if you can distract Nat while you're at it. Lauren, Caro, you're with me.
Lizard headed out, her eyes already focused on the play structure. She was an expert in reading volatile situations quickly. See - they're out of balloons. The only real weapons they have up there are Nathan and Aervyn. Air witches weren't any use once the balloons were gone.
Those two are a fairly sizable threat. Caro sounded like she was sitting in a chair knitting, with all the time in the world.
One of them's only four. And no way were they getting punked by a kid who couldn't throw to save his life. Lizard tapped lightly into his outer mind - all that was allowed. And heard the rhyming. Wait - he does rhymes for his spells?
Sure, said Lauren, confused. Most witches do. He's strong enough that he doesn't have to say them out loud. Nathan either - that family has mad spellcasting skills.
Finally, Lizard smelled a route to victory. She dug into her mind for some family-friendly vocabulary and grinned. Okay, team. I'm going to shout stuff. I want you to shout it back to me - voice and mind-broadcast. We're going to distract the hell out of Aervyn and his older brother. Time to disrupt some spells.
She didn't wait for replies. Looking straight at the tiny, mighty king of water, she started to bellow. "Roses are RED!"
Her team almost missed their cue. Apparently it was hard to yell when you were doubled over in laughter. "... are RED!"
"Violets are BLUE!"
Still laughing, but at least they managed recognizable words this time.
"My feet STINK and so do YOU!"
They might have won. If her entire team hadn't been in hysterics, Nathan's confusion and Aervyn's flood of giggles would have given them the time they needed.
Instead, Lizard watched in disgust as Daniel grabbed the opportunity she'd created and stormed the play structure, throwing witchlings down the slide as he went. Not that it was a hard job - most of them had abandoned team allegiance and were happy to run around the backyard chanting, "My feet STINK and so do YOU!"
Yo, fearless leader. Jennie sounded busy. Aervyn's not the only witch who rhymes. You've scrambled pretty much everyone's magic with your stunt there - and guess which team has the most non-witches who can throw?
Frack. Lizard spun around, trying to get a read on the battle. And realized Team Jamie was an inch from winning. They had the play structure. Their senior-citizen defense team held at home base. And Jennie was all that stood between Nat's throwing arm and Team Jamie's total victory.
So Lizard did the only thing possible. She headed straight for Melvin and the home base he protected.
And discovered that a blind man had scary-good aim with a water pistol.
Jennie just shook her head as Jamie walked over, his quick-dry spell already causing her clothes to steam. His grin closely resembled a certain four-year-old's. "I told you so. You'd have stayed a lot drier on my team."
She eyed his still-dripping T-shirt. "I'm not sure you're good advertising for that claim."
"But check out my team." His eyes were full of mischief. "Vero and Marion didn't get a drop on them."
"You'd put me on your team of old folks, would you?" Jennie raised an eyebrow. Besides, while half his team of senior-citizen defenders had stayed dry, the same could not be said for Melvin and Helga, who had pulled out water pistols to defend against Lizard's final charge.
Jamie followed her gaze, chuckling. "I didn't know they were armed. That Helga's a handful."
"You know you're going to have to invite her back now." Helga's victory dance had been a sight to behold, a popped water balloon hanging off her knitting needles as she shimmied barefoot through the puddles.
"Of course." Jamie looked rather proud of himself. "And she'll make sure Elsie doesn't chicken out the next time I need her, too."
Jennie shook her head. Only her nephew could recruit a team full of non-witches and scared-of-a-little-water newbies and still emerge Water Balloon King. "It's a little hard to believe she was the mastermind behind all this. Silliness isn't exactly her forte."
Jamie grinned. "She shocked the hell out of me. She talked Helga and Marion into coming and recruited Vero and Melvin at her singing lesson this morning."
Which they had both conveniently failed to mention. "Somehow, I don't think that was a particularly difficult job."
"For them, no." Jamie was more serious now. "But when was the last time Elsie approached people with an