white,
pictures of men. The images seemed to go in and out of focus.
“Sentry?” I said out loud.
Magic screeched.
I jumped up to my feet and then shot him a dirty look
and sat, turning the page.
The Sentry is the Witch’s Guardian, a male who possesses
powers. The powers may be dormant, but he may choose to activate them. The
Sentry protects his Witch without prevaricating.
I glared down at Magic. “Goobledy gook. So, where is my
Sentry?” I asked him.
I held my breath, hopeful Magic would answer. “You know
Sabrina’s witch could talk?” I told him.
I couldn’t help feeling peevish. What was I expecting?
A talking cat to give me answers? I glared at Magic. He hissed. Figured. Non-talking
cat with attitude. I turned back to the page with the shifting images of men.
Spooky was an understatement. Some of the faces were young,
some very old. Some looked friendly, some scary. My fingers traced over the
features of a handsome man and then I pulled back as if the photo had reached
out to grab me. It was a picture of my dad.
Cody kept a picture in his room, a shot of the two of them.
It was the only framed picture of him in the house. A few pictures float around
in photo albums in the china cabinet but none were on display.
I shivered, seeing his face in the book. Goosebumps scurried
across my arms. I thought of Nana’s words. Warning me to be careful if he
showed up.
She didn’t say he’d turn up in the book. I wondered where
he’d disappeared to after I was born. And if I had something to do with his
going. Or the picture.
I flipped pages.
KINDREDS are sources of energy for Grant Witches.
Witches channel powers through KINDREDS. Kindred’s are faithful navigators,
never betraying the witch or each other. Regeneration is part of their reward
for life with the witch. Kindred’s stay together in every new life.
I rememberedNana calling Cody Kindred. Stevie,
too.
“Nana?”
I said out loud, hoping she would somehow hear me and answer.
Magic cleaned his fur with his sandpapery pink tongue. No
other sound filled the air.
I flipped over a few more pages in the book but I couldn’t
read the writing. It seemed to be a different language, with flourishes and
letters I didn’t recognize.
“It’s official,” I said to my cat. “I’m a witch.”
An overwhelming urge to lie down on the bed and pull the
covers over my head seized me. At least until Nana got home. I didn’t have any
desire to face this on my own. I put the book down and curled up into a fetal
position on the bed.
“I wish there was someone sane to help me figure this out,”
I whispered out loud.
“Sydney?” A voice called my name from the hallway.
CHAPTER SIX
I jumped to my feet.
“Keith? Oh My God. I almost peed my pants. What are you doing
here?”
“The front door wasn’t locked,” he called through the door.
“Are you okay in there?”
Just friggin fine. Under my breath I whispered the first
outlandish thing I could think of. “I wish Keith was wearing a blue denim
shirt.” Ha. That should mess him up. Keith never wore anything other than black
t-shirts with his jeans.
I crept to the door and opened it. Keith stood in the
hallway, wearing a denim blue shirt. He smiled at me with his usual half grin.
“What the heck are you wearing?” I demanded.
He looked down at his shirt a little puzzled and then
his features crinkled up. “It’s a shirt. What’s wrong, Sydney? Are you the
fashion police? You sound pissed off.”
I shot him an evil eye. “You never wear denim shirts.”
He rubbed at his chin. “Today I did.”
“And, how’d you know I’d be in my mom’s room?” I didn’t let
go of the door.
“I saw Cody on the way to school. He flagged me over to
tell me you were in your
pictures of men. The images seemed to go in and out of focus.
“Sentry?” I said out loud.
Magic screeched.
I jumped up to my feet and then shot him a dirty look
and sat, turning the page.
The Sentry is the Witch’s Guardian, a male who possesses
powers. The powers may be dormant, but he may choose to activate them. The
Sentry protects his Witch without prevaricating.
I glared down at Magic. “Goobledy gook. So, where is my
Sentry?” I asked him.
I held my breath, hopeful Magic would answer. “You know
Sabrina’s witch could talk?” I told him.
I couldn’t help feeling peevish. What was I expecting?
A talking cat to give me answers? I glared at Magic. He hissed. Figured. Non-talking
cat with attitude. I turned back to the page with the shifting images of men.
Spooky was an understatement. Some of the faces were young,
some very old. Some looked friendly, some scary. My fingers traced over the
features of a handsome man and then I pulled back as if the photo had reached
out to grab me. It was a picture of my dad.
Cody kept a picture in his room, a shot of the two of them.
It was the only framed picture of him in the house. A few pictures float around
in photo albums in the china cabinet but none were on display.
I shivered, seeing his face in the book. Goosebumps scurried
across my arms. I thought of Nana’s words. Warning me to be careful if he
showed up.
She didn’t say he’d turn up in the book. I wondered where
he’d disappeared to after I was born. And if I had something to do with his
going. Or the picture.
I flipped pages.
KINDREDS are sources of energy for Grant Witches.
Witches channel powers through KINDREDS. Kindred’s are faithful navigators,
never betraying the witch or each other. Regeneration is part of their reward
for life with the witch. Kindred’s stay together in every new life.
I rememberedNana calling Cody Kindred. Stevie,
too.
“Nana?”
I said out loud, hoping she would somehow hear me and answer.
Magic cleaned his fur with his sandpapery pink tongue. No
other sound filled the air.
I flipped over a few more pages in the book but I couldn’t
read the writing. It seemed to be a different language, with flourishes and
letters I didn’t recognize.
“It’s official,” I said to my cat. “I’m a witch.”
An overwhelming urge to lie down on the bed and pull the
covers over my head seized me. At least until Nana got home. I didn’t have any
desire to face this on my own. I put the book down and curled up into a fetal
position on the bed.
“I wish there was someone sane to help me figure this out,”
I whispered out loud.
“Sydney?” A voice called my name from the hallway.
CHAPTER SIX
I jumped to my feet.
“Keith? Oh My God. I almost peed my pants. What are you doing
here?”
“The front door wasn’t locked,” he called through the door.
“Are you okay in there?”
Just friggin fine. Under my breath I whispered the first
outlandish thing I could think of. “I wish Keith was wearing a blue denim
shirt.” Ha. That should mess him up. Keith never wore anything other than black
t-shirts with his jeans.
I crept to the door and opened it. Keith stood in the
hallway, wearing a denim blue shirt. He smiled at me with his usual half grin.
“What the heck are you wearing?” I demanded.
He looked down at his shirt a little puzzled and then
his features crinkled up. “It’s a shirt. What’s wrong, Sydney? Are you the
fashion police? You sound pissed off.”
I shot him an evil eye. “You never wear denim shirts.”
He rubbed at his chin. “Today I did.”
“And, how’d you know I’d be in my mom’s room?” I didn’t let
go of the door.
“I saw Cody on the way to school. He flagged me over to
tell me you were in your
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