A Modern Witch - By Debora Geary Page 0,54

National Seashore; we’ll be up on the cliffs on Monday night for the full circle. It’s one of my favorite places.”

Nat swung around slowly, taking in the crashing waves and the glorious night sky. Even she could feel the power in this place. It was no accident he had brought her here now. However casual Jamie might appear, he got the important things exactly right.

She looked over to where he stood. He waited, absolutely still. She’d spent the night dancing with the man. Now it was time to be with the witch.

She nodded, just once. He reached for the sky, and glowing with power, pulled a shower of starlight down on their heads.

Then he kissed her, and the light in her heart moved to dance with the stars.

Chapter 13

Nat sat on the grass in Jamie’s back yard and waited patiently for her class to assemble.

Aunt Jennie was already sitting quietly, her legs twisted in a comfortable lotus that spoke of long practice. Morning yoga for mind witches had been her idea.

Lauren walked out of the house with Aervyn. The growing bond between the two of them was sweet. Jennie gestured Lauren to one side of her, Aervyn to the other. Nat nodded in approval. It was always good to keep the troublemakers separated.

She hadn’t had much time to talk with Lauren, but it seemed like her friend’s resilient nature had kicked in. Hopefully she had discovered some upside to her new powers. Training with Aervyn had to be fun.

Jamie wandered out last and looked pretty sulky for a grown man. He had thought mind-witch yoga was a great idea when Aunt Jennie dreamed it up—until she’d decided he could use the practice as well. He settled at the back. That was fine, thought Nat. She knew how to teach to the back row just as well as the front.

Nat realized she was enjoying his discomfort, however petty it might be. She’d spent the last two days on his turf. This time, he’d be on hers. There was no ground more solid for her than at the front of a yoga class.

She stood up. When dealing with beginners, it was best to get underway and pick up the pieces as you rolled along.

As instructed, she visualized the first moves in her mind, and then began. No words—her class was supposed to be reading the pictures in her mind. Knees bend, arms sweep up, breathe in. Stretch for the gorgeous blue sky and feel the warmth. Breathe out, arms sweep down and to heart center. Repeat.

Jennie and Lauren followed smoothly. Aervyn giggled, and Nat sent a quieting thought she hoped he could hear. Feel the joy, sweet boy, but in your body. Move with your breath. His answering grin caught her under the ribs. It was so much the face of the toddler in Jamie’s vision.

Jamie went through the motions in the back, a resigned look on his face. Poor guy—yoga was clearly not his thing. Yet.

Nat swept into a simple sun salutation series, visualizing each movement in sequence. Jennie and Lauren were still with her. Aervyn did as well as she would expect from a small boy. Jamie struggled.

Nat suddenly wanted desperately for him to understand her deep love for these movements. She sank into the flow of poses and let her mind sing. Body stretched and limber, mind serene. Power streaming from sun to earth, down her outstretched fingers. Grounded feet, light spirit, bright heart.

She had him now. Jamie had moved out of his sulk into a respectable flow of poses. More importantly— and oh! it mattered to her—he was feeling the flow. Jennie’s thought slid gently in. That was very well done, child.

Time for more challenge. Nat flowed into more complex variations of the sun salutations. Jennie still followed easily, but Lauren began to wobble as Nat introduced flows different from her normal class routines. Nat focused on clearly visualizing each pose before she moved, and Lauren steadied.

Aervyn was just cute, and not a bad little yogi. He clearly got the joy of the flows, if not many of the actual positions.

Jamie just looked at her. You are so beautiful. The rest of the class fell into disarray as Nat’s sending of poses stuttered to a halt.

Jamie, stop distracting Nat, came Aunt Jennie’s amused mental voice. You can’t get out of practice that easily.

Leaning on ten years of experience, Nat relied on the yoga to steady her.

She moved automatically into some standing poses. These were obviously easier for everyone