A Hidden Witch - By Debora Geary Page 0,78

add the important details. All witchling phones were now equipped with waterproofing spells. Marcus had declined her services, but if he spent much more time giving witch lessons at the beach, he might live to regret that.

Lauren and Marcus were currently coordinating a lesson that blended some Net-power experimentation with projected mindspeaking. They were testing to see how distance impacted Net power, so pairs of witches had spread up and down the beach. Hence Nell’s role as lifeguard.

Each training pair had a mind witch who was receiving instructions and reporting back to Lauren. Sean, for all his nonchalance, was able to mindspeak over impressive distances. His twin, paired with Elorie, was clearly stretched to the limits. Nell was pretty sure Lauren was gently augmenting Kevin so she could still hear him.

Aervyn could have made them all deaf from half a mile away, but he was showing surprisingly good manners in not making that clear to Sean. Her punk witchling had shown some signs of maturity lately that made her a little wistful. It was good that he learn to be less innocently overwhelming, but it also meant he was growing up.

Nell moved down the beach a little closer to Lauren and Marcus. Her own weak mind-witch powers didn’t extend to long-distance conversations. Elorie looks happy, she sent. Those phones were a brilliant idea, Lauren.

More importantly, she’s opening to her power with far less resistance, Marcus sent. We might manage to make some progress here yet.

Trust the grumpy old man to think happiness didn’t matter, Nell thought. She tried to ignore the fact that he was only a few years older than she was.

They all watched as Elorie tried again to blend two simple spells, one from Lizzie and one from Sean. They’d spread further down the beach for this second attempt, and the spell merge failed. She hasn’t got Ginia’s range, Marcus grumbled, and I can’t figure out why. Ginia can blend spells from the other end of the beach, but Elorie has to be within a few feet.

Nell was surprised the issue wasn’t obvious to Marcus. Kevin’s her limit—she can’t blend spells if she can’t see them, and his mind magic isn’t all that strong. He can’t visualize it well enough for her when they get farther away.

Hmm, Marcus sent. That’s going to make him a lot less useful to her.

Nell gritted her teeth. She’d show him just how “less useful” Kevin could be. She had a theory about Elorie’s Net power, and now seemed like an excellent time to put it to the test.

With careful precision, she sent a message to Lauren only and asked her to relay it with equal care to the trainees. When Aervyn burst into hysterical giggles, she was pretty sure her idea had been shared.

Elorie looked skeptical at first. A moment later, she looked a little mad and a lot focused. What’d you tell her? Nell asked Lauren.

That Marcus thought she and Kevin were kinda wimpy together.

Nell snickered. Lauren was turning into a very effective trainer.

Marcus was still oblivious. The man couldn’t read emotions around him unless they knocked him on the head or he paid full attention, and right now, neither was happening.

Elorie and Kevin headed to the far end of the beach, closer to where the other witchlings were gathering. Nell grinned as Aervyn, Lizzie, and Sean all began forming spells as they walked. It looked like a little more than what she’d asked for. Clearly they were improvising.

What are they up to now? Marcus was getting testy. We’ve already experimented in close proximity. They’re just wasting time.

They’re kids at a beach, Nell sent. Let them play a little. She meant it, but she also needed to distract him for long enough to let her evil little plan come to fruition.

We’re ready, Lauren! Aervyn, as the strongest mind witch, was clearly on messaging detail. She hoped he’d remembered to exclude Marcus.

Mama! Nell nearly laughed at Aervyn’s indignant protest. He was probably rolling his eyes, too. If I told him, it wouldn’t be so funny, would it?

Lauren stepped back from Marcus and made a big show of waving her left arm around. Nell snorted. No self-respecting spellcaster did that kind of hocus-pocus stuff. Maybe she was just trying to distract Marcus from the fact that her other hand was in her pocket, on her iPhone.

Then Lauren started rhyming.

“I ask the Water and the Air

Make a raincloud hover there

Above the head of he who doubts

Moans and grumbles, whines and pouts.

Let him the power