it’s not my thing,” Lauren said. “Heck, it’s more your thing. You try it on.”
Nat touched her arm gently. “It’s not for me. Try it on, Lauren.”
“Do you believe in this crystal stuff?”
Nat sighed. “I think it’s probably an easier leap for me, yes. I use candles and music and yoga sequences as tools to clear my mind and focus. It’s not a big stretch to imagine that crystals and lotions might be useful tools as well.” She held out the pendant again.
You’d never guess Nat could be so stubborn by looking at her, thought Lauren. Jamie might have a few surprises coming to him, precog or not. She took the pendant and slipped it over her neck.
“Nothing, I don’t feel anything.”
“That’s probably good. Oh, wait a minute.” Nat reached into her pocket, took out an iPod, and touched the screen a couple of times. “How about now?”
“What is that thing? Wait. I can hear your thoughts now, and no, I don’t plan on packing any lighter. Why couldn’t I hear you before? You woke me up, so I didn’t have time to put up any walls.”
Nat gave Lauren the iPod. “It’s Jamie’s gizmo. He programmed it to… well, I don’t understand it all, but it’s a bit like a force field. I had it up around me when I got here so my mind would stay contained. Jamie says you can use it when we fly. That way, nothing should get through to you. He figured the airport would probably make you nuts otherwise, so he was up half the night programming this.”
“Oh, really.” Lauren looked up from the Star Trek gizmo. “And how do you know this?”
Nat shook her head and laughed. “Not how you think. He came over early this morning so I could be his beta tester and see if this device was working.”
Lauren studied the gizmo and fingered the pendant around her neck. These were the tools of a modern witch?
…
Nell: Morning, ladies.
Sophie: Have you heard from Jamie?
Nell: Yes, last night late. We didn’t want to wake you, so I told him I’d chat with you both this morning. He’s bringing Lauren here to California. They should be leaving Chicago shortly.
Moira: Oh, and that’s good news. She’s agreed to some training, then?
Nell: I think he insisted. Moira, he had something he wanted me to ask you about. Lauren went to work yesterday, after they’d drilled brick wall barriers. He said she was solid on those, and he magically reinforced them.
Moira: A sensible approach.
Nell: Apparently she decided they were too much of a block—interfering with her job—so she adjusted them some.
Moira: That’s quite the accomplishment for a witch with so little training.
Nell: Unfortunately, she didn’t go small. He said she kicked a hole in her brick wall while she was with some clients.
Sophie: Uh, oh. Did she overload again? I sent some things to help with that, but they wouldn’t have arrived until today.
Nell: No, and that’s the part that scared Jamie. She was with a couple that are buying a house and having a baby.
Moira: It’s a good reason to buy a house, having a little one on the way.
Nell: This is the part he wanted me to ask you about. Lauren picked up thoughts from the husband and wife, but she also picked up mind impressions from the baby. They just found out about the pregnancy, so this baby is just a little bean. Lauren felt enough that she had trouble pulling out.
Moira: Oh, dear. Nell, that could be very dangerous.
Nell: That was Jamie’s reaction, so I don’t think he gave her a lot of choice about getting on a plane this morning.
Moira: While I’m normally in favor of free choice, I think in this case a wee bit of pressure was warranted. She must be extremely sensitive to connect with a mind that young and undeveloped, especially if she wasn’t making any efforts to do so. Tell Jennie to test her as a channeler as well—if she has any channeling talent, that would have augmented her mind power. Jamie is right to be very concerned. She needs training, and she needs it immediately.
Nell: He’ll be glad to hear that you think that.
Moira: He can be impetuous, our Jamie, but he’s a smart witch. He’s done the right thing.
Sophie: If she’s so sensitive, how will she get to California? She’ll be on a plane with a crowd of other people for several hours. I sent her a lapis pendant, and some emerald and white