Excerpt: The Witch and the Widow

She finally spotted Avery near the back door, gently muttering to a few plants as she patted soil around them. Mina sometimes thought she could see plants lean in to listen to Avery when she witched them, and had long since picked up the practice of muttering. Her words had been ordinary ones, but the plants didn't seem to care too much, and they were sometimes Mina's only willing ear after long days of breaking up fights and making sure her children weren't where they weren't supposed to be.

Avery knew she was there--she gave Mina a quick look that Mina knew from long experience meant that she was working and that whatever Mina needed, she better not interrupt.

Mina stayed quiet, feeling the weird prickle on her arms that was magic at work, and then the moment when the spell settled into place and took effect--as if tiny droplets of water were running down her entire body, under her clothes and down her feet into the ground without leaving her wet.

Mina shook herself and Avery stood up.

"I thought it would take you longer," Avery said.

Mina started. "Longer? What--"

"To become bored."