Shadow Witch: Book Four of the Wizard Born Series

by Geof Johnson

“I’m a Shadow Witch.”

  “A what?”

  Bryce waved one hand urgently. “Can we talk about this somewhere else? We look suspicious hanging around behind this building.”

  “Let’s go to my house.” Jamie said. “Fred, you should twirl your pendant while I make the doorway, just in case.”

  “Let me!” Sammi put her hand on her half-moon necklace. Fred nodded and reached into her purse again, pulled out another woven bracelet and handed it to Nova. “Put this on so the spell from the necklace won’t affect you.”

  Nova took it, gave it a quick, squinty-eyed look, and slipped it on. “Pretty stylish. What is it, Dollar Store chic?”

  “Yep.” Fred nudged Sammi. “Are you going to do that or not?”

  Sammi spun her pendant while Jamie quickly traced another glowing doorway on the brick wall behind them and pushed it open.

  Nova gaped at it and shook her head. “What...what is that?”

  “It’s a magic portal to my backyard. Let’s hurry before anybody sees it.”

  “But...where...what...uh....”

  Everyone walked through the doorway, but Nova held back until Sammi took her hand, smiled reassuringly at her and guided her forward.

  Jamie closed the portal as soon as Sammi and Nova stepped onto the grass of his yard. “This is it,” he said. “This is where I live.”

  “Rollie lives right across the street and I live two doors down from him,” Fred said.

  Nova, still holding Sammi’s hand, gazed about with her eyes and mouth wide. “Where are we?” she said weakly.

  “Hendersonville,” Bryce said. “We came to Jamie’s house because nobody can see us back here with the wooden fence and bushes and stuff.” He turned to Jamie. “Why don’t we sit in the gazebo, Jamie?”

  “There are only three chairs.”

  “I’ll run inside and get your folding chairs. Is anybody home?”

  “My mom.”

  “I’ll be right back. Don’t start without me.” Bryce handed his cup of coffee to Melanie, jogged up the steps of the deck and went inside.

  “We can’t be in Hendersonville, can we?” Nova said. “That’s way on the other side of the state.”

  “Got GPS on your phone?” Rollie said.

  Nova pulled hers out of her back pocket, tapped the screen and frowned. “Damn.” She glanced up at Rollie and looked back at her phone, her face incredulous.

  Sammi wrinkled her nose at Nova. “You said another bad word.”

  “I can’t help it! This is so...so...crazy. And you guys act like it’s nothing.”

  “You get used to it,” Rollie said. “Let’s get out of this hot sun and sit in the gazebo. Then we can tell you everything.”

  It was over an hour and a half before there was a lull in the talking. Nova turned in her chair and looked at Sammi, who was happily swinging away on the playset at the back of the yard. “Can she really hear people talking from anywhere?”

  “Even other worlds,” Fred said, “as long as they’re in a strong shadow, like this one.” She gestured at the ceiling of the gazebo. “She may be eavesdropping now. Let’s see.” She looked at Sammi and lowered her voice to a near-whisper. “Sammi, are you listening to us?”

  “No,” Sammi yelled from the swing.

  Nova laughed, the first time Jamie had heard her do that. “Unbelievable,” Nova said.

  “That’s her power,” Fred said. “That’s what a Shadow Witch can do.”

  “And you’re a Dream Talker.” Nova shook her head slowly. “Amazing.”

  “Sammi heard you talking with your mother, so we think you must be important to her, and us, somehow,” Jamie said. “She wouldn’t have heard you otherwise.”

  “You’re sure about that?”

  “We’re not sure of anything,” Melanie said, sitting in a wooden rocker next to Fred.

  “We’re still collecting data and formulating our hypothesis,” Jamie said.

  “Collecting data?” Nova turned to Fred and furrowed her brow. “Does he always talk like this?”

  Fred reached over and patted Jamie on the thigh. “He’s my geeky boyfriend. I just keep him around ’cause he’s so cute.”

  Nova smiled, and Jamie realized that she waspretty when she wasn’t trying to maintain a tough, cynical front.He looked at Rollie, who was watching her closely. I bet he thinks so, too.

  Everyone turned when they heard the back door open. Rachel walked toward them, carrying a tray with a pitcher and paper cups and a plate loaded with something. “I brought you some lemonade and cookies,” she said when she neared them. “I thought you might want a snack.” She set the tray on the small wooden table next to Jamie and said to Nova, “You must be the new witch everybody’s so excited about. I’m Mrs. Sikes.”

  Nova leaned forward and shook Rachel’s hand, then sat back in her chair.

  “We’re glad you’re here,” Rachel said. “I should go tell Lisa and Adele. I’m sure they’ll want to meet you, too.”

  Nova mumbled thanks and Rachel went back to the house. Nova turned to Fred and said, “Who are Lisa and Adele?”

  “Lisa’s my mom and Adele is Rollie’s.”

  “So...am I on display or something?”

  “Our moms are really close. They share everything.”

  “They’re really nice, too,” Sammi yelled from the swing.

  Fred looked over her shoulder at her and frowned. “Sammi, stop eavesdropping!”

  “Okay,” she said at the top of one swooping arc, her short dark hair flying behind her and her happy face turned to the sky.

  Rollie already had a handful of cookies in his lap and half of one in his mouth. Nova gestured at the tray and said, “Lemonade and cookies? Are we in some kind of TV show from the sixties?”

  Rollie paused before taking the last bite of the one in his hand, looked at it and shrugged. “We like cookies. Don’t you?”

  “Well, yeah, but come on! Lemonade? Don’t you ever drink anything stronger?”

  “Our dads drink beer,” Jamie said, “and our moms drink wine.”

  Bryce held up one hand. “I drink a glass of wine when I have dinner with my family sometimes.”

  “Oh, wow,” Nova said dryly. “You are a party animal.”

  “We have plenty of enough excitement around here without drinking,” Melanie said. “Killing psycho sorcerers, rescuing Fred from witches, and getting rid of demons and stuff.”

  Nova scratched her temple with a fingertip and twisted her mouth sideways. “I guess you do have more excitement than the average teenager.” She turned to Rollie and wrinkled her brow. “Did you really let that demon chase you to that doorway?”

  Rollie nodded with another cookie at his mouth and took a bite.

  “You are either the bravest or the craziest person I’ve ever met.”

  Rollie shrugged again. “Somebody had to do it.”

  Nova eyed Jamie and his friends for a long moment, then said, “So, are you guys like the Avengers or something? Saving the world from magical dangers?”

  “We’re the Crew,” Jamie said.

  “We can’t be beat,” Fred added, then her friends joined in, “everybody smell out feet!”

  Nova scrunched up her face like she smelled something bad. “That is sodorky.”

  “It was the best we could come up with at the time,” Jamie said. “We were only eight years old.”

  “But that’s enough about us.” Fred shook her red curls behind her shoulders with a toss of her head. “Tell us more about you. What is your power like?”

  Nova rubbed her cheek with the fingertips of one hand while she regarded Fred. “I can tell what people are feeling, like if they’re mad or jealous or something, and I can tell if they’re lying.”

  “Oh!” Fred snapped her fingers. “What is that? You’re a...a Reader!” She grinned. “That’s what you are. Momma Sue told me about witches like you. You read people’s emotions.”

  “Who’s Momma Sue?”

  “Sh
e’s a voodoo queen who lives near New Orleans. She’s going to want to meet you for sure.”

  “A voodoo queen?” Nova’s eyes became suspicious again.

  “She’s giving me and Sammi witching lessons. She and another witch named Mrs. Malley are, together. They want me to bring them any new witches that I find. I took Sammi there last week, and we’re going again next Sunday. You should come.”

  “Uh...I’ll get back to you on that.”

  “Tell us more about yourself,” Bryce said. “You live with your mom?”

  “Just for two more months, and then I’m out of there.” Nova jerked her thumb back over her shoulder. “Can’t wait. That’s why I’m going to Western Carolina. It’s about as far away from her as I can get without having to pay out-of-state tuition.”

  “What about your dad?”

  “He’s out of the picture. He left when I was a baby. Probably couldn’t put up with my mom anymore.” She gave a tiny shrug. “I don’t remember him at all.”

  “You haven’t tried to get in touch with him?” Melanie asked.

  Nova shook her head. “My mom won’t ever talk about him, and I don’t know where he is.”

  “Momma Sue can find him,” Fred said. “She can do a scrying. You should come with us next Sunday and we can ask her to.”

  Nova shook her head again and looked away for a moment, and Jamie realized that they should change the subject. “Is your mom a witch, too?” he asked.

  “She thinks she is. She does palm readings and Tarot cards and stuff. That’s how she pays the bills.”

  “Is she very powerful?”

  “Not really. I think it’s all phony.”

  “Can you show us your magic?” Bryce asked. “Can you tell when one of us is lying, maybe?”

  Nova pursed her lips while she seemed to think about it, then she said, “Who’s gonna be my guinea pig?”

  “How about Rollie?”

  “Huh?” Rollie sat up straight in his chair. “Why me?”

  “Why not you?” Nova gave him a level-eyed look.

  Rollie brushed the crumbs off his shirt with one hand and said, “All right.” He gave her a challenging look of his own. “I’ll play along. Ask away.”

  “You should turn around,” Jamie said to Nova. “That way we’ll know you’re not using facial cues.”

  Nova spun her chair so that she faced the camellia bushes that lined the tall wooden fence on the other side of the yard. “Somebody ask him something.”

  “Rollie,” Fred said, “how many brothers do you have?”

  “Two. Both older.”

  “He’s lying,” Nova said.

  “Right.” Fred nodded. “Rollie, what is your girlfriend’s middle name?”

  “That’s not cool.” Rollie frowned deeply. “You know I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  “He’s telling the truth,” Nova said.

  “Okay, one more,” Fred said. “What is your favorite sport?”

  “Football.”

  “He’s lying.” Nova turned her chair to face him. “What is your favorite sport?”

  “Basketball. I was hoping I could get a scholarship, but I’m too short.”

  “Me too,” Nova said. “I played varsity the last two years for my high school team, but I’m only five-four.”

  “I’m only five-seven.” Rollie arched one eyebrow. “I got a goal in my driveway across the street. Wanna shoot some baskets?”

  Nova raised her leg and pointed at her foot. “I got flip flops on. Give me some warning next time and I’ll bring my shoes.”

  “So there’s going to be a next time?” Fred asked.

  She didn’t get to answer because they were interrupted by a little girl’s yell. “Nova!” Sammi ran across the yard toward them. She stopped next to Nova and took her hand, and Nova managed a half-smile.

  “My birthday party is next weekend!” Sammi said, her eyes wide. “You should come, Nova. Me and Rollie are having ours together, ’cause it’s almost his birthday, too.”

  “How old are you going to be?”

  “Seven, and Rollie’s gonna be eighteen. You can come, it’ll be okay, I know it will. I’ll make you an invitation and everything. Please?” She grinned at Nova and Jamie knew that she would have a hard time saying no.

  “Uh,” Nova said, still holding Sammi’s hand, “where are you having this shindig?”

  “Right here,” Jamie said. “We’re going to have a bouncy castle.”

  “Oh, wow,” Nova said with a smirk. “A bouncy castle. Aren’t you a little old for that?”

  “We’re inviting all of the kids from the school in Rivershire. That’s on Eddan’s world. You really ought to come if you can. How often do you get to party with people from another planet?” It was Jamie’s turn to grin.

  “Why not have it at your stone house there, the one you told me so much about? I mean, if that’s where they’re from?”

  “It’s safer here,” Fred said and gave Sammi a stern look. “Less chance of little girls falling into the river.”

  “Oops.” Sammi’s eyes went wide again and she blushed furiously, then suddenly turned and ran back to the playset without another word.

  Chapter 10

  “Whu?” Duane Gundy shook his head with a grunt and tried to get his bearings. He rubbed his eyes with the knuckles of one hand and realized he was sitting behind the wheel of his wife’s Toyota Camry and it was dark outside. Then he saw the flash of sheet lightening on the horizon and heard another burst of static from the scanner on the seat beside him. That’s probably what woke me up.

  He was parked on the shoulder of the road near Luke and Libby’s house, watching and listening. He was using his wife’s car instead of his because the silver Camry was so generic it was nearly invisible, while his black Trans Am stood out like an undertaker at a baby shower.

  He’d been out there every night that week with his scanner, monitoring their phone calls, hoping one of them would say where Sammi had gone, but so far, nothing. Nothing but boring, tedious conversations between Mrs. Carter and her friend, complaining about their husbands or foot ailments or grocery prices or whatever. Their droning had lulled him to sleep and now it was getting late.

  He checked his watch: 12:02. Damn. It’s gonna be hard getting up in the morning, and tomorrow’s Monday. Maybe I’ll call in sick again.

  He switched off the scanner and stared at it in the dim light for a moment. If this doesn’t pan out soon, I’m gonna have to try something else.

  * * *

  Jamie became aware in Fred’s dream-meadow with his head in her lap, one of his favorite settings that Fred often created with her magic. The grass was comfortable beneath him, the sunlight was gauzy and warm, and colorful butterflies flitted among the many wildflowers.

  “Hey,” he said, reaching up with one hand and slipping his fingers into her red curls. It always amazed him how real they felt, how real everything looked. How beautiful Fred looked.

  “Hey yourself,” she said, resting her palm gently on his forehead. “So, what did you think?”

  “About what?”

  “About Nova, of course.”

  “Um...I think she’s nice. She wants everybody to think she’s tough and gritty, but I think it’s an act.”

  “Me, too. Melanie and I talked about it after dinner, and she feels the same way. A couple of things Nova said make me think she’s kind of a loner at school, because she’s a witch and all. I think it’s hard for her to make friends because she can’t really confide in them. She doesn’t want anyone to know about her magic.”

  “Which is probably a good idea.”

  “I agree. So she’s built up this defensive front that she uses to protect herself from strangers.”

  “She doesn’t seem so tough around Sammi. Did you notice? She seemed to soften up when Sammi was around.”

  “Sammi has that effect on everybody, in case you haven’t noticed. She’s won my dad over, finally.” One side of her mouth pulled up in a h
alf-smile. “He read to her tonight. I took their picture.”

  “Don’t post it on Facebook or anything.”

  “Don’t worry, I know better than that. Her foster father might find it.” She caressed Jamie’s forehead and gazed at him, her emerald eyes soft. “So, do you think Nova fits into the Big Cosmic Scheme, or whatever you’re calling it now?”

  He took a long breath before answering. “I’m pretty sure she does, but I’m not sure how. Maybe it’s just for Sammi somehow, or vice-versa...hard to know at this point.”

  “That’s a useful power she has, being able to tell when someone is lying.”

  “You’ll have to watch what you say around her.”

  “Maybe that’s why she doesn’t have a lot of friends.” Fred patted his head a couple of times. “Do you think you could make a doorway for her one day this week? Melanie and I want to get together with her, just the three of us. I think it would be better than having the big crowd we had today. Maybe she won’t be so defensive.”

  “Sure. Do you think you can get her to go to Momma Sue’s next Sunday?”

  “We’ll see. I’ll send Momma Sue a message on the magic mirror and ask her what she wants me to do.” She dragged one finger sensually along his jaw, then under his lower lip. “Um...we didn’t spend that much time alone together today.” Then she gently pulled his lip down a couple of times. “Can we stop talking now?”

  Jamie sat up and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “Thought you’d never ask.”

  * * *

  Rachel waited in her family room with Sammi on Monday morning for Jamie to make the doorway to the school in Rivershire. Sammie had on pink shorts and a matching T-shirt that Adele had bought for her, and her new, blue backpack was over her shoulders.

  A large, flat cardboard box, now empty, was propped against the nearby wall, and another, smaller box sat beside it.

  Sammi held Rachel’s hand and they watched as Jamie plugged a wire into the back of the flat-screen television that sat atop a rolling, metal cart, just like the one Rachel had in her classroom at her regular school. On the second shelf was a black DVD player.

  “Are you going to be ready soon?” Rachel asked Jamie. “We need to get there before any of the other kids do. They might think we’re not coming today and turn around and go home.”