A Modern Witch - By Debora Geary Page 0,48

day Jamie will learn to keep some of his thoughts a little more tucked away.”

Jamie sputtered in mostly mock protest. “How am I the bad guy?”

Nell laughed. “You got punked by a four-year-old and a witch in diapers. You’re getting old, brother mine.”

Aunt Jennie held up a hand. “Am I the only one who noticed anything except Jamie’s lovely figure during that little display?”

Lauren figured her face held the same puzzled look as everyone else at the table.

Jennie looked at Aervyn. “Sweetie, did you cast an illusion spell on Uncle Jamie by yourself?”

Aervyn was clearly no dummy and promptly indicted his co-conspirator. “Nope. Lauren helped.”

Lauren was still puzzled, but all the other witches in the room seem to have solved some great mystery. “What’d I do?”

“You did Cat Woman. I just pushed it a little.” Great, Aervyn was throwing her under the bus. She kicked him under the table. He just giggled.

Jennie nodded. “I think she’s a channeler.” She turned to Lauren. “Did Jamie explain the different types of magical talent to you?”

“I’m not a trainer in diapers, Aunt Jennie,” said Jamie, rolling his eyes.

She might be a witch in diapers, Lauren thought, but until a few days ago, she’d been pretty good with basic conversational recall. “He did. Five kinds of power, two ways to use it. Channelers and spellcasters, right? What does that have to do with Cat Woman?”

“Good, you pay attention. That will come in handy. Aervyn is a pretty decent spellcaster for a four-year-old. Or rather, a very strong spellcaster still somewhat constrained by four-year-old logic. Spells have complex logic, and you can only cast a spell you can structure correctly.”

Jamie picked up the explanation. “For a spellcaster to work a complex spell, they need a power source. Normally you use elemental powers, or work with a circle. Aervyn is an elemental witch, so I assumed at first he had used those energies to produce Cat Woman.”

“Nope, I used Lauren,” said Aervyn gleefully.

“I don’t get it,” Lauren said. “Jamie, didn’t you say I have no elemental powers?”

“Deader than a doorknob,” Jamie agreed. “However, you have mind powers. Usually those aren’t strong enough to support a spell for long, and they drain the source. If Aervyn had tapped into my mind powers for that spell, I’d be unconscious on the floor.”

Lauren frowned. “I feel fine.”

“I didn’t hurt Lauren!” Aervyn added in protest.

Aunt Jennie squeezed his hand. “No, sweetie, you didn’t. You did exactly what a spellcaster should do. You tapped the nearest source of power you could use without harm. I don’t think you just took, though. Lauren channeled for you, didn’t she?”

Aervyn nodded. “I had to kind of show her brain what to do.”

“Of course you did. She’s never been a channeler before.”

Aunt Jennie looked at Lauren. “We’re not being very clear, are we? Aervyn spellcast the Cat Woman illusion, but you helped a lot more than I think you realize. I was saying before that spellcasters can work with a circle. One person, the channeler, works as the focus for the circle, collecting energy and directing it to the spellcaster. You pulled power from your own mind and channeled it to Aervyn, and he used it to cast Cat Woman.”

Lauren was getting really tired of scrambled-egg brain. “I’m sorry, I’m not usually slow at understanding things. I didn’t do anything except show Aervyn what Cat Woman looked like in my head.”

Jamie shook his head. “It was very easy for you, and one day you’re going to understand how envious that makes the rest of us. Lauren, what Aunt Jennie is trying to say is that you probably have channeling talent, and you’re going to be a hell of a mind witch. Your talents in that arena might even be in Aervyn’s league.”

That was not exactly comforting, Lauren thought.

Aervyn got the last word. “Nope, she’s gonna be stronger than me. She needs a lot of practice, though.”

Chapter 12

“Cripes, this is frustrating.” Lauren pouted. “I was doing better with setting barriers in Chicago. Why am I having more trouble now?”

Trainee witches are all the same, mused Jennie. Whether four years old or twenty-eight, they all figured it should be easy.

“Normally we’d have taken a day or two off after your traveling. Your brain is tired from the crowds and that Cat Woman stunt you and Aervyn pulled last night.”

Lauren grinned. “Am I in trouble for corrupting a minor?”

“Ha. That one was born looking for partners in crime. He has four older siblings—you can’t do much damage.”

“I never