tomorrow?”
“I don’t...I don’t think so. We’re going to keep her for a few days. Fred and Jamie think it’s important, in some weird magical way that I’ll never understand. We just need to figure out who’s going to babysit her. Everybody’s got to go to work tomorrow.”
“I’ll take her,” Evelyn said. “I need to do some things at the school on Eddan’s world, so she can come with me.”
“She’ll probably like that,” Lisa said. “Are you sure you won’t mind? You just had her all morning yesterday.”
“It’s not a problem. She’s a delightful little girl.”
Sammi held a tentative hand toward the clamshell mirror that Fred offered to her, while everyone else stood around, watching closely. Sammi knew this was important somehow, like a test, but no one was saying why.
“What do I do, Fred?” Sammi said.
“Just put your hand on it and tell me what you feel.”
Sammi did as she was told, and closed her eyes as her palm pressed against the polished metal case. She felt a slow, rhythmic throbbing, subtle, but undeniable. Sammi looked up at Fred. “It’s pulsing. Is that the right word?”
Fred grinned and turned to Jamie. “That’s it. She’s definitely a witch.”
“Cool,” Melanie said. “I didn’t feel a thing when I touched it.”
“Me either,” Bryce said.
Rollie gestured at it and said, “Go ahead. Show us the message, Fred. That’s the cool part.”
Fred flipped open the saucer-sized mirror and held it so that Sammi could see, and everyone else squeezed in to look over Sammi’s shoulders. Sammi saw her reflection in the round glass for only an instant before the image shimmered and a new one appeared. It was of an old woman, with dark, leathery skin and a wide nose. Her thick gray hair was pulled back from her face and her eyes were hard black marbles.
Momma Sue.
She broke into a wide grin and said, “Fred the Firecracker. That was an interesting message you left on my mirror. Done found yourself another witch! A young ’un, no less.” She gave one, firm nod. “And yes, you should bring her to me, soon as possible. Preferably Sunday. Gonna be an interestin’ day, sure ’nuff, ’specially if that girl really is a Shadow Witch. Never met one, myself.”
She narrowed her eyes and paused for a moment. “You said somethin’ about some man might be chasin’ after that child, so you look after her real good, you hear? Don’t let nobody snatch her. Tell that sorcerer boyfriend of yours to blast anybody that tries to get her.” She grinned again and winked. “And bring that handsome friend a’ yours, Rollie Wilkins.” She threw back her head and laughed. “I gots to go now. See ya Sunday.”
“Oh brother,” Rollie groaned. “Tell her I’m going to Eddan’s world to help my dad with the new bathroom.”
“So that’s why you broke up with Tanisha, Rollie,” Bryce said. “So you could go out with Momma Sue.”
Sammi gave Fred a questioning look and Fred said, “Momma Sue teased Rollie big time when she first met him. Said he looked sweeter than a piece of dark caramel candy, or something like that.”
Sammi giggled, and Rollie shook his head and walked off, muttering to himself.
“Fred, you ready to go?” Jamie said. “I gotta hurry so I can get back to the stone house and help my dad.”
“I’m waiting on you.”
Jamie held his arms out theatrically. “Stand back everyone, and give the wizard room to work.” He began tracing the glowing outlines of a doorway, and when it was finished, he pushed it open, stepped aside and said, “Ta-da! A magic portal.” Sammi felt her mouth fall open and she caught her breath as she stared at what lay beyond, a vision of something exotic and unlikely. Through the impossible new space in Fred’s living room she saw gnarled, ancient trees, draped in gray Spanish moss like tattered blankets, and an old house.
Fred picked up a spiral notebook from the table and Bryce said, “What’s that
“I don’t...I don’t think so. We’re going to keep her for a few days. Fred and Jamie think it’s important, in some weird magical way that I’ll never understand. We just need to figure out who’s going to babysit her. Everybody’s got to go to work tomorrow.”
“I’ll take her,” Evelyn said. “I need to do some things at the school on Eddan’s world, so she can come with me.”
“She’ll probably like that,” Lisa said. “Are you sure you won’t mind? You just had her all morning yesterday.”
“It’s not a problem. She’s a delightful little girl.”
Sammi held a tentative hand toward the clamshell mirror that Fred offered to her, while everyone else stood around, watching closely. Sammi knew this was important somehow, like a test, but no one was saying why.
“What do I do, Fred?” Sammi said.
“Just put your hand on it and tell me what you feel.”
Sammi did as she was told, and closed her eyes as her palm pressed against the polished metal case. She felt a slow, rhythmic throbbing, subtle, but undeniable. Sammi looked up at Fred. “It’s pulsing. Is that the right word?”
Fred grinned and turned to Jamie. “That’s it. She’s definitely a witch.”
“Cool,” Melanie said. “I didn’t feel a thing when I touched it.”
“Me either,” Bryce said.
Rollie gestured at it and said, “Go ahead. Show us the message, Fred. That’s the cool part.”
Fred flipped open the saucer-sized mirror and held it so that Sammi could see, and everyone else squeezed in to look over Sammi’s shoulders. Sammi saw her reflection in the round glass for only an instant before the image shimmered and a new one appeared. It was of an old woman, with dark, leathery skin and a wide nose. Her thick gray hair was pulled back from her face and her eyes were hard black marbles.
Momma Sue.
She broke into a wide grin and said, “Fred the Firecracker. That was an interesting message you left on my mirror. Done found yourself another witch! A young ’un, no less.” She gave one, firm nod. “And yes, you should bring her to me, soon as possible. Preferably Sunday. Gonna be an interestin’ day, sure ’nuff, ’specially if that girl really is a Shadow Witch. Never met one, myself.”
She narrowed her eyes and paused for a moment. “You said somethin’ about some man might be chasin’ after that child, so you look after her real good, you hear? Don’t let nobody snatch her. Tell that sorcerer boyfriend of yours to blast anybody that tries to get her.” She grinned again and winked. “And bring that handsome friend a’ yours, Rollie Wilkins.” She threw back her head and laughed. “I gots to go now. See ya Sunday.”
“Oh brother,” Rollie groaned. “Tell her I’m going to Eddan’s world to help my dad with the new bathroom.”
“So that’s why you broke up with Tanisha, Rollie,” Bryce said. “So you could go out with Momma Sue.”
Sammi gave Fred a questioning look and Fred said, “Momma Sue teased Rollie big time when she first met him. Said he looked sweeter than a piece of dark caramel candy, or something like that.”
Sammi giggled, and Rollie shook his head and walked off, muttering to himself.
“Fred, you ready to go?” Jamie said. “I gotta hurry so I can get back to the stone house and help my dad.”
“I’m waiting on you.”
Jamie held his arms out theatrically. “Stand back everyone, and give the wizard room to work.” He began tracing the glowing outlines of a doorway, and when it was finished, he pushed it open, stepped aside and said, “Ta-da! A magic portal.” Sammi felt her mouth fall open and she caught her breath as she stared at what lay beyond, a vision of something exotic and unlikely. Through the impossible new space in Fred’s living room she saw gnarled, ancient trees, draped in gray Spanish moss like tattered blankets, and an old house.
Fred picked up a spiral notebook from the table and Bryce said, “What’s that
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