A Hidden Witch - By Debora Geary Page 0,100

her head? Can you help her see this? Very, very gently.”

He grimaced. “I’m not gentle.”

Lauren stepped up beside him, clutching her new crystal ball, and took a deep breath. “I am. I’ll do it.” She closed her eyes, swaying slightly. A few seconds later, she smiled and broadcast. She’s listening. Just barely, but she can hear us.

Sophie saw tears running down dozens of faces, but the soft singing never wavered. And Elorie’s flute had never played with such star-touched beauty.

~ ~ ~

It was time to start the circle. That was her job. Moira could hear her granddaughter’s flute playing, but something wasn’t quite right. Where was her circle? Where was she?

She struggled to see, to swim through the heavy fog choking her mind.

The music. Listen to the music. She could see Elorie in her mind’s eye, swaying gently as she played. The faces in the circle, a bond of love and community and magic. So many. It must be a very important circle.

And oh, the moon was marvelous tonight. It felt like she could reach up and touch it. Ever so slowly, the light melted away the fog, and she could see more clearly.

She also seemed to be lying down, and that was very strange indeed.

Then memories of the pain flooded back, the agony in her garden, and the awful, creeping cold.

She fought to open her eyes, and saw shadowed heads and the day-bright moon. It really did look close enough to touch.

“Is this heaven, then?” My, her voice sounded terrible.

Gentle laughter and kisses rained down on her forehead. “No, Aunt Moira, you’re still with us. You’ve come back.”

She wasn’t dead? Moira looked around slowly, at the blurry moon and the shadowy faces. All was not as it should be. “Sophie, my sweet, I can’t see very well.”

Now tears fell on her face along with the kisses. “I know, and I’m so very sorry. We’ll do what we can with that, and it should get better over time. For now, just know that we love you. You’ve come back to us. It will be a bit of a journey, but you’ll rock our babies. I promise.”

Moira felt the light touch of a sleep spell, and she gave in to the drifting. She would rock the babies. That was fine, then.

Chapter 24

Elorie looked up at the castle and smiled. Lizzie would be in heaven, sleeping in a turret.

The castle was the latest inventive solution produced by Realm’s miraculous coders. When you had hundreds of sleepy witches, lots of beds were a good thing, and castles happened to come with rooms aplenty.

And to her eternal astonishment, Uncle Marcus was playing host. It was his castle Jamie and Ginia had transported into Gran’s world, but they’d chosen it for its size, not for the owner’s renowned hospitality. Even his virtual serving staff seemed shocked by his manners. He’d fed everyone, had them graciously shown to rooms, and promised a hot breakfast in the morning.

Which would be coming soon—if the Realm sky were to be believed, the sun was just peeking over the horizon. Elorie’s stomach growled. She needed to find some food soon, but she was wedged into the corner of a really comfortable couch with Aaron’s head pillowed in her lap. He hadn’t made it as far as a bed. Judging from the snores she could hear, a number of the nearby couches were inhabited as well.

“Want some breakfast?” asked a quiet voice over her shoulder. Sophie slipped into the nearby armchair and laid a tray on the table between them. “We pregnant mamas can’t sleep all day like some people I know.”

Elorie smiled in welcome. “Mike’s still asleep?”

“He is. Most of the healers are, but apparently Seedling here isn’t as tired as everyone else.” Sophie patted her belly.

Elorie picked up one of the breakfast pastries. It smelled divine, buttery apple and a tease of cinnamon. “Have you checked on Gran?” She’d briefly held Gran’s hand late in the night, but the healers were keeping visitors to a minimum while she slept.

Sophie nodded. “She’s still resting. Uncle Marcus’s excellent kitchen staff has prepared some broth and herbal tea for when she wakes.”

“How is she, really?” Elorie stared at her breakfast, afraid of the answer.

“It will be a long road.” Sophie stirred her tea aimlessly. “Her speech has definitely been affected, and her vision. Both of those should improve with time and long-term care. Uncle Marcus says her mind feels fairly clear, though, so that’s a hopeful thing.”

When you practically grew up with