A Reckless Witch - By Debora Geary Page 0,24
the witch who’d caused it all stood looking at them with an expectant grin on her face.
~ ~ ~
It was so cool to do magic and not have to hide on the beach to do it. Sierra looked down at Aervyn, who watched her, puzzled. Maybe the spell had been too complicated for him to follow. She crouched down. “Wanna try it? I can do it slower so you can see all the parts.”
That’s how Momma had taught her.
He frowned. “How come you don’t use a groundline?”
A what? She looked toward at the others for explanation—and realized no one was smiling. Govin was looking at her like she had a booger dripping out of her nose or something. The other two just looked worried. Really worried. Cripes. Maybe she wasn’t supposed to be teaching anyone magic. She stood up, feeling the last echoes of the energy streams she’d called for the baby storm leaking away.
First day of her new job, and she’d somehow already screwed up. Nice one, Sierra.
Jamie’s eyes looked the friendliest, so she focused on him. “Sorry. Whatever I did wrong, just tell me, so I don’t do it again.” Rules, she could live with. Most of the time. Rules she didn’t know about sucked.
He just stared at her, not saying anything.
She jumped as a small hand slid into hers. “Don’t be mad, Uncle Jamie. Maybe she doesn’t know how to use a groundline. I can teach her.”
It felt good to have someone on her team, even if he was only three-and-a-half feet tall.
Devin nodded and ruffled Aervyn’s hair. “You’re totally right, buddy.” He turned to Sierra. “Most witches use an extra line when they cast a spell—one that they tie off somewhere safe. Kind of like an overflow valve, in case there’s backlash or you pull more power than you expected.”
Sierra had no idea what he was talking about. “Isn’t it better just to pull the right amount in the first place?”
He shrugged. “Sure, but with your kind of power, if you judge wrong, a groundline gives you a safety net. So you don’t hurt yourself or anyone around you.”
Now she was really confused. “But that was just a baby spell. How could I hurt anyone with that?”
Devin blinked twice. Hard. “That was a baby spell for you?”
Aervyn grinned. “You must be a super-awesome weather witch.”
She nodded slowly, more worried about what she saw in Devin’s eyes. “That was just a class-three storm. It wouldn’t hurt anyone.” Especially not while she was standing right there.
Govin’s sharp intake of breath had everyone’s head turning. His eyes lasered in on hers. “How big a storm can you build?”
She had no idea. “I made a little hurricane once, but Momma said not to make a bigger one.” She smiled at the memory. “We had fun dancing in the funnel, though.”
Aervyn’s eyes were as big as plates. “You danced with a hurricane?”
She was about to offer to take him funnel dancing, and then she looked at the faces around her again. Maybe not. “Only once. Mostly we just played in smaller funnels. No bigger than a house.” Maybe that would get her out of whatever mess she’d stepped in. Maybe witches in California didn’t like to play.
Govin’s eyes were still glued to hers. “You made a hurricane without any groundlines?”
Sierra’s temper suddenly flared. It was time for all these people to stop dissing her magic. “I do magic exactly the way Momma taught me.” She grabbed for power, ready to show them exactly what she could do with it. And ran into a brick wall.
One with a very determined four-year-old holding the reins. “You can’t do that, Sierra. It’s dangerous. Just lemme show you a groundline, please? You’re a good witch—I bet it’s totally easy for you.”
Holy cats. He’d stopped her magic in its tracks.
Jamie smiled grimly. “He can stop mine cold too, if that makes you feel any better.”
Aervyn nodded solemnly. “That’s why they call me superboy.”
He was so danged cute. Sierra crouched down again, temper leaving as easily as it had come. “So show me how to be supergirl, then. What’s this grounding stuff?”
Two minutes later, she looked up at the trio of guys watching. Grounding was dirt easy. “That’s it?”
Jamie nodded. “It’s not hard. It’s usually one of the first things I teach my trainees. But it’s important—it keeps everyone safer.”
That was the part she really didn’t get. “But I’ve never been seriously hurt by my magic.” Banged up a little, but she’d been hurt worse riding her