A Celtic Witch - By Debora Geary Page 0,52

a grumpypants, and that nice lady was playing her music for me. I wanted to hear it better."

She brushed a hand across his forehead. Tired magical channels. "Was Kenna doing tricks at night again?" Aervyn had been dragged out of bed more than once to help with his baby cousin.

"Yup." He shook his head, five going on forty. "She's trouble, that one."

Sophie hid a smile - Kenna Sullivan came by her troublemaker genes very honestly.

"I heard that." Nell crouched down at their side, eyes on her son. "I wondered where you'd gone, munchkin."

"The music said I should come." Aervyn buried into Sophie's shoulder. "And my head hurts."

The first was a mystery - the second was easily helped. Sophie pushed a light clearing spell up his channels, and followed it with a gentle push toward sleep. She smiled as the five-year-old powerhouse curled up in her lap like a baby.

"Here, he's heavy." Nell scooped him up and deposited him on a couple of pillows, borrowing the throw to cover him. "And thanks. Ginia's also napping thanks to Kenna's antics. I didn't want to wake her. I didn't realize he had a headache."

"Must have been quite a night."

"Little punk niece of mine saw a dragon on Jamie's computer screen and wanted to make friends." Nell sounded amused - and resigned. "Hopefully she got it out of her system - I'm on duty tonight."

Sophie just shook her head in shared sympathy. Most toddlers who wanted to be dragons weren't actually capable of making fire.

Nell rested a hand on Aervyn's head. "What do you think pulled him here?" She looked over at Cass, still playing dreamy music in the corner, a pile of children at her feet. "Maybe he heard there was a party."

Aervyn had mentioned the music. "How did he hear it from his bed?" Berkeley wasn't exactly within earshot, even for superboy.

"That would be the question."

Not the only one. Sophie frowned. "How did you get here so fast?"

"Luck. I've been testing a pairing spell for Jamie. He's worried that Kenna might develop porting skills and head for parts unknown in the middle of the night. It's like a locator beacon - if she gets out of range, he'll know where she's gone. Aervyn and I were doing some testing yesterday, and I forgot to unhook us."

Sophie raised an eyebrow. There were probably only two witches in the world who could pull off that kind of spell, and one of them was asleep. Suddenly her worries about Adam felt overblown.

"We all worry," said Nell quietly. She glanced over at Cass one more time. "And it seems like I'll be joining you in the question line for a certain musician. She tugs on both of our boys."

Sophie nodded. And then felt some odd pieces connect in her mind. "Maybe..." She started slowly, trying the idea on for size. "Perhaps it's the same thing that tugs on her."

Nell blinked. "Not following."

Sophie stared off into space, more certain now. "Something brought her here, too. And I'm not sure she understands it any better than we do."

But she knew someone who did.

Moira looked up as first Sophie entered the kitchen, and then Nell. She reached for more teacups. "Come for a bit of sustenance, have you? There will be cookies out of the oven by and by." Nan's recipe.

Nell sat down, her eyes never leaving their elderly Irish visitor. "You know something of Cassidy's magic."

Moira grimaced. It was very direct, even for a California witch. "Nan Cassidy, this is Nell Walker. Retha Sullivan's daughter, and mother to Aervyn." It wasn't normal to lay out lineages from the children, but she suspected word of their wee boy had traveled far and wide.

Recognition hit Nan's face. "Ah, the young Merlin."

Nell's eyes snapped fire.

"And a great galoot I am." Nan leaned forward, apology all over her face. "No one wants such a comparison made to a child they love. I'm not usually so loose of tongue and slow of brain."

Nell sighed. "And I'm not usually so touchy." Apology accepted.

So that was the word across the waters. Moira met Sophie's eyes and saw her own worry reflected there. It wasn't an unwarranted comparison, but Merlin had not lived a long or happy life - and sometimes people accepted the destinies others tried to hand them.

Then again, most of those people didn't have Nell Walker for a mother.

Nan poured tea for the new arrivals, her eyes never leaving Nell's face. "What can I tell you of my Cass?"

Moira blinked - perhaps directness