they had an emergency. Jamie, you shield Nat. Aervyn, sweetie, you and Devin shield everyone else. Her brother would know that as code for keeping her son safe when she broke the circle's connection. Beth, you need to trust me now. I'm going to step into your connection with Kenna. Can you split it in two so I can take a piece? We need to get that spell repaired before she sets it off.
I can help. I see where it's broken.
That was crazy talk. You can't shape a simple fire globe.
You made that perfectly clear. Pure frost crackled down their mind connection. But I can do this. It's a simple join.
Fury hit Nell's airwaves. We don't have much time. I need you to split that connection. There was no time for newbie-witch heroics. And split or not, she was going in.
Nell. Her brother's mind voice was honed steel. She does see it - better than any of us. And it's dangerous for you to step in. Help her make the join.
Insanity. She whirled on Jamie, circle-busting spell already forming in her fingers. And ran smack into the wall of his mental conviction.
I need help. Beth's mind presence shoved down the middle of the standoff. Kenna - how do I keep her safe?
For a split second, nobody moved. Not an atom of air, not a molecule of magic.
And then Jamie exhaled. You listen to Nell. He projected comfort and confidence with every syllable. She's the best there is.
Okay. A deep breath, and then Beth's focus was back on the dancing lines connecting her to the toddler in Nat's lap. Nell, help me please.
Nell felt her insides shuddering. She'd talked Aervyn down from magical cliffs all his life. And she was quaking in her boots.
They're green flip-flops. You hate boots. Jamie's voice carried humor - and a good swift kick. Beth, that line of power in your hands? Just start pulling yourself along it. Nice and gently, hand over hand. See where it intersects with the green flow up ahead? Hang a right.
His message to his sister was much more terse. Are you doing this, or am I?
Beth was already on the move, her magical shifting careful and precise. Are you sure? Left at the blue sparkly one might be faster.
No. Nell stepped in. Jamie was a good caster - she was better. Blue is water, and you're holding fire. Stick to the earth and air flows if you can. You'll move faster.
Fire has a temper. Beth almost smiled - and executed a neat right turn at the green. Left and up?
Kenna's watching. Lauren's alert was quiet and unalarmed. She's stopped working.
They could all see it. The flows sitting, waiting. Good. Fascinated babies didn't set off broken spells. Nell traced backward from the missing join. Try down and right at the narrow orange flow ahead.
Then right at green, right and down twice on yellow, U-turn at purple. Beth was moving faster now, her mind increasingly sure.
Nell traced. Damn. Correct on all four. Yes. Slow down on the last one - we don't want Kenna yanking on anything from her end.
I've never seen the lines like this. It's so big. Awe leaked through Beth's mental voice.
There was no time for awe. She's a powerful little munchkin, but she's got a whole circle feeding her. They're feeding you, too. Trust the circle.
Beth rounded the last turn.
Nell zoned in on the center of the spell. Time for action. Can you see both ends?
Yes. Beth was back to her robot voice.
Okay. You're going to reach carefully for the one closest to you. Nell gritted her teeth and tried not to doubt. "Reaching" was the only part of this that relied on Beth's personal magic.
Won't that be unbalanced? Beth was still, surveying the flows. I can make a little joining piece, like this.
Nell gaped at the small, well-behaved linking spell sitting on Beth's palm. It was a little nontraditional, but it looked plenty effective. Where did you learn that?
It's how I join my circle together. We don't have an air witch.