into two or three. That’s what happened with Ginia and Mia and Shay. So I watched to see if Nat’s baby would split, but it hasn’t yet. I hope it does—then I could have three cousins.”

She was having a conversation with a four-year-old about fertilized eggs dividing into triplets while he watched. Cripes, life changed when you were a witch.

The in-flight movie was starting, much to Aervyn’s delight. He had one parting shot before he settled in to watch. “So see, Nat has to come to Berkeley so I can play with the baby. She promised. And you can come with Nat so you won’t be lonely.”

Lauren wisely kept her mouth shut and let the movie grab Aervyn’s attention. He had, however, given her plenty to think about.

Nat pregnant? Obviously a surprise, but given the way things seemed to be headed with her and Jamie, most likely a happy one. She figured any guy who missed a four-year-old as much as Jamie missed Aervyn should be okay with fatherhood.

Lauren tried to imagine her best friend as a mother. That wasn’t hard either. Nat would finally be able to create the family she’d always wanted.

Or join the one Jamie already had. Aervyn had a point. There were plenty of playmates and lots of help with a baby in Berkeley. In Chicago, they’d only have her. Somehow, in a middle-of-the-night baby crisis, Lauren was pretty sure any sane person would rather have Nell, experienced mother of five, ride to their rescue.

So why was everyone so convinced Nell and Jamie would live in Chicago? Was it all because of Jamie’s precog? That seemed like a flimsy reason, given all the weight on the other side of the scale.

Nat’s studio? Yeah, that was big. But would Nat trade that for Jamie’s rowdy, arms-wide-open family? With a baby on the way? Heck, yes. And Berkeley wasn’t exactly an awful place to open a new yoga studio.

Lauren leaned back in her chair, unsettled and lonely, and let thoughts ramble around in her head.

…

Nell set two drinks down on her kitchen table. “You want cookies to go with this?”

Lauren held her stomach. “No, thanks. Aervyn and I ate enough snacks on the plane to fill my food quota for a week.”

Nell laughed. “Aunt Jennie’s coming over this afternoon to train Aervyn and Ginia. You could join them—it would help you work up an appetite for dinner. I know she’d love to see you. She doesn’t know you’ve come in early.”

“I need to do a little more shopping, but I can take care of that tomorrow.”

“Great. Maybe I can co-opt you to pick up some party supplies for me, too.”

Lauren grinned. It was good to be here. “I can most definitely do that. Did Jamie tell you we bought the girls laptops?”

Nell groaned in mock protest. “Just what we need around here—more computers. What did you get them?”

“Some seriously souped-up Macbooks. Jamie said you’ll be jealous. He’s setting login spells that only the girls can use.”

Nell snorted. “That might keep Aervyn out, but anyone else in this house who can’t crack a login spell is a changeling.”

Lauren laughed. “Far be it from me to defend Jamie’s prowess. He’ll have to do that himself.”

“So, how’s he doing, anyway?”

Nell sounded entirely too casual. Lauren paused before she spoke, not sure how to navigate sibling waters. “He’s really in love with Nat. I think he must go to yoga class every day. He can touch his toes now and everything.”

“But?”

Cripes. “But he misses his family something terrible. And I think he really misses the magic.”

Nell frowned. “He can do magic in Chicago.”

“Tried that.” Lauren told Nell about the motley coven meeting they’d crashed.

Nell shook her head. “Jamie’s not exactly tactful, especially when someone’s blowing it magically. He’s a wonderful trainer, but he’s best with kids.”

“So, you sent him to me?” Lauren asked, laughing. “Thanks a lot.”

“That was different. We didn’t even know for sure that you were a witch. He was available. If I’d known he was going to find Aervyn’s channeler and his future wife in Chicago, I might have sent backup.”

Aervyn’s channeler. No one had called her that for weeks now. It felt unexpectedly good.

“Speaking of his future wife,” Nell said, “how is Nat? Jamie mentioned something about buying a building.”

Lauren was pretty sure the baby was going to throw a bit of a wrench in those plans. Was it bad to spill a secret Jamie and Nat didn’t even know yet? Then again, Aervyn knew. Making up her mind, Lauren reached for Nell’s hand. “I need you to help me plan a surprise.”

Nell raised an eyebrow. “Buying a building’s a pretty big surprise.”

“This is bigger, in a way. Aervyn says Nat’s pregnant—he told me on the plane. Jamie and Nat don’t know yet, I don’t think.”

Nell’s face nearly split in two. “They will soon. Aervyn can’t keep a secret any better than your average four-year-old.”

“That’s what I figured,” Lauren said. “So, if the news is going to leak anyhow, I wanted to take advantage of it. Will you help me put together a baby shower while we’re here? So long as the girls won’t mind—I don’t want to overshadow their birthday.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. They’ll be your happy party-planning minions.”

“Minions will be necessary to pull this off in two days.”

“We’ll dragoon them to the planning committee after dinner. I hear Aunt Jennie’s car pulling up, so I think the next item on your agenda is training in the back yard.”

...

Jennie watched her three trainees with no small pride. They were doing some fine tricks today. Magic worked best when fueled by strong emotion, and the delight in the back yard this afternoon was strong, indeed.

Aervyn had plenty of power, happy or not, but he was very pleased with himself today. As he should be. It was a fine bit of witchling maneuvering he’d done to get Lauren back with him. He’d missed his mind-training buddy something fierce.

They had already played four rounds of Grab the Thought, and Lauren hadn’t lost her edge lazing around in Chicago. Round five was the tiebreaker. Ginia was openly cheering for Lauren. Jennie was too, although quite a bit more quietly. It wouldn’t do for her trainees to know she sometimes took sides.

Ginia was buzzing with the happiness of her upcoming birthday and Nat’s impending arrival. Ginia loved Nat with all the ardor of a young girl who has met the woman she wants to become. She had chosen well. Nat was a wonderful role model.

It was Lauren’s delight this afternoon that pleased Jennie most, however. After channeling power for the most spectacular magic Jennie had ever witnessed, Lauren had gone back to Chicago and largely disappeared.

Oh, she’d sent some nice emails, and they’d even had a couple of lovely video chats. But she’d tucked her magic away. Jennie had pressed Jamie on this, and he’d agreed.

Until today, Jennie had been unsure whether Lauren was just taking a sizeable breather, or running away for good. Today suggested they might well gain her back. The witching world would be glad. Not everyone accepted the responsibility that came with strong magic.

Silly old woman, thought Jennie. The girl has wormed her way into your heart, and you want to keep her there. It’s not only the witching world that’s glad today.

And look at that. Lauren had won Grab the Thought, best three out of five. She was good—and well taught, too.

“Nicely done, Lauren,” said Jennie, rubbing Aervyn’s head. “Creative as usual.”

Aervyn was so revved by the competition, he’d scarcely realized he’d lost. “Again please, Aunt Jennie, just one more time?”

“That’s enough for today, sweetheart. With Lauren here, I want to try something else. Spring equinox is coming in a couple of days, and we’ll be having ourselves quite a few circles in celebration. I was thinking we could show Ginia how to connect to a circle today.”

That well-thought-out plan was about two minutes old.

Ginia’s eyes shone. Jennie went on. “Ginia, you’ll call earth, just like we’ve been practicing. Aervyn, I want you to handle water and air, and keep it gentle. I’ll do fire. Lauren, can you guide Ginia through the connection? It’s easiest to have a mind witch lead you, but I can’t do that and handle fire as well.” She could do it in her sleep, but she wanted to see Lauren try on trainer shoes.

Ginia plunked down in Lauren’s lap, and Jennie and Aervyn formed the circle. Her voice confident, Ginia reached for earth power, her strongest magic.

“I of the North call on Earth,

Of fertile life and new growth.

As I will, so mote it be.”

Aervyn grinned at his big sister and called on air.

“I of the East call on Air,

Breath of life and soul’s flight.

As I will, so mote it be.”

Jennie felt Lauren dial him back just a bit, stepping automatically into the shoes of circle monitor as well as coach. She added the call for fire.

“I of the South call on Fire,

Creator and destroyer, and force of will.

As I will, so mote it be.”

Aervyn smoothly split his channels, a feat few witches could match, and called for water.

“I of the West call on Water,

Of life giving stream and cleansing rain.

As I will, so mote it be.”

Lauren sent Ginia images of how to entwine her earth power with Aervyn on her left and Jennie on her right. Ginia followed instructions with the confidence and trust of a well-trained witchling. Lauren sent instructions with the confidence and light hand of a future trainer.

Well done, both of you, sent Jennie. Lauren, have Aervyn turn the power up a bit. Ginia, hold nice and steady, just like you’re doing.

Aervyn did as asked and upped the wattage slightly. Power hummed around the circle. Ginia’s delight was contagious.

Aervyn wanted to spellcast, and Lauren was more than willing to play. Jennie laughed, careful not to jiggle her connection with Ginia. That’s what happened when you had three mind witches in a circle—they had the communication links to invent things on the fly.

That’s exactly how accidents happen, she thought wryly. However, it would do both Aervyn and Lauren all kinds of good to feel that connection again. Go ahead, Jennie sent, but keep the magic small, sweet boy. Very small.

Aervyn did something nifty and complicated with his elemental streams and separated out a channel for Lauren. They hooked together with heartwarming ease, and then Lauren gently reached out to Ginia.

Jennie could see Lauren walking Ginia through the steps until her earth power changed shape and flowed smoothly over the dome. Jennie added her fire in quickly. Ginia was new to circle work, and she’d soon tire.

Clearly aware his time was short, Aervyn grabbed power and speedcast the spell.

Summer breezes danced around Ginia. Lightning bugs darted and a circle of dew-covered daisies rose out of the backyard grass. For the grand finale, nature sang.

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

You smell like a monkey,

And you look like one too.

The circle dissolved in fits of giggles.

As things quieted down and they all headed over to a bench where milk and cookies waited, Lauren touched Jennie’s arm. “Are you sure Ginia doesn’t have mind magic?”

Jennie nodded slowly. “I think so. I’ve run the usual assessments, same as Jamie would have done with you. What did you see?”

“I’m not sure, exactly. She pulled earth power, but she also had two small power sources that weren’t elemental. They sure looked like mind channels.”

Jennie considered. She hadn’t seen anything, but Lauren’s mind vision was a lot stronger. “She’s got some minor fire talent, but you’re pretty sure it wasn’t elemental.”

Lauren shrugged. “You’d see that better than I would. My ability to read elemental power is pretty awful. Like I said, it sure looked like mind power.”

It hit them both at the same time. Shay and Mia. Lauren raised her eyebrows. “Three witches?”

Jennie had no idea. “Anything’s possible, but neither of them test for power at all. Triplets have a very close connection, and I wonder if that’s what you’re seeing. Ginia might be using that as a power source.”

“Jeez. How the heck do we figure that out?”

Ah, you’ve the curious soul of a trainer too, my girl. “That’s what you and I need to sort out, isn’t it?”

Lauren laughed. “I need cookies if you expect me to do anything else today.”

...

Nell stood at the window where she’d been for nearly an hour.

She’d learned three things in her watching. One, Jamie wasn’t the only one who’d missed communal magic. Two, Lauren had the makings of a darn good witch trainer. And three, Aunt Jennie had something up her sleeve.

The next few days would certainly not be boring.

Nell reached for her laptop and cell phone. Lauren wasn’t the only one who could plan a surprise.