The Magickers by Emily Drake Page A

out and sliced the knot in two. His solution was quicker, more direct, and much more forceful. He did pretty well what he set out to.”
    â€œAnd this knot? Would you slice it in two?” Gavan tapped the lanyard woven display.
    â€œI’d have to be pretty sure I was ready for whatever the reaction would be,” Trent said. He gave a lopsided grin.
    â€œAn excellent point.” Gavan bowed to Trent. “La dies and gentlemen. Now that your bodies have rested and the afternoon has grown to its hottest . . . I think swimming is in order.”
    They made their way to their cabins to change clothes. Jason said to Trent, “That was cool. You knowing that and all.”
    â€œI know a lot of stuff like that,” Trent answered. “Mythology is my life.” He grinned. “Last one to the lake gets turned into a frog!”

7
    Red Jell-o
    D INNER found Jason famished. He hit the line in front of Trent, just barely, and this time he took everything that looked good plus seconds. But as they moved to the end, where the desserts were set out, he shied away from the great sparkling heap of red Jell-o squares. If he had wanted to be buried in gelatin, he’d have stayed with Grandma McIntire. In fact, he was willing to swear that was the main staple of her diet. Alicia told him once that wasn’t true, it was just that she thought kids really liked Jell-o. Well, he had . . . once. Now . . . Jason shuddered.
    â€œDon’t tell me you’re not going to get any?”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œYou’re kidding? Well, get some for me, then.” Jason rolled his eyes. Dutifully he reached out and scooped up a dessert dish of the shivery cubes and set it on his tray. He opted for a cup of chilled fruit cocktail as well. FireAnn smiled at him as he carried his tray off to their table. “A hearty eatin’ lad! More power to you.”
    Henry had already finished his dinner, and was sitting crosswise on the nearby bench, discussing the merits of chess with Jonnard who looked extremely interested, as opposed to his normal look of polite faint interest. Bailey scooted over immediately, a frown darkening her face.
    â€œHey, what’s wrong?”
    â€œSomeone,” and she lowered her voice so no one else could hear, “has been stealing things from our cottage.”
    â€œWhat? Who? What kind of things?”
    â€œWe don’t know. Everyone is missing something. My favorite set of barrettes is gone, and one of my hair scrunchies. Ting is missing her best purse comb. Even Jennifer says she is missing something.” Bailey sat up straight as Jennifer approached them and went to sit at the far end of the table next to the wall. Pale and blonde and lovely, Jennifer hadn’t said a word to Jason in the two days their tables had been joined. She sat down carefully, and tossed her long hair back over her shoulder. She was clearly older and the type of girl Alicia would refer to as “high maintenance.” He wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but if she was at all like Alicia, she spent a lot of time in the bathroom getting presentable.
    He leaned over to Bailey. “You think it’s Jennifer?”
    She shrugged. But her actions spoke differently as she viciously stabbed her fork at some grapes rolling around in her dessert cup.
    Jason considered. Then he said quietly, “It may not be. Someone went through my things before we even got our cabins.”
    Bailey looked at him. Then she nodded. A slow smile returned to her as Trent sat down. Then she asked brightly, “How’d everyone do in swimming?”
    Henry broke off talking to Jon and swung about completely, positively glowing. “I passed! I made intermediate swimmer. Never swam in a lake before.”
    Nor had Jason. The sensation of the silt beach bottom under his feet and the rockiness of the lake bottom had been different. But he was a good swimmer, or so he liked to think, and had