An Unlikely Witch Read online

  Aervyn, resident motorcycle monkey and wrench-fetching assistant, giggled. “Mia says the best way to figure out what somebody wants is to ask.”

  Mia had her mama’s very straightforward personality.

  Dev wiggled out from under the dismantled front wheel. “So, short stuff, does that mean you know what Mia’s doing for Lauren?”

  Jamie grinned—there were a lot of insanely curious people in Witch Central this December, especially those who were the designated giftees of people under five feet tall. “I predict glitter.”

  “Nope.” Aervyn looked gleeful—and awfully secretive for a kid who still needed help tying his shoes. “I only know one person who’s getting glittery stuff, and it’s not Auntie Lauren. It’s really funny, though.”

  Two uncles waited expectantly. Nada.

  “Hmm.” Dev handed the wrench to their tight-lipped helper. “See a tire iron up there anywhere? It’s the one with the silver handle and the bendy end.”

  “Duh.” Aervyn ported the requested object before Dev was done speaking. With an eye roll that was frighteningly similar to his older brother’s. “I totally know what that is.”

  Jamie snorted. Just what the world needed—an almost-seven-year-old teenager with enough magic to relocate a few major cities to another planet.

  That would be an awesome superpower. Aervyn had located a cookie somewhere and was munching nonchalantly as he eavesdropped. “We could go live on Saturn and slide on the big ring and stuff.”

  Dev raised an eyebrow, well used to hearing only half a conversation. “It’s cold out there, dude. All the water will be frozen.”

  Aervyn loosed another blast of heat into the drafty shed. “No problem. I can melt a lake for you.” He grinned. “I can even put mermaids in it if you want. Lizard says it’s okay for boys to like mermaids because they’re really cool. They even scared all the dumb guys who thought the earth was flat. She’s gonna find me some stories about the real ones.”

  Jamie loved that he lived in a world where an ex-delinquent used dusty old literature to make young boys feel better. And he was pissed that somebody had invaded that world and tried to mess with his nephew. “Someone said boys shouldn’t like mermaids?”

  “Yeah. A kid at school.” Aervyn seemed unconcerned. “Mrs. H asked about our favorite movie and I said Ariel, because I just watched it with Helga and Sierra and Kenna and we sang all the songs in fishie voices and it was fun.”

  An innocent answer from a kid who changed favorite things as easily as he changed his t-shirt. Jamie cranked his feeble mindpowers into gear and scanned. Whatever shadows there might have been on the subject, their kick-ass poet had clearly taken care of it. He sent as much his brother’s direction.

  And got a clear reply. One uncle, about to make darn sure the job was finished.

  “That kid,” said Devin, handing up the tire iron, “clearly doesn’t know any witches who swim around in the ocean and sing.”

  Aervyn giggled—and then his brain caught up. “Oh. We could do that. I can teach you all the words. Kenna made us listen to them an awful lot.”

  Jamie was familiar with his daughter’s persistence. And with his brother’s dumber ideas. We’re gonna freeze our asses off. Or at least those of them who weren’t water witches would. Who the hell goes swimming in the ocean in December?

  You don’t have to come.

  Like hell he didn’t. Nobody bashed the toy choices of anyone he loved. Not on his watch. You suck at illusion spells. Someone needs to man the mermaid tails.

  Dev grinned. I’m going to make monkeyboy here a happy man and take care of my Solstice gift, all with one genius idea.

  Jamie moaned. Devin had Kenna’s name.

  That definitely meant he was coming.

  -o0o-

  She’d married a lunatic.

  One who looked very sexy in his swim trunks, but still. Lauren stood on the beach, decked out in her Chicago-approved down parka, and looked at the gathered faces, shaking her head. Her lunatic had lots of company.

  The under-ten crowd was ecstatic. Lizzie, Aervyn, and Kenna danced around, decked out in swim gear and oversized plastic jewels—the latest in mermaid fashion.

  Moira stood behind them, still wearing her cloak, but her eyes shone at least as brightly as any of the witchlings’.

  Kevin and Nathan stood off to one side, trying to look cool. Which wasn’t the easiest thing to pull off as teenage boys who had been deemed honorary mermaids.

  Lauren smiled. They might not have donned plastic jewels, but their tail illusion spells were firmly in place, as per Aervyn’s happy orders.

  Don’t put them too high up on a pedestal. Jamie grinned. They’re about to work magic with every water witch on two coasts. A few jewels aren’t going to make that any less cool.

  She rolled her eyes. So why are the rest of us here again? There were an awful lot of suckers in this crowd who had zilcho water magic.

  Jamie grinned. My brother has a plan. And you were dumb enough to marry him.

  This wasn’t in the vows. Except it probably had been. Debatably in the “for better or worse” part. She’d reserve judgment as to which until they were back on dry land.

  Her husband waved them over, ignoring the three youngest who were still cavorting over the rocks. He winked at Nat. “Kenna’s going to love this.”

  She smiled back. “Duh.”

  “Her magic’s not going to,” said Nell dryly. “Only a brother of mine would have the bright idea to dump a fire witchling in the ocean in the dead of winter and call it fun.”

  Dev flashed her a grin. “That’s what you and Jamie are for. You make a nice bubble of warm water around her and Nat and Aunt Moira and she’ll have a blast, just like she does when we go to Costa Rica and swim with Uncle Matt and Téo.”

  Lauren shivered. The water in Costa Rica was several billion degrees warmer than the Pacific in December. “And who’s gonna keep the rest of us warm?”

  “Me.” Aervyn danced through the huddle, heat radiating from his hands. “Are we ready to go yet?”

  Devin caught him and hung him upside down from his magically glamoured mermaid tail. “Just about, superboy.” He spoke around the rollicking giggles. “Sierra and I will keep us all together and work the currents, and Kevin and Nathan will see if they can find a friendly turtle or two to swim with.”

  That was a compromise—Kenna had requested dancing crabs.

  Lauren grinned, knowing she would follow him just because, and asked anyhow. “And I’m here for comic relief?” She was easily the poorest swimmer in the group, with the possible exception of her almost two-year-old niece.

  “Nope.” Devin’s smile got wider. “We need you to mindread the words to all the mermaid songs and broadcast them. Apparently Kenna knows fourteen of them.”

  Great. She was the magical teleprompter.

  It’ll be worth it, sent Dev, mentally nodding in the direction of his sister-in-law.

  Lauren looked at Nat, who was holding a very wiggly Kenna in her arms. Read the exuberant anticipation in one mind, and the quiet joy in the other. And knew she would have happily walked into the ocean with no heat source at all.

  She took her husband’s hand. This gift had a whole lot of intended recipients. “Let’s go be mermaids.”

  -o0o-

  She had always loved Devin Sullivan, her big, beautiful man with oceans of water power in his veins and pure gold beating in his chest.

  But watching the story unfolding on a cold California beach, Moira thought her heart would fairly burst. He was a man who knew how to head to the very root of things, or to tumble through the world in absolute silliness for no reason other than the pure joy of it.

  Today, he was managing to combine them both.

  And it did her heart good to see Lauren join her hand to his. His wife saw him so very well, all his flaws and strengths and his magnificent zest for life.

  Lauren’s voice laughed in Moira’s head. Right now I’m focusing on
his sexy tail and the fact that he swims well enough for both of us.

  You swim better than you think, my dear. They all did, even if the waters were metaphorical ones. And that was more than enough philosophizing from a witch about to take a wintery dip in the waters. Moira glanced around, making sure they’d left no one behind, and called up what little power was hers to summon. She felt Lizzie’s joining hers instantly, the young girl well used to keeping an old witch warm on an ocean swim. And behind her, Sierra and Devin’s magnificent flows. More water magic than any ten witches could ever need. Enough for her to take what she needed and revel in it.

  Moira spiraled through the first waves like a dolphin, as she’d done ever since she was a wee water sprite. Energy rippled and tunneled in the waters around her as those with the most flowing of magics connected together. Wild buoyancy, and such power—it made her as light and dizzy as a young girl.

  Kenna bobbed delighted in their midst. Moira smiled as she felt that—Lauren must have pulled all of their minds into a web as well.

  I did. There was humor behind the dryness. I figure if we’re going to go through with this insanity, we all might as well catch her enjoyment full blast.

  Oh, they’d just barely begun. Devin’s curls had been wet when they’d first arrived on the beach—Moira was quite sure he had treasures already out there waiting for his youngest niece. And Aervyn was at least as gleeful as his little cousin.

  For the rest of them, the gift was in simply belonging. In the power of shared magic and being entirely surrounded by the element that called so deeply to most of them.

  But not all. Moira stuck her head up long enough to peer around at those with less affinity for the marvelous waters. Nat swam like a fish at her daughter’s side. No magic there—just a mother’s happiness and a body well used to water in all its forms.

  Aervyn cavorted just out of Kenna’s reach, making sure her fiery soul didn’t get overwhelmed by a stray wave. Moira marveled—they swam in bathtub-warm waters, and the child barely looked as if he was making an effort.

  It’s all him. Jamie swam just behind his wife, making up in vigor what he lacked in grace. Nell and I are just on backup—the kid’s got energy to burn.

  Aervyn wasn’t the only one. Devin was leaping around like a dolphin, Nathan and Kevin hot on his heels. Blatant power and young male foolishness, perhaps, but they had Kenna’s undivided attention, even if their mermaid tail illusions had gotten a tad woobly.

  Fishies!

  Those would be the silly mermen, sweet girl. Moira swam forward, fully intending to join them in their foolishness. Even an old lady had a leap or two up her sleeve.

  Dev grinned and held out his arms. I think that mermaid movie has a dance or two. Join me?

  Such ridiculousness. She was entirely sure she grinned like a besotted girl. You should dance with your wife.

  His laugh rolled, even over the sounds of the ocean. She’d kill me if I danced with her like this. And then Moira was in his arms, caught up in his tumbling, laughing power. She knew they went up, and she knew they went deep down—and after that, she only leaned her heart into the experience and rejoiced.

  They were singing now, the rest of them. Words of life under a watery sea as a very old lady danced with a man who easily could have challenged Neptune’s rule.

  Kenna’s little body rocked on the waves, enchanted.

  Devin slowed now, setting Moira down gently at Lauren’s side. And then he swooped up his niece and made her his next queen. He kept both their heads above water this time, but the wee girl would never know the difference. She knew only that she danced with the king of the mermaids.

  There was no purer delight in the entire universe.

  And it wasn’t just Kenna. Nat and Jamie caught Moira’s eye, basking together on a wave. They drank their daughter’s elation, soaked it in and melded it to the bedrock of their family of three.

  Two people who were so very meant to be parents.

  Moira felt her instincts unfurling. So much magic here. So very much. And she knew enough of rhythms and moons to know it was the time of Nat’s cycle when a tiny bean might need only a little more watering to plant and grow.

  Lauren’s hand slid into hers. What do you need?

  Such trust. A moment. Moira dropped out of the magic for just a breath—just long enough to check in with her own heart. It wasn’t always wise to mess with the natural course of things.

  And then, Nat, radiant, joined Devin and Kenna in their wild dance, and the old healer found her truth. It might not work—but it was a fine idea to try. She floated a thought Lauren’s direction. If you might catch the attention of that husband of yours…

  She would try the very oldest of blessings. A tiny magic, done in a maelstrom of power. One seed, calling to another. Devin needed only to hold them all steady.

  There is nothing tiny about your magic, sent Lauren fiercely.

  I know. And on this day, she believed it. Moira let her heart shine, warrior bright. Join with me now. We are not entirely at the mercy of a hunk of glass.

  -o0o-

  There was a moment, in every yoga class, where they collected all the gathered energy and simply breathed.

  Nat floated onto her back, Jamie’s hand in her own, and felt the ocean join their collective exhale.

  Warm swells lifted them up and down, making her feel like a seed in the river of some great cosmic wind. The sky was gray overhead, the top of their enormous cocoon. A seagull flew by, peering at them strangely, and then continued on its quest. And the songs of mermaids and creatures of magic danced in the between spaces.

  Flotsam on the waves. Precious grains of sand rocked in the womb of the mother. Nat felt all that was inside her opening to the magic.

  Words drifted over her mind, said by one, said by many. A blessing and a wish.

  She wrapped the heart of love around her and the waiting space in her own womb. Part of the flow. Part of the great universe of love and energy and harmony and being.

  Calling a sweet, small boy into life.

  -o0o-

  The orb woke, feeling the tugging.

  Not from the house—it was alone, except for the small furry creature who yowled and slept and had once been foolish enough to take a swipe at the orb’s surfaces.

  The tug came again, the sense that the fabric of the universe had a tiny snag. Something pulling.

  It looked more closely. The forces were well aware. Watching. Measuring.

  Water. So much water. An ocean of it, and floating on its surface, specks that the orb recognized. Human ones, wrapped in the thing they called magic. Humans it knew, holding tight to the minute string in the thread of time that led to the little boy who liked to play with snow.

  The orb froze, shocked. The forces wouldn’t permit this, humans messing so brazenly in the strands of what needed to be. They had humanity’s welfare to consider. The greater good. It waited, frightened for the specks.

  And felt nothing.

  The forces were silent, watching. Allowing the tug.

  The orb felt a warmth slide into its center. These humans—they were ridiculous, and they listened about as well as the silly cat creature. They had not yet delivered the message to the one it was meant for. And yet, the thread to the small boy shimmered.

  The orb stepped outside the edges of time, wanting to know—and felt the forces strike. Hard. Tools of magic weren’t permitted to push their limits.

  Only frail humans. The orb watched the specks floating on the water. Jealous. Nursing the ringing ache in its middle.

  Wondering if they might possibly succeed.

  Chapter 5

  Moira looked at the glass of green goo preceding its holder through her back door and sighed. “I suppose that’s for me. I’m not in need of it.”

  “That’s what they all say.” Sophie closed the door behind her and handed over the glass. “Drink, and then you can tell me why you were doing fertility spells in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
in the winter.”

  Not normally the most auspicious of times. “Young Lizzie figured what I was about, did she?” That was well done—it had been a very subtle spell wandering about in a hurricane of power.

  “No.” Sophie reached for one of the cookies sitting on a plate on the table. “These are colorful.”

  Hand delivered this morning. “I think they’re reindeer. Or possibly stars.” It was hard to tell when several children under two had been involved in the making. Aaron was a brave man—and a total marshmallow when any of the little ones wanted to help with the baking. “And you can’t distract me that easily.”

  Her visitor chuckled. “Kevin is full of stories about swimming with the dolphins this morning, and Lizzie thinks being a water witch is right up there with being an angel or an astronaut.”

  Given their youngest healer’s recent infatuation with trips to the moon, that was a high compliment indeed. “It was totally delightful. I haven’t had that much fun in the water in a good long while.”

  Fingers pushed the glass of green goo closer. “Drink.”

  Moira sighed and picked up the glass. “What gave me away?”

  “You did, when you didn’t send me and my potion packing.” Sophie grinned.

  Oh, dear. Entirely busted. “You’ve developed mind powers, have you?”

  “Don’t need them.” Sophie took a bite of what was either reindeer leg or star point. “You’re the woman who sneaks a fertility blessing into every wedding, and I know where Nat is in her cycle.”

  Ah. More than one healer keeping an eye on their quiet yogini, hoping this might be the season that would deliver the long-awaited child. “So many of us watching.”

  Sophie shrugged. “She helped me with potions a couple of days ago. I know the signs.”

  “Of course you do.” It was one of the very first lessons they taught every healer.

  The younger woman smiled. “A woman awaiting a baby, at the right time in her cycle for a little one to implant. All that talk of power flowing this morning, and it wasn’t a huge leap to imagine you finding the urge to meddle rather irresistible.”