not the most ideal person to be training them—he can be a bit gruff.
Sophie: Making witchlings cry again, is he?
Moira: Not so far, but it seems prudent to avoid that if we can.
Lauren: I’d be happy to, and I’ll do what I can with Elorie before we send her home.
Nell: I talked with my husband last night, Moira. Given where Elorie is at, and that my two witchlings seem to share her power, we were thinking of coming sooner rather than later. Can you handle us all in a few days?
Moira: And won’t that be delightful? Come anytime, Nell. My home is always open.
Nell: Sophie, Lauren—can you manage that?
Lauren: I remember the days when my career took priority in my life :-). That should be fine. Half my clientele these days is witches, so I’ll just hang a Gone to Witching School sign on my door.
Moira: Witches need new homes, too, my dear. I’m glad they’re keeping you busy.
Lauren: Busy doesn’t begin to describe it. I almost believe some of them are moving just to have an excuse to drop by for a visit. Sophie, can you get away? I was hoping to see both you and Moira on this trip.
Sophie: I never need much of an excuse to come east. I’ll be there.
Nell: Elorie’s thinking to avoid all this by heading home, I think. We should let her know we’ll be following close behind.
Lauren: What, give a newbie witch warning and a say in her life? Why on earth would you do that? :-)
Nell: We’re not bossy all the time. Just mostly.
Moira: I’m sure Elorie will welcome you with open arms. Her heart is a hospitable one.
Nell: I’ve already tentatively booked rooms for most of us at their inn. Aaron said they had a big party cancel, so assuming I can find flights, we’ll be there on Wednesday. He says he’s ready to be overrun by witches.
Sophie: Yum, Aaron’s breakfasts are stupendous. Lots of chocolate.
Lauren: I’m there. My sense is that Elorie will do better on her home turf, so if we have to ambush her, this is probably the best way to do it.
Nell: We’ll bring you over to the dark side yet, Lauren…
Lauren snorted as she closed her computer. It truly wasn’t that long ago that she would have protested more loudly on Elorie’s behalf. However, they could hardly leave her running around with a leaky brain and totally untrained magic. And wow, she was starting to sound like Moira.
It was amazing how quickly your perspective could change. Six months ago, she didn’t think witches existed.
Now she was leaving her real-estate practice during one of the busiest times of the year to go hang out with a couple of witches she missed dearly. She’d have fun helping with the witchling training—but really, she wanted to see Moira’s comforting face again and giggle with Sophie late into the night.
She’d turned twenty-eight as downtown Chicago’s youngest elite realtor. Next week, she’d turn twenty-nine while teaching magical manners to young mind witches in some tiny village in the middle of nowhere, Nova Scotia.
She could hardly wait.
~ ~ ~
Ginia grinned at her computer monitor. She had a fiendish plan for total Realm domination, and she was about to start training her secret weapon. Gandalf would never know what hit him.
“So remember, Aunt Moira, it has to be a total secret.”
Moira chortled from video chat. “I don’t think anyone’s going to guess it’s me, dear one.”
She hoped not. It had taken some serious convincing to talk her new trainee into this. She’d had to pull out that whole “an untrained witch is a dangerous witch” line. Which had been pretty smart, since Aunt Moira was like its inventor, or something.
Ginia looked at the other side of her split screen at the costume she’d rigged for Realm’s newest avatar. She thought it was highly suitable for Warrior Girl’s sidekick, kind of a cross between Cat Woman and Princess Leia. “How do you like your character?”
“She’s lovely, but maybe I need a few more clothes?”
“Nuh, uh. Clothes get in the way for fighting.”
Moira looked a little distressed. “Witches try not to fight, dear.”
Ginia grinned. “If you look like you’ll win a fight, then you don’t have to fight very often. That’s why my name is Warrior Girl. No one messes with warriors.”
“Ah. You’re a very sneaky witch, sweet girl. So what shall my name be?”
“That’s up to you.” Ginia screwed up her face into an evil menace. “It should be something that sounds powerful