She reached out for Nat’s hand. “And speaking of which, it’s really sweet of you to volunteer to come with me. Not necessary, though. We were all a bit shaken up yesterday, but I’ll be surrounded by witches in California. They should be able to keep me out of trouble.”
Nat laughed. “Yeah, you stay out of trouble so well. I’m going for you—because you’re my best friend, you’re on a wild ride, and I figure you’re either going to need someone to scream in the seat beside you, or hold your head while you puke.”
She sobered up. “I’m also going for me.”
Lauren nodded slowly and sipped her coffee. “Jamie.”
“Yes. I like him.” Nat shrugged. “And I’m too big a believer in finding your destiny to turn my back on what he saw without at least giving the first steps a try.”
“He’s a witch, Nat. Those first steps could get crazy kind of quickly.”
“My best friend’s a witch. It’s already gotten crazy. It’s a week; that’s all.”
Lauren shook her head. “It took less time than that for us to bond for life. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Nat got up from the bed. “Consider me warned. Now rise and shine; I know how long it takes you to pack. Oh, wait a minute.” She walked out of the room and returned shortly, carrying a FedEx box. “This was sitting outside your door. You must have slept through the delivery.”
“Not all of us get up to do yoga at the crack of dawn. Who’s it from?”
Nat read the package label. “Sophie Delaney at A Modern Witch. Oh, is she one of the chat-room witches?”
“Yeah. She runs a website that sells lotions and crystals and stuff.”
Nat looked surprised. “You ordered lotions and crystals?”
Not in this lifetime, Lauren thought. Then again, this lifetime had gotten very unpredictable in the last few days. She opened the box and surveyed the contents. There were several crystals, including a big, gorgeous blue one on a silver chain, a bottle of lotion, some loose tea that smelled yummy, and a handwritten letter. She picked up the letter and read.
Dear Lauren,
It’s hard to be far away when I want to reach out in friendship. I can only imagine the last few days have taken some strange turns for you. Jamie said you’d had some trouble with overloading. That’s not unusual for those with mind talents, or so I hear. My powers run in quite a different direction. I have some small skill with herbs and knowledge of crystals, so I’ve sent you a couple of things I hope might help.
The lotion is a blend of lavender and a few other things I make myself. I’ve added a small spell to help calm your channels. It would be lovely to use at night before bed. The tea is a spearmint blend that supports open communication and mind channels—use it whenever you feel a bit overwhelmed. No spell on that, just a little magic while the herbs were growing to strengthen their effects.
The crystals are tools to help focus and direct your energies. The red one is carnelian, and the yellow is citrine. I hope you’ve decided to go to California. If you do, Jennie will be able to teach you when to use these two to support your mind magic. The green emerald and white moonstone, tuck those in your pocket or purse for now, and keep them with you. They’ll help balance you and prevent overload.
The lapis pendant I hope might serve as your working focus. Many mind witches find lapis wonderfully helpful for clarity and heart connection. You will know if it is meant to be yours when you put it on. If it feels right, please accept it as a small gift from a new friend.
Blessed be, Sophie
Lauren handed the letter to Nat and started pulling clothes out of her closet. Crystals and potions. What the heck was she going to do with those? She’d almost made peace with the idea of having to be a witch. Her mind skills were kind of like extra-special intuition or something. Spells and big blue crystals seemed a lot more… witchy. A little too close to the pointy hats and cauldrons stuff.
She looked at the pile of clothes on her bed. “Do you think I need more than three pairs of shoes?”
“For a week in California, no. For witch training, I have no idea.” Nat grinned when Lauren scowled, and held out the lapis pendant. “Here.”