Red Witch: Book Two of the Wizard Born Series (9 page)

“Go on!” Bryce waved one hand. “Don’t hang back with me.”

“Still got time,” Jamie said between breaths. They ran on a trail through a small wooded area north of their rival’s school. The ground was soft and muddy in places from an overnight shower.

“We need the points. Go on!”

Jamie took one more look at his limping friend and reluctantly abandoned him, surging forward with a burst of speed.
The lead runner’s too far ahead,
he thought as he passed the closest boy.
Maybe I can get second place
.

The course shifted to a street on a subdivision, and Jamie gained ground quickly, being a much stronger runner on asphalt. He rounded the curve and passed another boy. The lead runner, from East Henderson, was in sight, but he was already turning onto the football practice field where the race’s finish line was set up. Jamie pumped as hard as he could, but the other boy crossed the flags before Jamie could close the gap.

Jamie crossed the line and checked his watch.
Unh. Not good
. He glanced at his coach, standing nearby, whose expression said the same.
He’s mad
. Jamie walked around with his hands on top of his head, gasping as he watched Bryce struggle across the field to the finish, too far back to score any points. Bryce crossed the line and immediately looked at Jamie, shaking his head with disgust. He slowed to a walk, limping, his eyes and mouth pinched.

“So much for finishing first and second every meet,” Bryce said, grunting as he walked with Jamie. “Sorry.”

“It’s not that big a deal, Bryce.”

“It is to me.”

By this time, they had walked out near the middle of the field, past the edge of the throng. Jamie shook his head. “But why? You said you were shooting for a scholarship…but what for? Your dad makes plenty of money, doesn’t he?”

Bryce looked at Jamie and worked his jaw for a moment before answering. “That’s just it. I’m tired of people thinking that. We’re not rich, by any stretch of the imagination, but we do okay. We have a nice house and stuff.” He ran one hand through his dark, sweaty hair. “But I want to do it on my own. I don’t want to ride on my dad’s coattails for the rest of my life. My sister’s doing that, and I don’t want to end up like her. She’s still in school, but she’s changed her major like, four times already. She’s just having a good time, spending Dad’s money and going to parties. She’s got a nice car and an apartment, but….” He shrugged. “No direction.”

“Is that why you don’t like being called Richie Rich?”

He nodded. “I’m tired of people looking at me like I’m a spoiled little rich kid.”

“I don’t.”

“Well, that’s ’cause you know me.” Bryce took another couple of steps, but the limp seemed worse. “I even got a part-time job now. I’m working at a gift shop down town.”

“Which one?”

“Unh unh. If I tell you, you’ll come in and try to embarrass me.”

“Probably.” Jamie grinned. “But that’s cool. When do you work?”

“Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It fits in with my schedule and gives me enough for spending and gas money. Don’t have to get it from my dad now.”

“So you want a cross country scholarship? Your times are pretty good. You can probably get one.”

“I’ve already had a couple of coaches call me, but they’re from division two schools. I’m holding out for a division one offer.” He took a few steps, grimacing as he walked. “But first I gotta get over these shin splints.”

“Lemme have a look. I did some checking on the Internet, so I know a little about ’em now.” Jamie knelt beside Bryce and looked around to see if anyone was watching. “Hope nobody thinks this is gay or anything.”

“At this point, I don’t care.”

Jamie touched Bryce’s left shin. “Is this the spot?”

“Yeah. Right there.”

Jamie sent his magical mind inside Bryce’s leg, where the tendon joins the bone.
This isn’t all that inflamed
. He touched the other leg. “This one’s okay?”

Bryce nodded, and Jamie looked inside.
This one looks normal, too
. He reached back to the injured leg and looked deeper.
There’s something wrong with the bone. I think he has a stress fracture. Coach warned us about those.

Jamie stood. “Uh, I’ve got this special cream at home that my Gramma gave me.”
That’s a lie, but it’s all I can think of
. “I used it this summer when my shins started hurting, and it took care of the pain.” Jamie snapped his fingers. “Just like that. Two days later, I was running again. You should stop by my house when I get off work and let me treat your leg.”

“Why don’t you just let me borrow it?”

What am I gonna say? Because I need to do magic on you?
“Because there’s a special way to put it on, that’s why. Gramma showed me how.”

Bryce looked dubious.

“Really,” Jamie said. “You want to get it fixed or not?”

“Yeah, of course. What time?”

“One thirty.”
That’ll give me time to stop at the drug store on the way home from work and pick up some sports rub. He’ll never know the difference.

* * *

Fred closed the front door and dropped her bag of dance gear by the stairs. “Mom, I’m back. You can use the car now.”

“I’m in here, Honey,” her mother called from the kitchen.

Fred walked in and found her at the table, drinking coffee and reading a cook book. She looked up at Fred. “How was your class?”

“Fine. My little dancers are shaping up.” Fred pulled a chair out from under the table and sat across from her mother.
I still don’t know how to say this, but I feel like I need to.
“Mom, I’ve got something important to tell you.” Her mother looked at her expectantly, and Fred took a deep breath, then the words tumbled out. “Jamie thinks I’m a witch.”

Her mother’s eyebrows dropped and she gave a little gasp. “No! Are you fighting?” She reached across the table and grabbed Fred’s hand. “You two seemed so happy last night.”

“Not that kind of witch. A
witch
witch.” Fred made a scary face and wiggled her fingers at her mother, who only blinked back her, an uncomprehending look in her eyes.

“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“For gosh sakes, Mom, yes! Jamie thinks I have some magical power. Not much, but some. I can talk to him in dreams.”

“You probably just think you can.” She nodded sagely.

“No, we can have a conversation in our sleep, and the next morning he can repeat it to me word for word, perfectly. He said he doesn’t have that power. Sorcerers can’t do it.” Fred leaned back in her chair and exhaled heavily. “It’s me. I’m doing it, not him.”

“So how does that make you a witch?”

“Jamie said that it shows that I have power, and if I had a spell book, I could perform the magic in it. He said that’s what witches do. Not
Wiccan
witches, but
real
witches, as he calls them.”

“Well, there aren’t too many of those kind of books lying around, are there?”

“He said there are plenty of them back on Eddan’s old world.”

“Well, fine. Those are out of your reach.”

“You don’t seem too concerned about this.”

“It’s just a matter of semantics, Honey. I don’t think you’re a witch. Maybe a teeny tiny bit of magical power rubbed off from Jamie, but that’s all. Nothing to worry about. It’ll probably go away on its own.”

Fred scowled and muttered, “It’s all your fault.”

“Oh, because Rachel and I touched bellies when we were pregnant? I never would’ve done it if I’d known it would make you a witch.” She rolled her eyes.

“Mom, you’re being sarcastic! I’m upset, and you’re not being very helpful.”

“You mean, sympathetic.” She got up from her chair and stood next to Fred, stroking her hair as she spoke. “I don’t really believe it anyway. There’s probably another explanation.”

Fred pushed her mother’s hand away. “No, there’s not. Jamie’s sure of it.”

“Well…let’s just assume for a minute — and I’m not saying I believe it — let’s just assume that it’s true. A little tiny bit couldn’t be bad, right? Jamie’s been a sorcerer all his life, and he seems to have turned out okay. Maybe, just maybe, you’ve had a little magic in you all this time, too, and you’re fine…a little bossy sometimes, but you’re a good kid, Fred. Be happy.” She put her hand on Fred’s back. “You can visit with your sweetie day and night now. “Oh!” her hand went to her face. “When you visit him in your dreams, you’re not
doing
anything…like, you know….”

Fred felt her face grow warm. “No, Mom. We mostly just hang out in a meadow or on his couch. Wherever I want to be. I make the setting, it seems.”

“A meadow? With flowers and everything?”

Fred nodded.

“That’s so romantic.” She sighed and patted Fred’s back. “But let’s not tell your father just yet. I don’t think it’s true, anyway.”

“It’s true. Believe it.”

“Still, let’s not tell him now. He’s having enough trouble dealing with you and Jamie being unchaperoned when you’re awake. I don’t know how he’ll handle it that you can see Jamie in your dreams.”

Fred turned and took her mother’s hand. “Mom…it is pretty cool, though. I can hardly explain it, it’s so amazing. I can think about Jamie while I’m sleeping and…there he is, in my arms.” She shook her head slowly, then frowned. “Just don’t call me a witch.”

* * *

Jamie slammed the front door and hurried down the hall to the family room, where he found his father in the recliner, reading the paper.

“Bryce called,” his father said without looking up. “He’s on his way.”

“Great, just great,” Jamie muttered as he set a bag on the coffee table. “I’m not ready.”

“Where have you been?”

“I had to stop at the drugstore on the way home from work and get some sports cream.”

“Why couldn’t Bryce buy it himself?”

Jamie pulled a tube and a small bottle of calcium tablets out of the bag. “The cream’s not doing anything. It’s just an excuse for me to put my hands on his leg long enough to do some magic on it.”

“I thought you said you weren’t a healer.”

“I’m not.” Jamie carried the empty bag into the kitchen and dropped it into the trash can. “But I’ve been researching his injury and I think I can fix it.” He opened a cabinet door and surveyed the contents. “But I need you to back me up on whatever I say, no matter how strange it sounds, okay?”

His father put down the paper. “Okay. What are you looking for?”

“A little jar to put this cream in so it won’t look store bought. I told him it’s Gramma’s home remedy.”

“Look under the sink.” His father turned his head. “I hear the doorbell.”

“Can you get it so I can finish getting ready?”

As his father walked to the door, Jamie found a small jar and squeezed most of the contents of the tube in it. He wrinkled his nose.
P — U. This stuff stinks
. He grabbed a hand towel from the rack near the sink and went into the family room to meet Bryce.

Jamie showed the jar to Bryce. “Got it.”

Bryce looked skeptical. “You sure this is gonna work?”

“Worked great on me when I used it this summer.”

Bryce gave a little nod. “So what do I do?”

“Roll up your pants leg and lie down on the couch.”

Bryce did as he was told and Jamie gave him the hand towel. Jamie said, “Now fold this and put it over your eyes.”

“What for?”

So you can’t tell that I’ve got my eyes closed and I’m working my magic on you.
“So you’ll relax more. It helps.”

“I’m relaxed.”

Jamie’s father sat back down on the recliner and picked up the paper. “Do it his way or we’re gonna have to go get his Gramma to work on your leg, and she doesn’t put up with any nonsense.”

“Okay, I know about your Gramma.” Bryce lay back and folded the towel over his eyes. Jamie’s father gave Jamie a wink.
Good one, Dad.

Jamie knelt beside Bryce, dipped his fingers in the jar and scooped out a dab of cream, then began working it into Bryce’s leg. “Uh,” Bryce grunted.

“It’ll hurt at first, but I guarantee you’ll be feeling better when you leave.”

“I’m good with that,” Bryce said from underneath the towel.

Jamie focused his mind inside Bryce’s leg.
Got to repair the small blood vessels around the crack first.
He willed them to quickly form new cells, making connections as they grew.
Good. I gotta skip the in between steps and see if I can jump start the osteoblasts and get them to start mending the bone.

“It feels warm,” Bryce said. “That cream smells bad.”

“Small price to pay, I think.” Jamie focused on the osteoblasts and gave them a bump with his magic.
Get going, you guys
, he said to the cells. He worked for several more minutes before stopping. He said, “There. That ought to do for now. See how it feels.”

Bryce pulled the towel from his face and stood, a tentative smile forming as he put weight on the leg. “Yeah.” He walked a couple of steps. “That’s better. Thanks, man.”

“I’m not done. You need to come back later for another treatment, and probably a couple tomorrow. You might be good to go on Monday, as long as you don’t push it too hard, and you need to make sure you run in the grass.” Jamie handed him the bottle of calcium tablets. “Take a few of these now and some more later. They’re chewable.”

“What time should I come back? I gotta go to work now and I’ve got a date tonight.”

Jamie shrugged. “Stop by before you pick up Sally. Tomorrow you can come by after church and then right before dinner.”

“I can do that.” He took a few more experimental steps and smiled. “Yeah. Much better. You really are the Magic Man.”

If you only knew,
Jamie thought.

Bryce pointed one finger at Jamie. “But don’t call me Richie Rich.”

When Bryce left, his father said, “Are you sure you’re doing the right thing? Shouldn’t he go to the doctor?”

“I’m not sure, but if he went to the doctor, they’d diagnose the fracture, and Bryce’s cross country season would be over. Then he probably wouldn’t get a scholarship, and he’d be stuck depending on his father again. He really doesn’t want to do that.” Jamie blew out a big gust of air. “And I don’t think I made it any worse, at least. If it’s still bothering him after I’m done working on it, he can go to the doctor.”