Magic and the Modern Girl by Mindy Klasky Read Free Book Online Page B

insensitive, uncaring parent. “Gran,” I said, dismissing vengeance on Clara from my thoughts. “I am not making any promises today.”
    “This one is easy to keep, Jane. And it’s right. It’s good. You should do it.”
    Of course, Gran would think that she was right and good. Gran always thought that she was right and good.
    And, truth be told, she was.
    Oh, she might have gotten a little carried away with some of her promises. She’d made me swear that I wouldn’t lick any toads , for heaven’s sake. But I had to admit, I’d come across the situation—or one close to it—given the requirements of witchcraft and a certain potion that Neko had coached me on brewing. And sure enough, I’d stuck by my oath. A vow was a vow, no matter how silly it sounded when Gran got me to say it out loud.
    She was staring at me across the table, her eyes sharp and curious, like a bird’s. I knew from past experience that she had all the patience in the world. She would simply sit there and wait until I agreed to whatever promise she was going to demand. I might as well give in to the inevitable and wrap this thing up quickly. “Fine, Gran. I promise.”
    Her smile was so quick that I almost missed it. “Talk to David about this witchcraft problem of yours.”
    “Gran, I already did that! David was the first person I called when I realized what was happening.”
    “And how did that conversation go?”
    I took a sip of cold tea, manufacturing a break to think some more. Gran knew me so well. She had clearly discerned that things had not gone well when I summoned David. Exactly how much had she read between the lines? Did she know how dismissive David had been? Did she believe that I had actually hurt his feelings by ignoring him for so long? I thought back to my mandate that he answer me, my pulling rank on him. Maybe, just possibly, in a teensy, tiny way, I had overstepped my bounds as his witch. Or at least as his friend.
    “Jane,” Gran said. “Do you remember last year? When you promised that you’d speak with Melissa after you two had your disagreement?”
    Of course I remembered last year. I remembered how things had spun out of control for a long time, before they’d come back to normal. I remembered how much I had missed my best friend, how much I had needed her. I’d promised Gran that I’d reach out to Melissa, and it had taken me weeks to swallow my pride.
    But as soon as I had done it, I’d felt infinitely better. Melissa and I had slipped back into our old friendship patterns with barely a hiccup. I sighed. “Okay, Gran,” I said. “I promise. I’ll work this out with David.”
    Gran nodded, as if she’d been certain I would see the wisdom of her ways. “Go to him, Jane,” she said. “Don’t make him come to you.”
    I hesitated. Before I could say anything, Clara said, “You do know where he lives, don’t you?”
    “Of course, I know where my warder lives!” I snapped.
    Gran merely nodded, as if she hadn’t heard the roughness of my tone. “Perfect, dear. Now, how about ordering some dessert?”
    “Dessert sounds good,” I said. “But I want to heat up my tea.” Gran started to turn around, to seek out our waitress. “No,” I interrupted. “Using magic.”
    My mother and grandmother cast twin skeptical glances toward me. Clara spoke first. “Jeanette, it’s really not a problem, to get another cup of hot water.”
    I shook my head. “David said that I should use my powers. That I should get back into the habit of working magic.”
    Gran looked doubtful, but she equivocated, “Well, if David says…”
    That fired me up. My own grandmother didn’t trust me to make decisions about my magical powers, but if my warder said to…If my absent, judgmental warder said to…If the warder I had just promised to reach out to said to…I’d show her. I could do magic any time and any place. Of my own volition.
    I folded my fingers around the clear glass mug, closing my eyes to concentrate