and several-ton rocks weren't in the habit of wiggling. Marcus eyed the witch who was generally in close orbit to trouble. "Any idea why it moved?"
Sean looked blank. "No."
"It's a good question, though." Mike looked over at Cass. "I don't have a really solid idea of how your magic works - is this something you could figure out for us?"
"You can talk to rocks?" Sean looked wildly impressed.
Cass looked gobsmacked. "I - " She stopped and stared down at the pool. "I don't really know. I've never really tried to focus on a specific rock." Her shrug was a bit helpless. "I hear a lot of them."
"I can show you which rock." Sean's earnestness shone through - the boy might be a somewhat cavalier witch much of the time, but he was taking this situation seriously. He looked over at his brother. "Maybe Kevin can help - he reads minds. He can link us together better."
Marcus tried to duck Moira's pointed look, which worked about as well as trying to outrun the rain. "I can assist with that." His powers were far stronger than Kevin's.
"A quick circle, then." Mike reached for Sophie's hand, and then Moira's.
Their elder witch met his outstretched fingers. "I've not a lot to give you."
"Not a problem." Mike's voice was totally casual - and had Marcus jumping to Moira's other side. Their leader wasn't entirely convinced this was going to be an easy fix.
Sophie already had Sean's hand, uniting their three strongest earth witches. Kevin joined with his twin next and reached for Cass's hand. I'll link with Sean, Uncle Marcus. You help Cass to hear.
Marcus kept his growl silent. The boy couldn't possibly know of the awkward currents in the air - and he was certainly the best person to be connecting to a totally unknown quantity. He took their guest's mittened hand. "Have you ever mindlinked before?"
Green eyes met his - curious, but not at all afraid. "No. What do you need from me?"
Absolutely nothing. Just relax your mind and give me a warning if you're feeling at all overloaded. I'll be able to hear anything you want me to hear. And he'd be going to very great pains to hear absolutely nothing else.
Her eyes opened wide, but nothing more. Okay.
He reached out a simple link, just as he'd done hundreds of times. And felt her precise, disciplined mind simply... melt.
Feather soft, she let his link float into place. Will that do?
It took four decades of rigorous training to get a single word out. Yes.
Hmm. It's much like listening to the rocks. Her mind waited, alight with interest, curiosity, and a basic openness to whatever was about to come that was utterly foreign to him. What is it I need to do now?
He wanted for her to simply hold still. To be. To somehow shine on him for long enough that he, too, could have a mind full of such grace. Such ease.
Uncle Marcus? Kevin sounded uncertain. Are you ready for Sean to show Cass the rock now?
Gods. His brain had picked a fine time to wither into insanity. Marcus yanked his discipline back into place and threw a mindlink across to Kevin and his twin. Go ahead. Slowly. She's new to this.
And he wanted just a moment more in the light of her mental sun.
He was so very gentle.
Cass felt as if her hands were the only parts of her body that were real. That and the mysterious hook in her mind that let her feel the man behind the craggy eyes. She had somehow assumed he would be like the rocks - strong and sturdy. Weathered with time. And perhaps full of the sadness that would explain the lines on his face.
There were all of those things.
But mostly - he was gentle.
Even when it was the last thing on earth he wanted anyone to see. She smiled. A lifetime of music had taught her to hear all the notes, not just the ones that sang the loudest or gamboled through the prettiest tune.
Whatever Marcus Buchanan's life had made him, he had been born gentle.
Can you hear us, Cassidy? Two boyish voices pushed into her reverie.
She held steady, just as she always did for Rosie. This speaking to minds was strange - and very cool. Loud and clear. Going to visit a rock, are we?
No, silly. Sean's mind patted her on the head like a cute toddler. The rocks are right here. They're always here.
Cass tamped down on her surprise. That matched her