Page 114 of Dragon Charmed

Tessa could feel her cheeks heat. “She put a tracker on my phone.”

Eric smirked.

Tessa held up her hand. “Don’t say a word, Eric.”

Megan walked to the side of the desk. “Bella, honey, leave that be.” She squatted down to take a paper from the baby.

“Tessa, come here.”

Tessa walked over. “What is it?”

“This is the scroll that Bella is holding. Didn’t you say that the wording changed when she held it.”

“Yes.”

“Well, it’s not changing now.”

Adam, Eric, and Sienna walked over as well.

Tessa frowned. “I don’t understand. We were sitting at the desk and I was studying it and Bella put her hands on it and the wording changed.”

Megan handed the scroll paper in its protective sleeve to Tessa and then picked up Bella.

Sienna gasped and pointed at the scroll. “Look.”

The wording changed and Tessa had trouble breathing.

“It wasn’t Bella. It was you,” Adam said.

Tessa gaped at the scroll and dropped it onto the desk. It turned back to indecipherable scribble. “How was I able to change the words on the scroll? I’m not magical.”

A voice chimed in behind them. “It could be because you’re a witch, dear.”

They all turned toward the door. Tessa’s mother was standing there holding hands with Lily.

Tessa started to shake. “Mom, what are you talking about?”

“I told you that your grandmother was a witch.”

“Yeah. But I just thought you meant she was, well, witch-y.”

Lina smiled. “Oh, Mother was a crank even on her best days. But she was also a witch. Unfortunately her powers were limited, which made her surly. And when she tried to train me, she proclaimed me a lost cause. Said something about magic dying out over the generations.

“Even though I have never had any active magic, I could sometimes sense ‘other’ around certain people. It’s like static electricity, a tingling sensation, and let me tell you this house is full of electricity. Including this special little girl. She’s like a light switch.” She squeezed Lily’s hand. “We were reading in the other room and Lily stopped me. She wanted me to come to the office with her. Was quite adamant about it.”

Of course she was. Had she seen Tessa touching the scroll in a vision? What did this all mean? “Why didn’t you ever tell me I could have powers?”

“Your grandmother didn’t sense anything in you and I didn’t either. I didn’t want to make you feel less than because you didn’t have powers. I wouldn’t do to you what Mother had done to me. Plus, I’m not sure you would have believed me if I had tried. You are quite hardheaded when you want to be.”

Tessa’s hard head was beginning to hurt. “If you don’t sense any powers in me, then why can I do this?”

Lina shook her head. “I said ‘didn’t,’ as in past tense. I can definitely sense other in you now. Maybe it started from spending time around here.” She looked at the rest of the group. “And since you all are as surprised as she is, I guess that means this isn’t a coven.”

“No,” Megan said.

“Megan! It’s so good to see you. And this must be sweet Arabella. The pictures don’t do her justice.”

“Yes. And…um…this is my husband, Eric, and his sister, Sienna, and brother, Adam.”