A Hidden Witch (A Modern Witch Series: Book 2) by Debora Geary Page A

streaming out
of their new arrival. Jamie was right—Elorie’s brain was really
leaky. She tightened up her mental barriers.
    “It’s okay,” Aervyn said, obviously reading the
emotional storm as easily as Lauren. He took Elorie’s hand. “It’s
really easy to use. I can show you.”
    Lauren started to interrupt, and then
reconsidered. Elorie might well respond better to coaching from a
pint-sized teacher—she seemed to have a real fondness for kids. Go ahead, Super Boy, she sent to Aervyn. But go SLOW.
Remember, she’s a brand-new witch .
    Jamie’s mental voice was highly amused. If he
goes as slow as he did when you were new, he’ll scare her
silly .
    Lauren remembered all too well the totally
overwhelmed feelings of her first week at witch boot camp. She
hooked into Aervyn’s mental connection with Elorie, ready to put on
the brakes if necessary. Hearing Jamie’s mental knock, she patched
him in as well.
    Aervyn, taking his trainer responsibilities very
seriously, helped Elorie watch as Ginia accessed Net power. Then,
in a very nifty move, he replayed it in slow motion for her.
    Well, heck, Lauren muttered. Why
didn’t I think of that ?
    That’d be why he’s Super Boy, and we’re just
old and creaky, Nell sent dryly. Although, even seeing it in
slow motion, I don’t think I could do it any better. We’ll see how
our newest witch does .
    After watching the replay several times,
Elorie’s emotions had settled. Good, Lauren thought as Ginia handed
over the mouse. And very interesting. Unlike everyone else, her
brain showed a low level of Net power activity even when she wasn’t
trying to pull power.
    That’s why we were getting readings on the
scanner, Jamie sent. She’s got a really strong affinity for
Net power.
    So, what does that mean, exactly?
    Damned if I know.
    Aervyn very patiently walked Elorie through her
first attempts at accessing Net power, and like most newbie
witches, her initial efforts got nowhere.
    By now, Lauren had patched in Nell and Ginia as
well, and they let out a collective mental sigh at each failed
try.
    Lauren thought she could see the problem. At the
key point of engaging more active power, Elorie balked.
    She’s not the first, Jamie sent. I
remember a certain mind witch who didn’t step up and claim her
power happily, either.
    Lauren stuck out her mental tongue at him. Then
she paused. Aervyn was setting his student up for another attempt,
and she had the distinct feeling he had something up his
sleeve.
    As Elorie hit the sticking point, Aervyn moved
like mental lightning. Giggles reverberated in all their heads as
he launched a sneak tickle attack.
    A moment of shock and laughter—and then
fireworks exploded in Elorie’s head.
    Lauren could feel the awe of every witch
present, including Aervyn. Oh crap, Jamie sent. Now we’re
in the big leagues .
    Yup, said Nell. With a newbie at bat
and a four-year-old manager.
    Ahem, came from Ginia.
    Well, I guess you’re a little better than a
four-year-old in charge, Jamie teased as Ginia spluttered.
    Who’s going to tell Elorie she’s the baddest
Net witch in the West? Lauren asked—and was promptly reminded
that when push came to shove, the Walker clan voted as a bloc, and
Jamie was all too happy to join them. Terrific.
    ~ ~ ~
    Elorie took off her shoes and enjoyed the feel
of sand between her toes. Most Nova Scotia beaches had more pebbles
than sand, so this was a strange, but lovely, feeling.
    The crisp night air was a welcome change from
the smells of stale popcorn and slightly burned hot dogs she’d been
breathing in her booth.
    She could feel her very soul exhaling as she
began to meander down the moonlit beach. Jamie had dropped her off
and then gone for a late-night ride, promising to return for her in
an hour. She had a blessed sixty minutes to herself.
    The motorcycle ride had been exhilarating, but
what she really craved was silence. Or what passed for silence on
an ocean beach, with the sounds of waves crashing