the strands currently adorning Shay's shoulders, they were heading up the oak tree next. "What did you do, rob the Christmas tree in the town square?"
"Mama!" Three voices protested in unison.
Ginia had the best glare. "We would never do something like that unless it was a total emergency. We borrowed Nat's lights."
The woman in question walked out the back door. "Hey, Nell. Have any snickerdoodles?" She held up a plate. "Apparently, this is our full supply."
So she'd been told. Accompanied by brotherly sulks and a grocery bag full of flour and butter. "Yup - there are several dozen cooling on my counter."
Small blonde heads grinned up at their beloved aunt.
Nell shook her head. Apparently a grand, cosmic plan was unfolding according to specifications. "Anything else I can do to help?"
"Want Kenna duty during the circle?" Nat looked hopeful. "We tried to send her over to Caro's house, but I swear, she can smell magic on its way."
"More likely she smelled the snickerdoodles." Nell chuckled - her niece was a cookie fiend. "I'll be happy to keep track of her. Are you playing your flute?"
"Trying." Nat didn't share the general consensus that her baby flute-playing skills were more than adequate.
For a circle thrown together in less than twenty-four hours, this was going to be a fairly jazzy one. "I hope Beth appreciates all the ambience." She had visions of one terrified fire witch running for the hills with streamers of Christmas lights trailing behind.
And three very disappointed girls.
"She's braver than you think," said Nat quietly.
Crap. Nell sighed, well aware she deserved the gentle look in the mirror. "I don't shift gears very fast. She didn't love all my children at first sight, and apparently that's still making me grumpy." Which was plain dumb, since the love affair was now well underway.
For today, she planned to ignore any other causes of unease stirring in her belly.
The empathy in Nat's eyes was absolute. "Fortunately, she adores Kenna, or you'd have had grumpy company."
Someday, Nell wanted to grow up to be her sister-in-law. Wise, righteous, and kind, all at the same time.
Nat turned her head, listening to some invisible bat signal. "Beth's been spotted down the street."
That suggested shenanigans. "Is my son hovering in trees again?"
"I think so - the girls were trying to keep him busy. It's possible they used the same ruse to get my husband out of their hair."
Well, Jamie kind of qualified as adult supervision.
The activity in the back yard morphed, decorating committee swiftly shifting into circle mode. Ginia, huffing a little, moved past them carrying one of Jamie and Nat's kitchen chairs and set it down inside the magical perimeter. Nell raised an eyebrow at her sister-in-law - only one witch in the vicinity qualified for a comfy seat. "Moira's doing the circle?" That hadn't been the plan at 7 a.m.
"She volunteered."
Nat didn't have to say anything more - Irish volunteers weren't the kind who took no for an answer. "Who else is on water?" They'd opted for two witches at each element. More stable than one, but no need for trio linking.
"Devin. He volunteered about two seconds after Moira did."
Nell relaxed - that part was in the plan, and Dev had enough water power to carry the entire load ten times over. He was also as protective of their elderly matriarch as any witch alive.
Shay dashed by and tossed a string of lights their way. "Mama, can you put those up in the tree? Please? Make them pretty!"
She looked down at the lights, bemused. It was a strange sensation to be on the receiving end of all the odd jobs that surrounded a circle. Witches in the circle were usually busy with magical preparations, but apparently the same didn't apply to those on mopping duty.
"Welcome to temporary status among those of us who aren't the strongest witches in the land." Nat's eyes twinkled. "Want help with the lights?"
"No." Nell waved her off, chuckling. One of the strongest witches in the land could manage to get the lights up in the tree all by herself. "You're probably needed on the welcoming committee." Put the friendliest faces up front - slightly grumpy witches were better off hanging out in the background.