mad.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s fine. Only now I wanna show you some serious magic.”
“Don’t wreck the yard!” Onyx replied.
Molly sighed. “I won’t wreck anything except Drew’s doubts. You. C’mere,” she said, pointing to Drew and then beckoning him over. “You’re sure about this? I wanna know you’re not gonna be mad when I show you some magic you can feel. It won’t hurt. I promise.”
Her warning offered him a chance to back out. Obviously he couldn’t take it now. “It’s cool. Show me what you got.”
The wind picked up. Molly glanced past Drew’s shoulder to Onyx. Her partner gave only a noncommittal shrug. The redhead’s face split into a grin. “Okay. Hold your arms out wide, palms down. Like this.”
“What, like a bird?” Drew asked as he complied.
Her eyes closed. She took in and slowly released a long breath. “Yes. Like a bird.” The wind picked up more, rustling the evergreens looming over the backyard.
“Shouldn’t you be the one to go flyin’ here?” Drew asked warily.
“I’m not sure if it’s technically flying,” she murmured, concentrating more on the air than on her banter. “Especially since I have to stay on the ground to… lift .”
Drew blinked. The wind whistled sharply past his ears, so strong and sudden he thought it might knock something over or damage the house. A second later, he noticed how hardly anything in the yard moved besides a few strands of Molly’s hair. The wind picked up, blowing hard enough to push against his arms. Then he really felt it.
“Oh, shit !” His feet came off the ground. He rose a full foot in the air in the blink of an eye, and another as his heart rushed halfway up into his throat. Training took over. Drew brought his knees up in front of his chest and tucked in his chin for a backfall.
“Oops, don’t do—!” he heard Molly blurt out. Then he felt the ground on his back. His technique prevented any harm from his landing, but the yard wasn’t quite as flat as the padded mat of his kung fu studio.
“Are you okay?” Molly and Onyx asked, their words coming half a second apart from one another’s. The wind died out instantly. Both women stood over Drew.
“Yeah, I’m good,” he grunted. He rolled up onto his feet quickly, feeling much more pumped up than he wanted to be—and not in a pleasant way. He had no one to blame for that, though, and he knew it. Angry and hating it, Drew shook his head and looked away from the two witches. “Second holiday in a row I’ve wound up on my ass.”
“That was dumb of me,” said Molly. “I’m sorry. Should’ve just woken up the neighborhood raccoons to do tricks or something.”
“Or maybe talk the crazy stuff out before we do it?” Onyx ventured. She brushed off his back for good measure, but thankfully he only picked up a few loose blades of grass.
“Fair. Really, Drew, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t trip. It’s not you. I was pushing buttons.” He let out another breath, wanting his frustration to leave with it. “I’m not mad at you.”
“No, but you are mad,” observed Onyx. “Even if it’s not about us. It’s about last Christmas, too, isn’t it? And your birthday party on Halloween?”
“How the hell am I supposed to deal with something like that?” he finally asked. “Somebody comes at me with a knife or his fist, I know what to do. I got fucked up bad by one of the werewolves that one time, but even there, I know where I went wrong. I can see where I should’a dodged. An’ then on Christmas with them assholes after Lorelei, I knew what to do. But what the fuck do you do if somebody picks you up off the ground without touching you? Without even coming near?”
“Whatever you can,” Molly answered. She didn’t pretend to be thrilled with her answer. “If something like that happens, you do whatever you can.”
“And you carry a nail,” said Onyx. “It’s why we told you guys. That won’t be perfect, but it cuts down on the
“Yeah, I know. It’s fine. Only now I wanna show you some serious magic.”
“Don’t wreck the yard!” Onyx replied.
Molly sighed. “I won’t wreck anything except Drew’s doubts. You. C’mere,” she said, pointing to Drew and then beckoning him over. “You’re sure about this? I wanna know you’re not gonna be mad when I show you some magic you can feel. It won’t hurt. I promise.”
Her warning offered him a chance to back out. Obviously he couldn’t take it now. “It’s cool. Show me what you got.”
The wind picked up. Molly glanced past Drew’s shoulder to Onyx. Her partner gave only a noncommittal shrug. The redhead’s face split into a grin. “Okay. Hold your arms out wide, palms down. Like this.”
“What, like a bird?” Drew asked as he complied.
Her eyes closed. She took in and slowly released a long breath. “Yes. Like a bird.” The wind picked up more, rustling the evergreens looming over the backyard.
“Shouldn’t you be the one to go flyin’ here?” Drew asked warily.
“I’m not sure if it’s technically flying,” she murmured, concentrating more on the air than on her banter. “Especially since I have to stay on the ground to… lift .”
Drew blinked. The wind whistled sharply past his ears, so strong and sudden he thought it might knock something over or damage the house. A second later, he noticed how hardly anything in the yard moved besides a few strands of Molly’s hair. The wind picked up, blowing hard enough to push against his arms. Then he really felt it.
“Oh, shit !” His feet came off the ground. He rose a full foot in the air in the blink of an eye, and another as his heart rushed halfway up into his throat. Training took over. Drew brought his knees up in front of his chest and tucked in his chin for a backfall.
“Oops, don’t do—!” he heard Molly blurt out. Then he felt the ground on his back. His technique prevented any harm from his landing, but the yard wasn’t quite as flat as the padded mat of his kung fu studio.
“Are you okay?” Molly and Onyx asked, their words coming half a second apart from one another’s. The wind died out instantly. Both women stood over Drew.
“Yeah, I’m good,” he grunted. He rolled up onto his feet quickly, feeling much more pumped up than he wanted to be—and not in a pleasant way. He had no one to blame for that, though, and he knew it. Angry and hating it, Drew shook his head and looked away from the two witches. “Second holiday in a row I’ve wound up on my ass.”
“That was dumb of me,” said Molly. “I’m sorry. Should’ve just woken up the neighborhood raccoons to do tricks or something.”
“Or maybe talk the crazy stuff out before we do it?” Onyx ventured. She brushed off his back for good measure, but thankfully he only picked up a few loose blades of grass.
“Fair. Really, Drew, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t trip. It’s not you. I was pushing buttons.” He let out another breath, wanting his frustration to leave with it. “I’m not mad at you.”
“No, but you are mad,” observed Onyx. “Even if it’s not about us. It’s about last Christmas, too, isn’t it? And your birthday party on Halloween?”
“How the hell am I supposed to deal with something like that?” he finally asked. “Somebody comes at me with a knife or his fist, I know what to do. I got fucked up bad by one of the werewolves that one time, but even there, I know where I went wrong. I can see where I should’a dodged. An’ then on Christmas with them assholes after Lorelei, I knew what to do. But what the fuck do you do if somebody picks you up off the ground without touching you? Without even coming near?”
“Whatever you can,” Molly answered. She didn’t pretend to be thrilled with her answer. “If something like that happens, you do whatever you can.”
“And you carry a nail,” said Onyx. “It’s why we told you guys. That won’t be perfect, but it cuts down on the
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