A Modern Witch Read online

  “You know them?”

  “I do. They volunteered to help with this afternoon’s lesson. Come meet my daughter and her family.”

  …

  Warm hands slid slowly up her body, teasing Lauren awake with gentle touches. The delicious newness of waking up next to a lover with warm hands was something to savor for an extra moment. The slow demands of hands and lips, the curling in her belly, the glorious feel of tangled legs. Oh, Jamie.

  Jamie? Lauren sat bolt upright in bed. Her very empty bed. The moon cast enough light in her window to be sure she was alone.

  That had been one extremely vivid dream. Not to mention a disturbing one. She wasn’t interested in Jamie that way, and even if she had been, Nat was her best friend. He was way, way, way off limits. Eeeewww.

  Lauren, shut up and go away. Jamie sounded a tad irritated. You’re thinking loud enough half the planet could hear you. I’m busy here. Go away.

  Oh, cripes. Oh no. Lauren yanked her mental barriers down tight. She stared at the wall next to her bed—the wall between her bedroom and Jamie’s master suite. Seriously? Nat and Jamie?

  Then her sense of humor found its legs. She and Nat had always been close, but that was over the line. In the morning, she’d ask Jennie how to barrier while she was sleeping. Well, first she’d corner Nat and get her information the old-fashioned way, and then she’d ask Jennie for a lesson.

  Since she wasn’t going to risk sleep again any time soon, Lauren got up and headed to the kitchen to make some tea. She walked downstairs and found Jennie already there. The kettle was on the stove, and a plate of brownies was on the table.

  “I figure neither one of us wants to go back to sleep for the next little bit,” Jennie said.

  Lauren blushed. “Did you pick up stuff from Nat and Jamie, too?”

  Jennie laughed. “No, sweetie, I picked up stuff from you. I woke up before you did, since some young man’s hands on my body was perhaps a little harder for me to imagine than it was for you. My husband is a wonderful lover, but I haven’t had that sensation of newness for a long time.”

  Lauren blushed harder. “Oh, God—I pushed my dream out to you? No wait, it wasn’t a dream. I must have been picking things up from Nat’s mind.”

  “I’m guessing so. It’s unusual for a connection that strong to exist with a non-witch, but the two of you are very close. You’re sleeping in close proximity to them as well, so that probably contributed.

  “We’ll move you down the hall tomorrow, and I’ll show you how to use your crystals. The white moonstone will help barrier you while you sleep. Eventually you’ll be able to bespell sleep protections, but crystals are the easier path for now.”

  “I’m going to learn to cast spells?”

  “Just a few very simple ones. Nothing we’ve learned so far suggests you have spellcasting talents, so I’ll just show you the few that almost every witch uses. You’ll also learn some basic spellwork as part of the outer circle on Monday. The inner circle does most of the work, but any witches in the outer circle also help cast and hold the protections.”

  “I meant to ask you more about that. Nell mentioned a circle in chat yesterday. I think Sophie is going to fly in for it. That sounds like a pretty big deal.”

  “A large circle like the one on Monday is a big deal,” said Jennie. “It will be Aervyn’s first time as spellcaster for a full circle, and that’s always a momentous event in the witching world.”

  “I don’t really know anything about circles.” Lauren bit into a second brownie.

  “I know. I’ve asked Moira to have a chat with you, actually. She’ll be able to tell you a lot more of the history and traditions than I could, and I know she yearns to play a small role in your training.”

  “Thank you. I feel lost sometimes, like I skipped the first few years of school or something.”

  “Not to worry, we’ll catch you up. As for the circle, the role of the outer circle is very simple—love and support. Nat will be coming as well. Aervyn has asked for you to be there, and it’s a really big day for him. Maybe we’ll do some beginner circle work tomorrow; it would be good for both of you.”

  Well, thought Lauren, if Jamie and Nat weren’t enough to keep her awake, thinking about witch rituals big enough to make Aervyn nervous certainly would. It was definitely a three-brownie night.

  Chapter 15

  Lauren: Moira, are you there?

  Moira: I am, child. I hear Jennie would like us to have a wee chat about witching circles.

  Lauren: She said you know a lot about them, all the history and tradition involved. I’m hoping you could tell me a little bit about what to expect on Monday night.

  Moira: I’m assuming you will be doing a little circle work before then? I can’t believe Jennie would throw you into a full circle with no idea of what will happen.

  Lauren: No, we’re going to do a training circle later today, I think.

  Moira: Good. That will give you a sense of what a circle does, just on a smaller scale.

  Lauren: Everyone talks about full circles with a lot of respect. They must be a really big deal.

  Moira: Respect is one piece—both respect for the tradition of the circle, and for the power a circle, particularly a full one, can generate. History’s most spectacular spells have almost always been worked by a circle, although history doesn’t often acknowledge it.

  Lauren: Really? Like what?

  Moira: Well, a full circle is usually cast by fourteen witches. There’s a trio at each of the cardinal directions, and then the channeler and spellcaster. The spellcaster weaves the power of the circle into its final form, so often outsiders see only the spellcaster and miss the circle supporting him or her. Merlin’s most powerful magic was done by a circle. He was a very talented spellcaster.

  Lauren: Merlin was real?

  Moira: He was. A lot of the stories about him are a long way from truth, but he existed, and he had strong magic.

  Lauren: That is so cool.

  Moira: During the Salem witch hunts in your country, many innocents were sentenced to burn at the stake, as well as a number of our sisters.

  Lauren: I’m not sure what to say. That suddenly feels disturbingly personal.

  Moira: Indeed. Circles were not able to save everyone, but many of the bonfires burned very effective illusions. Several of our most powerful spellcasters and channelers died from the sheer effort.

  Lauren: I had no idea it could be so dangerous. Will Aervyn be okay on Monday?

  Moira: I’m sure every possible precaution will be taken, but big magic always carries risk. The entire circle is vulnerable, but for channeler and spellcaster, the risk is larger. Jennie tells me you may be a channeler, so it’s important for you to understand this.

  Lauren: Hearing it loud and clear.

  Moira: Don’t hear only fear, child. With great power also comes great opportunity. Sometimes big magics are badly needed in our world.

  Lauren: What will the circle be doing on Monday?

  Moira: I’m not certain. That is a decision that will be made in the end by Aervyn, although I’m sure others will have input. With a first-time spellcaster at the helm, the final magic will likely be kept relatively simple. Like with many full circles, the primary purposes will be practice and community.

  Lauren: Community?

  Moira: My witching talents are small. In circle, I get to share the combined power of thirteen others. It is an experience like no other. The fourteen in Aervyn’s first full circle as spellcaster may well earn a place in history, if the boy grows into the power we expect of him. It will be your welcome into the wider witching community as well.

  Lauren: Can I be honest? I’m still not really sure how I feel about being part of a community of witches. I have a pretty happy life in Chicago, and I’m not sure how any of this fits.

  Moira: Give yourself time, my dear. You’ve only had a few days to think about all this. Your heart will know the way—just give it time. Go into this circle experi
ence with an open mind. There are no demands placed on you, just invitation. One day you may step into the inner circle, but for now, just enjoy the chance to be a part of something bigger for a few hours. The outer circle is a very special place.

  Lauren: Now you’ve made me cry. Thank you. I think the pressure has been getting to me a bit.

  Moira: You’ve strong powers, and that comes with responsibility. The witching community will have hopes and even expectations of you eventually, but not today. Today we ask only that you learn, and you are doing that exceedingly well.

  Lauren: Help me to learn a little more then. Tell me more about circles.

  Moira: I told you of the fourteen that form the circle. Each circle will follow slightly different traditions, depending on witching family and the preferences of the participants, but many elements always remain the same.

  Lauren: So how many witching families are there? Nell and Jamie’s family here is obviously one, and yours in Nova Scotia another.

  Moira: After the disaster in Salem, most witches began to gravitate together and settle in a few areas. The two largest gatherings are here in Nova Scotia, and where you are in Berkeley. There are others in New Orleans, Appalachia, and the islands off the west coast. The witching family moves beyond blood ties, so anyone is welcome. We have several witches here in Nova Scotia who are not related by blood.

  Lauren: But not all witches do that, right? Sophie hasn’t.

  Moira: There are many witches who choose to live elsewhere, but most travel to one of the witching centers to join full circles, solstice celebrations, and the like. Sophie often joins Nell, or comes here to Nova Scotia. She spent many summers here as a child. We welcome her with open arms—I don’t see her often enough.

  Lauren: I’m looking forward to meeting her. I hope some day I have a chance to meet you as well.

  Moira: Child, if it’s meant, that would make me very happy.

  Lauren: And I’m sorry to keep asking so many questions. I know you’re supposed to be telling me about circles.

  Moira: It’s because you’re American. In Ireland, where I grew up, the best conversations wandered and twisted around. Sometimes you learn more that way than traveling in straight lines. However, you’ve the right of it—Jennie will scold if I don’t at least tell you a bit more. There will be some rituals to form the outer circle, and I won’t spoil your fun by telling you of them. Just know that their purpose is to cleanse the space and the participants, and help minds to clear and channels to open.

  Lauren: Sounds like one of Nat’s yoga classes.

  Moira: There may well be some similarities. Then the inner circle forms, and the trio at each of the four directions will call up the elements. Once the circle has tapped into elemental powers, any other power sources can also be called. Most often, it will just be the elementals.

  Lauren: So mind magic isn’t used in circles?

  Moira: Not usually. Most mind witches act as monitors—outside the circle, but taking care of those inside. Normally you’d be trained to step into that role, but since you appear to have channeling talent, most likely those are the shoes you’ll be asked to fill.

  Lauren: And the channeler does what, exactly?

  Moira: Once the circle has collected power, the channeler gathers it up and focuses energies toward the spellcaster.

  Lauren: And then the spellcaster works the magic. Sounds simple enough.

  Moira: You’re quite delightful, Lauren. It is indeed simple, and also very complicated. I’ll be most interested to hear your reactions to your first full circle.

  Lauren: I’ll come chat with you again, I promise.

  Moira: Please do. This is still a bit odd for me, but I’ve very much enjoyed the chance to know you a little better. Blessed be.

  …

  Lauren lay on her back in Jamie’s back yard and clutched Sophie’s emerald crystal in her hand. She hoped it would make a difference soon. Her head ached like it had bench-pressed three hundred pounds.

  Circle work was clearly difficult for others, too. Aervyn lay beside her on the grass, astonishingly still for a four-year-old boy.

  Jennie spoke. “I’m sorry, Lauren; I know that round was hard on you. I feel like we’re not quite getting the connection right, but I’m not sure where we’re going wrong.” She looked to Nell and Jamie for input.

  Jamie stuffed the rest of a chocolate chip cookie in his mouth. “I’m wondering if the issue is Lauren’s power source. Normally channelers are elemental witches, so they power their channeling differently than she will. Nell and I know how to do the hook-up with an elemental-witch channeler, but it might work differently with a mind witch.”

  “Well, Edric will be at the circle on Monday,” Jennie said. “He’s the only mind-witch channeler in the Western states right now.”

  Jamie shook his head. “He has elemental powers too, so he may still connect in differently than what Lauren will need to do.”

  Lauren roused herself enough to take the two cookies Jamie offered and passed one to Aervyn. It was hardly reassuring that three experienced witches couldn’t figure out how this was supposed to work.

  She knew they were deliberately keeping the power level in the circle very low, but her role as channeler still felt like trying to plug a fire hose into a USB port while the water was on full blast. Aervyn was trying to help, but neither of them was getting the job done, and trying to contain all the leaking power was exhausting both of them.

  Lauren tried to think. Jamie was saying she needed to hook people in differently. Or maybe… the problem was the order.

  Buoyed by the hope of a new idea, Lauren managed to sit up. “Instead of me connecting to the circle first, and then trying to join with Aervyn, can we try joining him and me first, and then adding the circle? I don’t feel like I can contain the circle’s power on my own. I need a place to send it first. When we did Cat Woman, he was already waiting for whatever it was that I did.”

  Nell looked thoughtful. “Totally ass-backward from how it’s usually done, but it makes sense. We’re all funneling you elemental power, and you’re the only channeler I know with absolutely no elemental talent, so it might be that you can’t contain it at all—but maybe you can direct it.”

  Jennie nodded slowly. “Piggybacking on that, I’m going suggest something a little different as well. I’ve been drawing on elemental power, but this time I’ll try sharing mind power.”

  “That’s a great idea,” Jamie said. “Put a form of power in the mix that we know Lauren can handle. Maybe it will make the whole flow easier for her to guide.”

  Everyone returned to a seated circle and clasped hands. This time, Lauren reached a channel out to Aervyn first and felt the already easy familiarity of that connection settle into place. Then she focused for a minute in her center, visualizing what she wanted to do next.

  She began to grow rainbow-bright tendrils out from her dome. Working carefully, she wove them together, a beautiful web that stretched over her barrier, all anchored to her connection with Aervyn.

  Now it was time to add the circle. She visualized the strands of her web sending shoots outward, questing tendrils in search of a place to root. Gently she stretched a handful of tendrils toward Jennie. Hopefully she would recognize this modification of their mind-magic drills.

  Lauren silently cheered when she saw the seeking lights of Jennie’s mind power reaching out. Carefully they wove Jennie’s light together with her rainbow threads. It was like turning on the tree lights at Christmas time. The entire web of threads radiated with the light of Jennie’s power. It flowed smoothly to the connection with Aervyn and into his waiting spellcaster hands. Lauren could see Aervyn’s mind dance with approval. Me next, he sent.

  Lauren was confused. In moments, she saw his star-bright elemental power reaching toward her web. She was pretty sure spellcasters weren’t supposed to add energy to the circle, but at this point, they were pretty much flying without a map anyhow. Gently, she warned him. Go slow.
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  The wattage dimmed on his power, and she extended a couple of threads. There was a jolt on joining, and then she saw his power zoom over her threads, sending the whole web dancing. Power sang, and she was well aware he was connecting with only a fraction of what he had.

  Jennie sent a quiet nudge. Gather the others, child. You’re doing very well. Lauren reached tendrils toward Jamie, and then Nell. Both experienced spellcasters, they connected into her web with only tiny ripples.

  I’m ready, she sent to everyone. Turn up the power.

  Lauren looked up from her mind center in wonder. It felt like sitting in the middle of the sun. Power wove and danced, fiercely bright, coming from the circle and exploding down the tube of her connection with Aervyn. God, he was only four, and that was one hell of a power flow.

  Trust him, said Jamie’s mind voice. You’ve just given him the best gift ever. No one’s been able to channel him a fraction of what he’s holding now. Let’s see what he does with it. Hold the web. That’s your job.

  Lauren focused on the web of light pouring toward Aervyn. She sensed him directing and shaping it, felt the building of pressure as he brought the spell to readiness.

  When Aervyn finished casting and released the spell, her web glowed for a moment with impossible light. Then Lauren felt her soul fly, joined by four others.

  Dance of light in a timeless, sky-blue haze. She was seagull and circus airplane, diving eagle and blown leaf.

  Go back now, child. Jennie’s mental touch guided Lauren slowly back to her mind center.

  Lauren wasn’t sure how long it took her to feel the physical hands clasping hers, the air flowing in and out of her lungs, the breeze on her face. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Aervyn’s glee was immense, and the power flowing out of him still palpable.

  Jamie was the first to find words. “I’m not sure anyone will believe us.”