A Dangerous Witch (Witch Central Series: Book 3) Read Online Free

witch, several steps ahead of her mama.
    “She doesn’t have any channel burn.”  Ginia met Moira’s eyes, all signs of squirming gone.  A girl owning her choices.  “I’d know if she did.”
    “Of course you would, sweetling.”  Forgiveness, from an old witch who gave it easily.  “Any echoing or ebbing?”
    Nell listened as Moira led Ginia through the list of emergence signs, every mind in the room checking them off as she spoke.  No one needed to hear the list—and everyone did.  A reminder, and a very gentle way to lead Mia into the sensations of her own body.
    And a ritual that was settling them all down.  The answers were almost all negative.  A little heat, a little strangeness.  And nothing at all when Aervyn threw some tightly controlled fireworks at the ceiling.  Either a power very early in its development, or one that would be very weak.
    Don’t bet on the latter, sent Lauren quietly.
    Nell pushed away the terrible image of her daughter in flames.  They would fight what was in front of them, not what some senile old ball wanted them to see.  Right now she’s just a girl with magic unfurling.   The Sullivans had fire witches aplenty—they knew how to do this.
    “I’ll take the early morning shift,” said Retha, smiling at her granddaughter.  “I’m up at the crack of dawn these days anyhow.”
    Mia grinned.  “That’s because you need extra time to plan all your troublemaking.”
    It was the standing family joke—and it planted their emergent witch firmly in the care of a woman who had sat at the bedside of more brand-new fire witches than anyone alive.  The hours just before waking were the most dangerous, and a mind witch would feel things stirring first.
    Nell sent her mom the look that would say everything it needed to.
    The rest of the family was already sorting out shifts.  Jamie glared when someone suggested he might stay home—Benny still woke often in the night.  “People did round-the-clock duty on Kenna for almost two years.”
    “Fine.”  Devin leaned back, deceptively lazy.  “Benny and Kenna can come sleep at our house when you’re on shift.”
    Lizard, Josh at her side, raised an eyebrow.  “We’ll arm wrestle you.”
    That cracked up the three girls on the couch, and most of the rest of the room, too.
    Nell wasn’t so sure she’d bet against Lizard on that one.  The woman was sneaky and devious, and well aware of how to use her puny status to her advantage.
    Hey!  Lizard’s mind glare would have been more effective if it hadn’t been punctuated by giggles.
    Nell breathed out.  The circles were forming, and they would be far deeper by nightfall.  Some would take care of Mia, and some would take care of whatever else needed doing.
    Whatever grew in her girl, they would be ready for it.
    -o0o-
    The days were warm now, but the evenings were still cool.  Especially if you were hanging off the side of an ocean cliff.  Lauren climbed into the fantastic, magical hot pool that ostensibly belonged to her husband.  Fortunately, he was very good at sharing.  The cliff top boasted a small changing hut now, and it saw a very steady stream of visitors.
    Tonight, however, they were alone.
    She swirled her hands in the water, watching the shimmer of the bioluminescent glow track the motions of her fingers.  The light was blue tonight—probably Jamie’s work.  When Sierra or Lizzie refreshed the spell, the twinkling tended more to rainbow colors. 
    Lauren leaned her head against the cliffside, enjoying the cool contrast.  The stars were out in full force this evening—Dev would be enjoying his swim.  She grinned.  Only insane people went for moonlight swims in the Pacific Ocean, even in June.
    Tonight, he swam alone, which was unusual.  The lure of a dip in the hot pool afterward meant that even some of the non-water witches had taken to playing in the waves at odd hours of the night.
    So far, none of them were realtors.
    Lauren slid over to the