looked up now, eyes shining with affection and a disturbing dose of determination.
Beth frowned - she never understood feelings that well unless someone was mind-shoveling them into her brain. If Liri was using magic to make her point, this had gotten awfully serious. "Don't exhaust yourself. I'll think about it."
"Let the magic call you," said Liri softly, echoing a conversation that they'd been having for months.
Beth picked up a small blue crystal. Lapis, for clarity of thought. "It's been calling me for months now." And it still shamed her. She had a good life, one full of friends, love, and purpose. It shouldn't feel incomplete.
It wasn't their fault they couldn't match her magic.
Or that she couldn't be satisfied with what she had.
-o0o-
It sounded like Martians had invaded, along with their pet rhinos. Nell watched the army of kids barreling through her living room and hoped somebody was in charge.
When Sierra waved from the back of the attack formation, Nell grinned and turned back to her computer. Life Sullivan-Walker style, back to normal.
The email at the top of her inbox grabbed her attention first. She read Sammy's response and chuckled. Someone had lived in Texas for way too long. She missed her friend desperately already, and they'd only been back in Berkeley for about four hours.
Nell pushed back from her computer, mind full of old memories. Sammy walking down the aisle, a handsome cowboy awaiting her. A wedding reception full of soggy steak and bootlegged cookies. And the wrenching pain of losing a best friend to the wilds of Texas.
Fifteen years ago - and it still felt like yesterday.
Strong hands settled on her shoulders, rubbing gently. Daniel leaned over and kissed the top of Nell's head. "It's good to have you home."
"Yeah." The glow spread out from Nell's belly like fire-warmed whiskey. "It was time - we have a very big birthday bash happening in less than a week." And Texas, even with Sammy in it, wasn't home.
Her husband pushed a hard drive out of the way and sat down. "Witch Central can plan a party in their sleep."
Maybe so. But this one was for her son and her favorite niece. "It's going to be bedlam."
"We'll hardly notice." Daniel grinned and raided her super-secret cookie drawer. "The girls are already trying to figure out how to wedge extra beds into their room. Something about a week-long sleepover." He took a monster-sized bite out of her last snickerdoodle. "Aervyn's helping."
Uh, oh. Nell got halfway out of her chair before she realized the obvious - Daniel was sitting down and munching on a cookie. "Read them the riot act, did you?"
"Yup. Bread-and-water rations for any kiddo who ports in anything bigger than an elephant without asking first."
That would probably take care of it. Apparently five childless days hadn't slowed her husband down any. "We can fill The Dungeon with air mattresses." There would probably be extra houseguests. A party and sunshine in December were both pretty big witch attractants.
Her husband just ran a thumb up the arch of her hand, his mind broadcasting calm and a quick vision of her favorite red silk nightie. "Stop worrying about the logistics."
She grinned, appreciating his mental multitasking. "It's a bit strange to be home." She'd stayed in touch with Sammy, reading the letters and emails of a life in Texas. Made three trips to Texas over the years, the first one alone, the second one with her munchkins in tow. Which had led to three girls with a full-blown horse fixation, an older son who wanted to be a cowboy, and a three-year-old who had wanted to marry Sammy.
Nell had vetoed the wedding - she wasn't losing any more people she loved to Texas. This time, Aervyn had only wanted to bring home a horse.
She sighed. Sometimes it was hard to lay the mama aside in favor of red silk.
"Give it a few more hours to sink in." Daniel hugged her shoulders. "Witch Central beats in your soul. It'll suck you back in soon enough."
Nell smiled, a little wistful. Sammy had said something very similar as they'd done their good-byes. "Anything else before I get back to work?" In about three hours, jet lag and a week of