A Dangerous Witch (Witch Central Series: Book 3) by Debora Geary Page B

two words. 
    FIRE MAGE.

Chapter 7

    It was the wrong child.
    As bone-melting fear raced up her spine, Nell couldn’t kick that one thought out of the way.
    She had always thought it would be Aervyn who would take them to the brink.  Had spent every day of his seven years slowly preparing herself for that possibility.  Not this one.
    Mia’s hair was flaming red—and she glowed as bright as the noonday sun.
    Witches were landing in Realm as fast as porting spells could throw them.  Moira stood, her arms wrapped around Mia’s shoulders, a crone goddess daring the universe to harm the child she loved.
    Nell charged at the pair of them, straight for Mia’s wild terror and the hellfire raging at her back.  She screamed to a halt as the fire turned her direction.  Seeking.
    Preparing to engulf anyone in its path.
    Game players were landing in the forest meadow, attracted by the monster spike in game energy.  Nell yanked her mind out of its gibbering panic.  Lauren.   Daniel.  Clear Realm.  NOW.  No one was safe online.  Not if they had a fire witch in meltdown.
    Her husband’s hand landed on her shoulder—a very physical anchor in a world gone totally berserk.  “Already happening.  Ten seconds and they’ll all be gone.”  His entire body vibrated.  “How do we help Mia?”
    Working on it.  Jamie’s voice was clear, strong, and cold as ice water.  We can contain the power flow, but if we do it too hard, we’ll just push it back at Mia.
    Nell frantically traced the lines running between her girl and the inferno of churning energy blasting straight into her heart.  Power fighting for release.  Needing to be aimed.  She choked back the engulfing mama terror.
    Mage fire.  Magic not seen in five hundred years. 
    Magic with just one use.
    Her awesome, sassy, life-adoring girl had just become a weapon.
    Minds all around her were catching up now.  Building to a terrible, foaming miasma of horror.  Ruthlessly, Nell shut them all out.  Weapons had weaknesses.  Triggers.  Wires that could be cut.
    “Weapons need to fire.”  Daniel—steady as a rock, and clearly reading her thoughts.  “Give her something to aim at.  What do you need?”
    The impossible.  “Realm can’t contain this.  It’s going to take magic.”  The one thing the hero at her side didn’t have.
    Sorrow—and diamond-hard resolve.  “Then build her a target.”
    Soon.  Govin stood at Jamie’s side, his mind shaking, but his magic rock steady.  All of them keeping a safe distance from the fire that seemed to sense kindred power.   I can’t hold this back much longer.
    Nell’s heart stuttered.  Govin faced down volcanoes and tornadoes and destruction every damn day.  
    A target.  They needed a target.
    I can do it, Mama.  She hadn’t even noticed her son arrive.  Aervyn’s hands were already moving, a wild shielding spell building in front of him.  Mia can shoot at me.
    Molten lava exploded somewhere in Nell’s gut.  Like hell.  No.   For the first time since he could walk, she yanked power away from her youngest child.  This isn’t yours to do.
    I’m the best witch.  Said quietly, without a hint of bravado.  Just a seven-year-old boy stating the truth.
    Nell sent truth to the outer reaches of hell.  I’m still the best damn spellcaster there is.   And he would not stand in the way of this.  Resolute, she reached for every ounce of power she had ever called and began adding to the shielding spell she’d unceremoniously hijacked from her son.
    And felt his eyes behind hers.  Watching.  Guiding.
    That’s all I’m letting him do.  Jamie’s message was clear.  There was a wall of witches standing in lockstep between wonderboy and any crazy heroics he might try.  Take what help he can give you.
    Nell sank into mindlink with her youngest son.  Weaving.  Reinforcing.  Her skill, his uncanny intuition for what magic needed to be.  Creating the best damn shield that ever was. 
    And