A Modern Witch - By Debora Geary Page 0,46

across from her. “You’re J.W. Adams? I didn’t know the Art Institute ever showed the work of anyone who was still alive. Your photographs are life altering. Every single one makes you feel.”

Jennie’s face bloomed with delight. “What a beautiful compliment. Thank you. Yes, I’m Jenvieve Whitney Adams, but no one here calls me anything but Jennie.”

“You’re a witch, and yet you’ve dedicated your life to taking these stunning pictures.”

“It’s because I’m a witch that I can take these pictures,” Jennie said. “A good portrait photographer shows the outside of a person; a great one shows the inside. Being a mind witch makes it a little easier to see the inside, to know what the photograph needs to show.”

Lauren struggled with the ethics. “You read their minds before you take a picture?”

Jennie smiled. “It’s not as simple as being in or out of someone’s mind—there are a lot of possibilities in between. If you stay entirely out, you connect with no one. There are some ethical guidelines, but in the end, every mind witch needs to find her own limits, her own balance. I found mine at a place that lets me tell someone’s story the way it needs to be told.”

She paused, and then gestured at the cover of the coffee-table book. Lauren could see the sheen of tears. “The little girl—her name was Minah. She broke my heart. The only way I could find to honor her grief and her love was to take this picture, and to make sure I got it exactly right.”

…

Nell stood at the stove and stirred something that smelled miraculous. Could all of Jamie’s family cook, Nat wondered, or had she just been lucky so far?

“My brother’s a coward,” Nell said, glancing at the table where Nat was sitting. “He knows I want to put you under the microscope, and he abandoned ship.”

Nat laughed. Nell sounded like she was kidding. Mostly. “Maybe I should go play in the sandbox with Aervyn too.”

“It’s a close contest, but I have chocolate, if that sways things in my favor.”

“If it’s dark chocolate, you can quiz me all you want.”

Nell grinned. “Dark chocolate with orange or mint? If you promise to be really cooperative, you can have both.”

“Do you just want to plug into my mind, or play twenty questions?”

Nell snorted. “My mind talents are pathetic. We’ll just have to do it the old-fashioned way. So tell me, how does it feel to have some strange witch see flashes of your future together?”

In the Smythe family, thought Nat, it would have taken hours to work around to that question. Ha. More like forever. Her family wouldn’t permit conversation about anything as unsuitable as witches.

She looked at Nell and considered. “How much did Jamie tell you about his precog?”

“Less than I’m hoping you’ll tell me.” Nell stirred a pot one last time and came to sit down at the table. “I’m sorry to be so direct. Well, I’m not really, but once upon a time, before I had five kids, I would have been a little more subtle.”

Nat quirked an eyebrow. “Or a pesky brother who could walk back in any time?”

Nell blushed. “Yeah, that too. So, are you going to spill, or not?”

I like her, Nat decided. Subtle she’s not, but she obviously loves Jamie, and she’s been wonderful with Lauren. Loyalty and generosity were two of her favorite things. Time to make a friend.

“Jamie linked me in so I could see what he saw. I didn’t actually realize it was about the two of us until the end. He’s not actually in the picture, if that makes sense.”

Nell frowned. “You didn’t see him, just you?”

“Right, almost like it was memories seen through his eyes. The first ones were what seemed to be a couple of first dates.” Nat couldn’t resist the temptation to do just a little prying of her own. “Does he like yoga?”

Nell goggled, and then shook with laughter. “Jamie? Yoga? Snowballs in hell will do yoga first.”

Nat grinned. Maybe a witch seeing your future wasn’t all bad. “I teach yoga. I’ll bet you a month’s supply of chocolate that he does sun salutations by Christmas.” She hoped the precog visions had been in chronological order.

“Here I thought my brother finally found a smart woman. You’re on.” Nell shook her hand and smirked. Then realization hit. “Wait—he saw this, didn’t he. He does yoga in his future? No wonder he was so shaken up.”

Nat was amused. “I like my chocolate dark, no nuts.”

Jamie and