Smiling, I whispered back. “I’m a willoden for one.”
“What is that?” she asked, blinking her long-lashed eyes up at me curiously.
I pulled up a rather large delly root from the soil and dropped it into our basket, glancing around.
“I can do special magick with water. Let me show you.”
Standing, I walked to the fence surrounding the garden. The snow had been shoveled and piled along the fence line. I scooped a coin-sized amount into the palm of my hand and met Bes near the row where she stood waiting for me.
“Watch,” I told her.
She stood close to me, her shoulder pressing into my arm as she stared down into my palm. Calling my magick to the surface, my hands beamed a faint glow.
“Keskavalla,”I whispered down to the ball of snow at the center of my palm.
Instantly, a luminous dome of light formed over the snow, stretching from my fingertips to the fleshy part of my palm.
“Oh, my goodness.” Bes stared in awe.
“I’m not done yet,” I told her.
The ball of snow melted and transformed into steamy mist within the magickal dome I’d created.
“Put your hand inside the dome,” I told her.
She glanced up, wide-eyed and unsure, but then reached her dainty fingers toward the tiny oasis of warmth I’d created.
“It’s alright,” I urged her. “Slip your fingers inside.”
Tentatively, she touched the edge of the dome then pushed her hand inside. She gasped.
“It’s wonderful,” she giggled. “It feels like a steamy bath.”
I laughed. “Yes. A willoden can change water, both in form and temperature.”
“Amazing,” she whispered in awe, turning her hand around inside the dome.
“What are you two being so secretive about over here?”
We both jumped back, my magick fading as I dropped my hand, wiping my damp palm on my cloak. Tessa grinned like she’d caught us committing a crime.
“Hallizel!” Bes squealed with excitement.
The sprite fluttered over to Bes and zipped around her head, chittering excitedly. Bes danced in a circle, trying to chase the sprite. Saralyn giggled, watching the display.
“Bes, why don’t you take Saralyn off my hands while I help Jessamine? I could use a break.”
“Yay! Come see, Saralyn.” Bes clapped her hands then held them out to the babe, who raised her chubby arms with a giggle.
Bes took Saralyn outside the gate where they had more room to dance around with Hallizel.
“Saralyn is getting bigger by the day,” I noted, realizing the infant had more dark hair curling out of her head than the first day I met her.
“She is. And her first teeth, her fangs, are coming in. I actually came here to find a frozen delly root for her to teethe on.”
“That’s a good idea. You can take one of those, you don’t have to dig your own or help me. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
But she settled onto the wooden plank and lifted Bes’s trowel anyway. “Jessa, I am actually happy to do something besides breastfeed and comfort my crying baby.”
