Mom thrust her hand skyward. Fire erupted in a stream of silver. When it hit the lavender, it flashed into orange and yellow before what was left of the lavender hit the ground, smoldering and smelling of smoke and perfume. Tiny red ashes ignited as if actualfireants were crawling over the burned twigs. “Whew!” Mom said, breaking into a smile. “How was that?”
“And you say you’re new to all this?” Poppy said. “Never used any magic before?”
“I can vouch for that,” I said.
“Can I try with both hands?” Mom said.
Poppy and I looked at each other. This was… unexpected.
“Of course,” Poppy said. She began to pull out another lavender bunch.
“How about the whole thing?” Mom asked.
Poppy looked up, her hand frozen in mid-motion. “The whole thing?”
“Yes, just chuck the whole thing. I bet I can get it.”
“Getit?” Poppy said.
“You know.” My mom gestured with both hands, like a magician. “Poof!”
“Poof,” Poppy repeated. She looked at me.
I shrugged. “Let her ‘poof’ if she wants to.”
“Go, Effie!” Berron called from the sidelines.
Mom steadied herself on her feet and raised both hands, palms forward.
Poppy gripped the remaining bundle of lavender and began to swing it back and forth, building up momentum. “Hup!” She tossed the bundle up and away.
The bundle hit the top of its arc, and Mom let fly. Even from many feet away I could feel the heat as twin fire blasts smoked the bundle in mid-air, causing it to explode in a fragrant cloud of ash. Cinders drifted down.
Both dogs leaned forward, their noses twitching.
Mom straightened up, breathing a little harder but radiant with triumph.
“Hurrah!” cried the Princess of Arrows, clapping her hands. “It is most exciting, is it not, brother?”
Berron was watching me. “Very exciting,” he said. “Isn’t it, Zelda?”
“Mm,” I said. Truthfully, it was like watching Mom take up NASCAR driving. Even if she was surprisingly good at it, I couldn’t help bracing for a crash. “Mom, why don’t you take a break? I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”
“Nonsense, Zelda, I’m as fit as a fiddle. And I didn’t slow you down when you decided to gallivant up here and get involved in magic, did I?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but she kept going.
“No, I did not. I said to myself, ‘Effie, children are going to do what children are going to do’—”
“I was forty-five.”
“Don’t interrupt your mother. And I let you go—
“Letme go?”
“And I let you go knowing full well you could fall right on your face—”
“Thanks.”
