But more importantly, whatever might be making Beth uncomfortable at Witch Central, the magic clearly called to her. She was fascinated - and her channels practically glowed in response. He smiled. She was no Kenna, but she had very decent access to power.
Right now, however, she seemed even more interested in his girlchild and her sidekick. Beth sat down on the floor beside Kenna, still looking at Aervyn in her odd, indirect way. "Kenna is a fire witch?"
Aervyn grinned. "Uh, huh." He turned to his youngest cousin. "Kenna, make a magic ball."
Kenna set down her fire truck carefully - Jamie gave her points for remembering to let go of the toys first - and waved two chubby hands in the air. A ball the size of her head floated gently in the air, full of tiny dancing lights.
Beth's eyes were huge, but her mind was more awed than afraid. Jamie went with his gut and sat perfectly still. Sometimes training was entirely about getting out of the way.
"Yay!" Aervyn clapped with the easy joy of a teacher whose star pupil had just performed a new trick. He'd been trying to get Kenna to make the ball's interior lights dance for over a week. "Look, she did it!"
Jamie didn't have the heart to tell him she'd been doing it for days now - every afternoon, right after he left. His baby girl did things on her own time.
His eyes still on Kenna, Aervyn reached out one hand, a much smaller magic ball sitting on his palm. "Look, Kenna - can you make the lights like this? All different colors like a rainbow?"
Kenna's ball vanished as she beelined for the much prettier one twinkling two feet away.
Aervyn giggled and floated it up over her head, just out of reach of grasping fingers. Then he turned off the ball and looked at Kenna hopefully. "Now you try."
She glared at him and marched back to her fire truck, plunking down in a sulk that would have done a teenager proud.
Aervyn just rolled his eyes, an old hat at dealing with his baby cousin's temperamental nature. He looked up at Jamie. "Maybe she'll try it tomorrow."
Probably - his munchkin couldn't resist pretty lights. Heck, with his luck, they'd be up half the night watching rainbows dancing in the dark. Kenna had a deep fondness for figuring out new magic tricks in the dark of night.
"Oooh." Aervyn's eyes got big.
Jamie followed his gaze, suddenly remembering they had a guest. Beth sat frozen in place on the floor, one hand held in front of her chest, palm up - and every fiber of her being concentrating on that hand.
"She's trying to make a magic ball," said Aervyn softly.
Jamie switched to watching her power flows. Sure enough. She'd seen just a little of what Aervyn had done and was trying to replicate it. It was like trying to copy Picasso with a broken crayon - but she was trying.
And damned if he was walking in and trampling all over her magic a second time. If he had to be an idiot, he at least wanted to be one who learned from his mistakes. Leaning over, he ruffled his nephew's hair. Why don't you give her a little help, superboy? Really carefully - she's just a baby witch.
She has a little bit of it right, sent Aervyn thoughtfully. He walked over and sat in front of Beth. "Can I speak to your mind? I can show you something that will help."
Her nod was barely perceptible, her focus on her palm still absolute. Nice discipline, even if she had no idea what to do with it. Jamie threw up a training circle. Quietly. There was more than one kind of magic happening in the room, and he didn't want to disturb any of them.
With the same infinite patience he showed with Kenna, Aervyn started tracing lines and power flows. An innovative kind of magical connect-the-dots that nobody else could do nearly as well.
Unlike Kenna, Beth paid consummate attention. Slowly, carefully, with her pint-sized teacher augmenting her wavering skills, she traced each line behind him.
Jamie stared at the slow parade for a while, and blinked when all the lights went out. What happened, short stuff? The