Darynda looked as if she had been scolded. "Look, I'm sure you're not an ordinary witch, but you don't seem to be taking this seriously. You need to forget everything you ever thought you knew about witches. All that hocus-pocus stuff was created in Hollywood."

"Well, how was I supposed to know?" Mercy sat back down, holding her head. She wished there was a way to learn everything without being so confused.

"Here, this will make it easier for you."

Mercy lifted her head in time to see Darynda raise both her hands in front of her. A glowing ball slowly materialized. Mercy stared in fascination. It was beautiful.

The ball hovered a few inches above Darynda's hands. "Here you go. Catch!" She heaved the ball and it floated toward Mercy. She thought the television screen would stop it, but it seemed to drift out of the dimension of the television.

"Wow! Great 3-D effect." Mercy sucked in a gasp of air when she realized the ball was coming right for her. She let out a little shriek when the ball burst into a thousand tiny lights and showered down on her. She felt a tingling sensation, followed by a rapid heartbeat. "Oh, my! What was that thing?"

"That thing is your very own Orb. I want you to practice sending it away and drawing it near. I bestowed it with all kinds of enchantments. You can play with it and discover the enchantments for yourself. That's your a.s.signment for the week."

"The enchantments?" Mercy's stomach twisted in fear. "What does that mean?"

Darynda looked perplexed. "Enchantments? The Orb is like a great big present loaded with a batch of the neatest magick. I hand-selected each and every one for you." Her lower lip jutted out petulantly. "I honestly expected a little grat.i.tude. Most witches would be thrilled to receive a personalized Orb of Enchantments."

"Will you listen to yourself? I'm still trying to accept the fact that I'm a witch."

Darynda fisted her hands on her hips. "Why can't you get into the spirit of this thing? Just accept this gift with my best wishes and try to come out of your sh.e.l.l a little. You should be having fun with this."

Mercy nodded. "Thanks, I think. I'll try to figure this thing out."

Darynda held out her arms. "Oh, virtual huggies."

Mercy felt warmth and a squeezing sensation as though real arms embraced her.

"Your powers will grow stronger with practice," Darynda said. "And remember, focused energy."

The television screen went dark, leaving Mercy staring into the void.

Alistair leaped onto her lap. "How was the lesson, M'lady?"

"I guess it was pretty good," she said. "Oh, I can hear you without the amulet."

A loud purr prefaced his answer. "It's because your powers are growing stronger."

"That's a good thing too, I guess." She rubbed his ears. "Maybe it's the Orb."

"Aren't you anxious to get started?" He gazed at her quizzically, his green eyes aglow.

"Hmmm? What are you talking about?"

"The Orb of Enchantments. The spells. You are supposed to practice, you know?"

A little tingle from the Orb reminded her of its presence. "Yes, I'm just not sure how to begin."

"Focused intent."

She took a breath and closed her eyes. "Focused intent," she whispered. The tingle sharpened. Mercy opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a small basket sitting by the back door. Gran used it for gathering herbs from the garden. She held her breath and focused all her intent on moving the basket. Come here. Come here. She thought she was going to rupture her brain with the effort. "Come here!" she shouted.

Alistair jumped and the basket shuddered and moved a couple of inches toward her. The tingle increased.

She pointed her finger at the basket. "Come to me," she commanded.

The basket skidded across the floor to a stop at her feet.

"I did it!" She jumped around gleefully a few times before taking a deep breath and gathering her intent once more. "Now return to your place."

The basket didn't budge.

She pointed at the spot she wanted it to go. "Go!" The basket slid across the floor to slam against the wall.

"You should be careful where you point that thing," Alistair said. He left the room with a distinctly superior swish of his tail.

"Well, I'm trying...and I'm new at this, y'know?" She turned back to her task and practiced for the better part of an hour.

At least she had a letter from Gran. And that letter bound her to secrecy, for fear that she would be sent to the children's protective services. She figured that her grandmother knew what she was doing, so she planned to keep her mouth shut, at least for now.

In the meantime, she spent time reading her grandmother's journal and each page she turned brought more revelations. Gran made it clear that she was a witch. That she had always been a witch and that Mercy was to be a WIT, or Witch in Training. In her journal, Gran commented that she thought Mercy had buckets of natural talents just waiting to be developed.

Mercy closed the journal and held it tight against her chest. Natural talent? No one had ever said that about her. She wondered what she had ever done to give Gran that impression.

On Monday, Mercy was still feeling the effects of the Orb of Enchantment. She had a remarkably confident feeling when she got to the school. "Hey, Greg!" she called as she pa.s.sed him in the hall. He grinned and winked at her. She narrowed her gaze a little as she strode past Lindy. Don't even mess with me today.

Lindy gave her a startled look before tossing her hair and lifting her nose. Perhaps she was still upset over the dress. Perhaps not. Who cares anyway?

Mercy went to her first cla.s.s and took her seat beside Felicity. She felt lighter inside than she had since Gran had gone to Minah. She wondered briefly if it was because of the new dress or the Orb of Enchantment. Whatever. It was a relief to approach the week with a little more self-a.s.surance than usual.

When the bell rang she bounced out of her seat and stepped into the hall. She noticed that her entire body felt light, as though she might lift off in flight at any moment.

Greg waited until she came down the hall and fell in behind her. He tweaked a sprig of her hair.

She turned to him with a smile. The look in his eyes was intense, to say the least. The Orb tingled, or was it her stomach?

Mercy enjoyed her cla.s.ses, and even in gym cla.s.s she found herself grinning. She ignored the sneers from Lindy and her gang and managed to sink the basketball in the hoop a couple of times in spite of her general lack of coordination.

Then it dawned on her. She took a deep breath and bounced the ball once, twice, gathered her intent and focused on the hoop. Go inside there. Go! She thrust the ball upward and saw it arc toward the basket. She held her breath as it descended through the hoop without even touching the sides. Airball!!!

She glanced around, but the only person to notice her feat was Kelli. She gave her a thumbs up and bounced the ball back to her. Mercy gathered her intent and refocused on the hoop. The ball sailed through the air and through the hoop again. A little clutch of joy in her core was the only sign that she had just accomplished something big...Well, something big for her.

"Great job, Young," her coach called.

Mercy nodded at her and acknowledged that it felt good to do something right in gym cla.s.s for a change. Just for good measure, she made another basket. Coach looked at her quizzically as though wondering how one of her less talented students had suddenly managed three air b.a.l.l.s in a row.

"Way to go," Kelli said. "Have you been practicing, or what?"

A twinge of guilt shot through her. "Yeah, a little." Although what she had been practicing had definitely not been basketball.

After cla.s.ses, she went to her locker and filled her backpack with the books she would need to complete her homework a.s.signments. She was thinking about her schoolwork when Lindy b.u.mped into the locker, purposely swinging the metal door into her. The pain resonated up from the point of impact, her elbow, to her shoulder. She yelled out and then glared at Lindy, who was snickering with Becca and Amy.

A little seed of anger glowed at Mercy's core and she felt the orb's tingle. She focused her intent on Lindy, who fell back as though she had been shoved hard. She slid on her b.u.t.t to slam into the lockers on the opposite side of the hall. She sat with her mouth open, staring at Mercy.

The other students stopped milling around and gazed at the spectacle. No one spoke...or moved...or breathed.

Greg moved toward her, glancing down at Lindy. "That was some rebound, Lindy. You should watch where you're going." He put his hand on Mercy's arm. "Are you okay, Mercy?"

Lindy turned bright red. She closed her mouth with a snap and scrambled to her feet. Amy and Becca cl.u.s.tered around her, making comforting noises.

Mercy released the breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. Somehow Greg had managed to take the conflict out of the situation. She'd had the feeling that, without his presence, Lindy would have been ready for a fight.

Greg took her backpack and slung it over his shoulder to join his own. He walked with her out to the gate while Kelli and Felicity pulled the car around. They stood together waiting for her ride. He talked about the baseball game coming up on Sat.u.r.day afternoon, but didn't mention the dance on Friday night.

"Are you coming to the game?" he asked.

She ducked her head. "I...I don't know."

He chuckled. "Let me put it this way, I would like it if you were there."

She took a deep breath and searched for a way to express herself that didn't sound totally lame. "I'm not sure that my grandmother will be able to drive me...I mean, she might have plans."

"It's not because you hate baseball or anything?" He grinned at her discomfort. "I mean, I wouldn't want you to suffer through something you can't stand."

A warm feeling swirled through her gut. "No, I don't hate baseball and I'd love to see you play, but..."

"Don't worry about a ride then. I can pick you up before the game...if you want to go, that is."

"Yes, I want to go. Thanks."

He grinned and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

A few glances slid their way. He was making it clear he liked her. She was Greg's girl.

CHAPTER FIVE.

The rest of the week zoomed by. Other than glowering at her from across the hall or the other side of the gym, Lindy gave her a lot of s.p.a.ce. When she heard the jingle-jangle of Lindy's bracelet, she held her breath, but Lindy seemed to be avoiding her like the bubonic plague.

Mercy continued to use gym cla.s.s to practice her focused intent. The coach leaned against the wall, smiling and nodding each time she sent the ball through the hoop. Since Mercy hadn't enjoyed a lot of approval from the coach, she probably should have stopped when she was ahead. Then the coach told her to move further back and shoot. Mercy should have just given it her usual lame throw, but something about being successful made her feel lightheaded. When she made a basket from mid-court the whole cla.s.s stopped to stare.

Kelli bounced the ball back to her. "Do it again, hotshot!"

Mercy caught it and gave it a couple of bounces just to center herself. Gotta make this look good. She held the ball in both hands and flexed her knees, giving a little jump as she made a pathetic attempt to get the ball to go in the general direction of the basket. The ball fell way short, the hollow sound as it hitting the court echoed off all the hard surfaces. She shrugged.

"Good try, Mercy," Kelli called and clapped her hands.

She nodded, glad to have a friend who was always on her side, no matter if she was a hotshot...or not. On the other hand, her failing to make a basket gave Lindy a distinctly smug expression. At least she could make someone happy when she failed.

By Friday she was a basket case. When she thought about the dance and the dress and Greg she felt like she was about to barf, big time. She leaned against the antique bureau and gazed into the depths of the darkened mirror.

"Gran? Are you there?" She touched the gla.s.s with her fingertips, but no warming sensation greeted her. She struck a match and lit the purple candle. "Gran?" Her voice wound down in a whine that sounded pitiful to her own ears. She closed her eyes and squared her shoulders. No need to be such a wimp.

"That's right, dear. You must remain strong."

Mercy's eyes flew open to find Gran gazing at her fondly. "I'm so glad you're here."

"I'm always here."

Mercy spent the next half hour telling her grandmother about the lessons, about the dance and about Greg. "Wait! Just wait here a minute." She ran to get her dress and the s...o...b..x containing the very sweet heels. She held them up for her grandmother to see. "What do you think?"

"Lovely," Gran p.r.o.nounced. "And the color is perfect for you."

"Is it?" Mercy hated to sound so needy, but she was tired of trying to carry on as though there was nothing wrong. "Gran, may I ask a dumb question?

Gran smiled, warming her through the gla.s.s. "Ask away. I'm certain it's not a dumb question."

"It's about the witch thing," she said. "How come I didn't know about it?"

"The tradition is to have a coming out ceremony on the young witch's sixteenth birthday. And yours is coming up in less than a month." Her face puckered into a frown. "I'm so sorry you may have to spend your birthday alone, my dear."

Mercy shrugged. "Me too. I'll miss you if you don't make it home." She recalled the beautiful lemon creme cake with chocolate frosting her grandmother had made for her last birthday. "I was looking forward to cake."

"I'll try my best to be home, my dear. If these Minah creatures would just cooperate." She spread her hands wide as though Mercy should understand. "How are your lessons coming along?"

"Okay, I guess. I'm getting to be really good at spells." She grinned. "At least I can send the basketball through the hoop in gym cla.s.s."

Gran nodded, looking pleased. "Good. Keep practicing."

"I have to get dressed now. Greg will be here soon."

"Show me how you look before you leave." Gran blew her a kiss through the gla.s.s and she felt the sensation of a whisper on her cheek.

Mercy dressed hurriedly, slipping the peach dress over her head and finally stepping into the little heels. She spritzed fragrance on her wrists and brushed her hair. She wanted to be ready when Greg drove up so she didn't have to explain to him why her grandmother wasn't at home.

She returned to stand in front of the mirror and found Gran waiting patiently.

"You look beautiful, my darling."

Mercy felt a flush of pleasure. "Thanks, Gran."