A Hidden Witch - By Debora Geary Page 0,84
porch floor. How on earth was she going to manage that?
She watched in a daze as more gifts were handed out. Lauren delighted in the earrings Ginia had worked on for several painstaking hours. Gran giggled over the bright pink shirt that said “World’s Best Grandma.” And everyone sang along when Aervyn bespelled the flowers into a round of Happy Birthday.
Then Ginia handed Elorie another small box. From the sudden quiet attention around her, this one was important.
Elorie wasn’t sure her emotions could take any more. Gran patted her hand. “Go ahead, dearest girl. This is the best gift of all.”
One more time, she opened a box. And frowned. It was her new heart pendant. That’s what had been niggling at her all day—the missing weight of it. She touched a hand to her neck, and Aervyn giggled. “I ported it this morning. Mama says it’s okay to be a witchling thief if there’s a really good reason.”
Elorie began to understand why someone might look suspiciously at the contents of a box. “And what else did you do to it, sweet boy?”
“Wasn’t just me.” Aervyn had somehow found another brownie. “Lotsa people helped. We needed almost a whole circle. Shrinking stuff is hard.”
The heart looked the same size as the last time she’d seen it. She looked around in confusion. All her witchlings looked very proud. Something was definitely up.
Ginia stood up. “Let me put it on for you.”
Elorie held up her hair as Ginia attached the clasp, and then stepped back, eyes bright. “Now turn on Net power.”
Elorie reached into her pocket for her iPhone, and discovered it was missing as well. Aervyn giggled again. Add “pickpocket” to his list of magical skills.
Ginia shook her head. “You don’t need your phone. We put it inside your necklace, along with a couple of other cool spells.”
Aervyn still danced in excitement. “Yup, we got the idea from—” He stopped speaking abruptly as Ginia’s hand clamped over his mouth.
Nell jumped into the sudden silence. “Jamie says it’s heresy to shrink something as cool as an iPhone, but you should basically have a permanent Internet connection around your neck now.”
Elorie struggled to imagine an iPhone inside her sea glass. Then Nell’s words sank in. A permanent Internet connection? Her eyes widened as hope and fear both hit. She faced the fear first. “Will it harm the babies?”
Nell shook her head. “Nope. Ginia embedded a couple of spells while she was tinkering in that glass heart of yours. You have one of Moira’s best protection spells in there, and a sweet little spell to visualize elemental power. You should be able to see power flows now, even if Kevin’s not around.”
Elorie nodded, trying to take it all in. Her babies would be safe, and she wore a microscopic computer around her neck. Or something like that. If what Nell said was true, the details didn’t matter.
Closing her eyes, Elorie reached for Net power. Her heart soared as her magic replied. It was hers to call, whenever she needed it.
Just like every other witch.
She clutched her pendant and looked at the faces around her. These wonderful, marvelous people had figured out a way to take down the last barrier between her heart and her magic.
They’d set her free. There was no greater love.
~ ~ ~
Sophie leaned back against the comforting rocks of Moira’s hot pool and sighed. Bliss. She’d been waiting for this all day.
Moonlight shone on the garden, sending the mists dancing. It was a night for magic. Or perhaps for something a little different. She snuggled closer to Mike.
He tucked her into the curve of his arm and laid his free hand on her belly. Sophie smiled. “Our Seedling’s fine. Nothing’s changed since you checked ten minutes ago.”
Mike chuckled quietly. “I’m not really checking. Just feeling, I guess. It’s a miracle every time.”
Sophie resisted the urge to drop into light healing trance with him. They needed to talk. Two people with a baby on the way couldn’t live thousands of miles apart. And though her heart ached at the idea of leaving her Colorado haven, she would if that was the right next step.
Mike laid a finger on her lips. “Shh. I know we have plans to make, but I have something for you first.”
She smiled as he reached for a nearby flower stem. Blue hyacinth. A profusion of small buds with a big message—flower-speak for constancy and steady love. It had always amused her that such a delicate flower represented the sturdiest